Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aviation Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fayette County Schools consider 'Rise Above' traveling exhibit to connect students with aviation careers
Summary
Rusty Bliss, Fayette County Airport Director, proposed hosting the Rise Above traveling exhibit during the Thunder Over Fayette Air Show on Sept. 26 to highlight Tuskegee Airmen and WASP history and introduce aviation careers to students; the district would help coordinate schedules and transportation but Mr. Bliss asked community sponsors to cover an estimated $14,000 hosting cost.
Mr. Rusty Bliss, Fayette County Airport Director and retired Delta Air Lines pilot, presented the Rise Above traveling exhibit to Fayette County Public Schools on Feb. 19 in recognition of Black History Month, describing a mobile interactive museum, theater presentation and aircraft display designed to highlight the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
Bliss said the program emphasizes perseverance, overcoming adversity, leadership and aviation career awareness and would offer structured, rotating educational sessions that could accommodate about 25–30 students per hour. He proposed scheduling the exhibit to coincide with the Thunder Over Fayette Air Show on Sept. 26, which he described as including multiple aviation performers and a planned 200-drone twilight show.
Dr. Don McPherson told committee members the district already houses a flight simulator in a STEM classroom and that staff had begun discussing how to coordinate student schedules, provide transportation and expand aviation learning opportunities to link the exhibit with Career and Technical Education and STEM programming.
Bliss said the estimated cost to host the exhibit is approximately $14,000 and that he was not requesting Board funding; instead he asked the district to assist in identifying potential community sponsors. Board members expressed appreciation for the proposal and discussed airport expansion, the air show’s continued growth and future educational partnerships.
The presentation concluded with Bliss inviting board members to attend the Thunder Over Fayette Air Show. The district did not take a funding vote; the proposal’s next steps are community sponsor outreach and further coordination with CTE and STEM staff.
