On Wednesday, February 21, the Flying Shamrocks student organization took a field trip to the Yankee Air Museum located at Willow Run airport in Ypsilanti where they spent the afternoon interacting with aircraft that have been established throughout aviation history. 

“Being able to see the excitement and passion that the young men of Catholic Central have for aviation through their eyes during our field trip to the Yankee Air Museum and Willow Run Airport tower was truly a blessing! Whether it was a more experienced classmate helping a newbie to aviation navigate using a flight simulator or seeing the great respect and appreciation all the boys had for the docents that worked with them, it was an amazing day,” stated Amy Ely, club moderator of the Flying Shamrocks and Director of STEM at Catholic Central. 

The Yankee Air Museum is a Smithsonian-affiliated science and aerospace museum featuring rare aircraft ranging from World War I to the Gulf War. It features hands-on interactive STEM exhibits, educational tours, unique artifacts, and much more.  

Approximately 13 students attended the field trip, arriving by bus on the airport’s runway. During their visit, the Flying Shamrocks sat in the air traffic control tower and participated in flight simulators that are similar to but smaller than the ones offered at Catholic Central High School.  

Four of the students who attended are halfway through their pilot’s license. Other students have no experience flying a plane yet.  

The Flying Shamrocks is a student club that meets monthly to discuss careers in aerospace and aviation. Guest speakers with careers in these fields come in regularly to talk to students and share their expertise. The club takes field trips regularly to local airports and businesses in the aviation field. It serves as a steppingstone for the new Aviation program scheduled to launch at Catholic Central during the 2024-2025 school year. The club will also focus on the new STEM resources within the George and Mary Turek Hall of Science.  

For more information about the Flying Shamrocks club, please contact Mrs. Amy Ely at aely@catholicentral.net.