Aero Club at Elysian School

Inspired to bring a group of students together around all things flight, Cody Baker, an air traffic controller and father of two students at Elysian and Nolan Dow, a current eighth grader at Elysian, teamed up to start an Aero Club. Nolan met with donors who might support the Aero Club, and together he and Cody began brainstorming what might be possible. 

“I just love aviation and wanted to help other kids at school experience it too,” said Nolan. “I want them to see how cool it is, so when Cody offered to be the leader of the club, I was excited,” he explained. 

Nolan’s passion for flight and his appetite to learn, create, and lead mirrored AJ’s passion and enthusiasm throughout his life. Connecting with the foundation was a natural fit. Nolan applied, and Elysian School received a grant in the Fall of 2023 and the club kicked off. 

The club gathers weekly after school. Anywhere from 10-15 students trickle in ready for a club meeting and to talk aviation, continue work on their Aero Club projects, or take a turn in the Microsoft flight simulator. After a brief report from the club president and secretary, it is typical that the students participate in a mini-lesson on “concepts in aviation.” Whether historical advancements, concepts of physics, or intriguing flight facts, the lessons are always interesting. After the lesson, students often plan their flights on AirNav, Flightaware, and/or Live ATC, and then they take their turn practicing flying a drone or in the flight simulator! Currently the club is finishing construction on cardboard RC aircrafts they plan to fly this Spring. 

A highlight for the club was a recent field trip to the flight line. The students toured the hangers at Billings Flying Service and the National Guard, where they climbed in multiple aircraft and learned of many opportunities in the aviation industry. They then made their way to Beacon FBO and finally to Air Traffic Control tower. “My hope is that the kids will see many facets of the industry and be inspired to grow up and work in it,” said Cody. 

As the school year is wrapping up, Cody, Nolan, and the crew are still dreaming and scheming for new projects, and Cody is still hoping to recruit a few pilots to speak with their group. As AJ found it so inspiring to share his passion of aviation with others, Cody and Nolan know what that “flying bug” is all about, and with the help of the grant, they are excited to be spreading that “bug” at Elysian School.