With an average of 45,000 aircraft taking flight each day in the United States, the demand for commercial pilots continues to increase each year by 4%. By 2025, Gen Z will make up 25% of the aviation workforce worldwide.
The Oak Park High School Aviation Club was founded this year by two OPHS seniors and aims to educate students on the world of aviation.
“Club meetings often consist of current worldwide aviation news and various guest speakers who were previously pilots or are currently flying for commercial airlines such as United Airlines,” club president Artem Sodukh said.
Previous guest speakers included pilot Mark Russel, a pilot with 30,000 hours of flight experience and 40 years of flying.
Club vice president Calder Cicinelli first became interested in aviation after studying military history.
“I felt inspired after realizing aviation’s crucial role in the military as well as civilian application,” Cicinelli said. “[Artem and I] felt inspired to create this club after many of our friends began their journey to get their private pilot licenses.”
Sodukh’s inspiration for creating this club stemmed from his passion for flying, which has only grown since he began a student pilot program.
“A lot of current club members are also active student pilots and these meetings allow them to learn more about their passion and meet other people at OPHS with similar interests,” Sodukh said.
The club meets every Monday in room C-1 and is open to anyone interested in exploring the world of aviation. For more information, you can also contact Artem Soukh at [email protected].
