Written by Corbin Winters

Blurry reflections of focused students stare back from the aluminum shell as the high pitch drill echoes inside a portion of their high school’s old library. Due to partnership with the Tango Flight Program, aircraft construction has found a new home at Cleveland High School, CHS.  

“It’s getting more of a hands-on type of experience,” Garrett says. “They learn about different systems of aircrafts. Then they participate in putting that system together.”

Garrett first developed a love for aviation at a young age. While in middle school, Garrett got the opportunity to fly in a “little low-wing Piper Cherokee aircraft,” instantly infatuating him with flight. 

By sophomore year of high school, Garrett had received his private pilot’s license with an acceptance letter from the Air Force Academy. However, after a damaging rock climbing accident junior year, Garrett’s dreams of military service had changed.

Following the injury, Garrett enrolled at Lee University and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics. He first began teaching mathematics at Walker Valley High School in 2012. 

After a master’s degree in education and an education specialist degree in leadership; Garrett took an assistant principal job at Cleveland High School in 2021. CHS adopted the Tango Flight Program along with aviation courses starting in 2023. With the opportunity to continue his passion for flight Garrett leaped at the possibility, and became the only instructor for the innovative programs. 

The Tango Flight Program currently offers two different plane kit designs. Construction at Cleveland City High School on the Vans-12iS kit started in August of 2023. Garrett plans to finish construction, and begin test flights by the end of summer 2026. 

“Obviously we’re not working over the summers or outside of the class day. That’s why it’s been a little longer than we’ve liked. There has been a good amount of students that transitioned from one semester to the next. That slowed things down a bit,” Garrett added. 

Before students begin working on the aircraft, each student must complete a series of safety quizzes and a test created by Tango Flight Program. Due in part to a more hands-on classroom, juniors and seniors are the target age range for this class. Hailee Barnette is one of the exceptions to this requirement. Barnette, now a junior, is taking the Tango Flight Program class for a second consecutive year. 

Garrett describes the usefulness of having an experienced peer for other students to model after. “[Barnett] allows [the construction] to progress that much faster when you’ve got someone that’s been through the process they can direct their peers what to focus on, and how to approach whatever systems are being worked on.”

“After I took it for one year I fell in love with being a part of such a special program that not everyone gets to do.” Barnett recounts her admiration for building comes from her family. “I used to work on cars with my brother and dad, so I decided to work on something adjacent to that.” 

Garrett humbly admits the success of construction on the aircraft is the result of a helping community. Mentors, such as experienced carpenter Ron Heil, and seasoned aircraft maintenance technician Mark Cheney, are crucial to the completion of the experimental plane.  

“I knew if I was trying to do it on my own it would take us 10 years to get the aircraft completed,” said Garrett. 

Barnett said her reason for returning a second year was the result of the mentors. “The mentors are very special to work with. They are very knowledgeable, and I think it’s important to take [away] everything they say.” 

The Tango Flight Program kits can be purchased anywhere from $100,000-$160,000. Local foundations including George R. Johnson Foundation and Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation raised the money for the program to be integrated into CHS. 

“The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education have really went out of their way to make this program successful,” Garrett said. “We’ve got a hangar up there at the Cleveland jetport, so we have a place that we can continue to work…and make the final touches on it.”

As students complete the 45 different builds that make up the aircraft, they leave their mark on the plane itself. Students sign their initials on the plane in addition to signing on the build-plans. This will later be given to Tango Flight representatives along with the Federal Aviation Administration to gain its airworthiness certification.

Following 40 total test flight hours—30 of which are reserved for student test flights—the aircraft will be returned to the Tango Flight Program for sale. The program is designed to self-perpetrate; the money made from selling the aircraft will be able to fund the next kit for Cleveland High School to build.

It takes a village to build a plane. From a mentor’s guiding wisdom and the foundations’ vital economic assistance, to the persistence of aviation instructor Jeffery Garrett, every piece of this puzzle was essential. Ultimately, it was the dedication of an approximate 100 students that truly brought the project to life. Long after this plane takes flight, the teamwork, resilience, and skills forged in the school’s library will continue to shape their futures.

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