FRANKFORT, KY (January 12, 2024)—Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, co-chair of the legislative Aviation/Aerospace Caucus, and Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, who is a caucus member, wish to share information on the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, Inc. (AMK) to highlight and endorse opportunities offered, including programs and Aviation Summer Camps.
Representatives from the museum were in Frankfort on Thursday during the Kentucky General Assembly's eighth day of the 2024 Legislative Session engaging with lawmakers and providing information on all AMK has to offer.
Among those at the state Capitol were Robert Riggs, a trustee and legislative liaison for the AMK board, and Jim McCormick, who previously served as board chair and remains a trustee.
"The museum is not a repository for old planes," Riggs, who is the last remaining original board member and serves in an unpaid volunteer capacity, said. "We embrace education and planes are a great way to get someone's attention. When you can grab a child's attention, that is when they learn; that is when you can use the interest of aviation to teach them things like math and science, which will lead them to better understanding and ultimately a better life."
AMK PROGRAMS
AMK programs include
Aviation Camps of Kentucky: Hosting camps since 1996, reaching over 8,000 students aged 10-17 at various airports across Kentucky,
STEM Saturdays: Inspiring Kentucky students with middle school STEM sessions for over a decade,
Flight Simulation Saturday Series: Offering classes covering flight fundamentals to instrument flight basics,
Girls in Aerospace: Guided by the motto "If you can see it, you can be it," this program encourages girls to pursue aerospace careers, and
The Museum is the Classroom: Featuring annually updated exhibits showcasing the history of aviation and aerospace technology.
Additional programs planned will cover an introduction to drones, the Aviation and Aerospace Seminar Series, airplane pilot orientation through flight simulation, and special interest education classes.
The expanded programs aim to educate students and adults interested in aerospace careers, using resources from the aviation industry, FAA, and related agencies. These enhancements align with AMK's mission to inspire enthusiasm for aviation and introduce career opportunities.
Storm and Higdon expressed support for AMK's initiatives.
"We are really proud of our state's aviation and aerospace industry because it is so critical to our economy," Storm and Higdon said in a joint statement "Planes may not be made in Kentucky, but they are not made without Kentucky because we supply so many parts.
"We are grateful for the Aviation Museum and especially for all of its educational efforts. We highly encourage families to take advantage of the educational opportunities AMK is offering because we think it can be really life-changing.
"We are working in our capacity with the Aviation/Aerospace Caucus, and on the Senate Transportation Committee, to boost the industry, especially in the areas of workforce, so having partners like Mr. Riggs, Mr. McCormick, and the museum makes us really confident the industry's best days are ahead."
Riggs submits that for every commercial flight leaving airports such as Blue Grass Airport, there are 6,000 careers standing behind that pilot to make that flight possible. AMK tries hard to expose students to the multitude of career opportunities in the aviation and aerospace industries.
AMK plans to establish an education resource center, hire full-time staff, and upgrade its Blue Grass Airport facility with advanced classrooms and distance learning capabilities.
AVIATION SUMMER CAMPS
Two-day aviation summer camps are held in June of each year at Blue Grass Airport and are open to youth aged 10 through adulthood, offering activities such as aeronautics, navigation, instruments, and engines, flight simulation, air traffic control, airplane design, aerospace technology, NASA/space, and careers in aviation. Campers experience an actual flight lesson with an FAA certified flight instructor, along with additional amenities. The flight route is from Lexington to Frankfort, Georgetown, and back to Lexington. McCormick says this gives each participating child an opportunity to fly alongside the pilot, something he believes can be a life-changing experience for many.
"The goal of our education programs is not to teach people to fly, but how to be excited about flying," McCormick said. "We hope these camps will light a spark in children and show them all the possibilities that are out there. Underprivileged kids may never know someone who has flown, but these camps give them an opportunity to do it themselves. In doing so, it will hopefully create a memory that will be with them for a lifetime, and most importantly, show them the sky is the limit for their potential."
Statewide camps are also held in July in Bowling Green, Louisville, Cincinnati/Northern KY airport, Pikeville, and possibly other locations.
For more information on the summer camps, such as locations, dates, and current information, visit www.aviationky.org.
Registration will be available online as the dates for the camps are finalized. Financial aid options will be available for kids and parents who cannot afford the camp.
For inquiries, contact:
Phone: 859-414-0980
Email: amkcamp@aviationky.org
In addition to their role with the legislative Aviation/Aerospace Caucus, Higdon and Storm serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Senate Transportation Committee, the committee's jurisdiction includes policies related to aviation and aerospace.Part of their focus in this session is supporting Kentucky's strong aviation industry.
Follow legislative activity at Legislature.ky.gov and watch live legislative coverage at KET.org/legislature. Archived footage of Senate floor proceedings and committee meetings are available at KET.org/legislature/archives.
# # #
Senator Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21st Senate District, including Casey, Lincoln, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties. He recently graduated from the esteemed Henry Toll Fellowship and was the only Kentuckian to participate in the 2023 program. Senator Storm serves as a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees of Banking and Insurance; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Judiciary; Local Government; State Government; Transportation; and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. He also serves as the co-chair of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee; a member of the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force; and a member of the Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.
For a high-resolution .jpeg of Storm, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=121.
Senator Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, represents the 14th Senate District, including Larue, Marion, Nelson, Spencer, and Washington Counties. Higdon serves as Senate Transportation Committee chair. Higdon is also the Public Pension Oversight Board co-chair. He serves as an Education; Licensing and Occupations and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection committee member. Higdon previously served as a Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee member, which was restructured as a part of the new Senate Health Services Committee.
