Engaging youth in the aerospace and industrial trades.

Mentoring

The Kittyhawk Academy is the training and mentorship program associated with the Warbirds of Glory Museum. The program is unique in its focus on developing youth for the skilled trades and has proven extremely popular in our community. Unfortunately, we have reached the capacity limitation of our current operation and, regrettably, have had to turn away increasing numbers of youth that want and need our mentoring and guidance. As such, we have launched efforts for public and private foundation support to enable the Academy to continue to expand the community impact of our youth mentorship program.

Click on photos.

Mr. Mihalek shows Grey, Casey & Jacob how to shear sheet metal. Shear donated by PTS Tools in Warren, Michigan.
Mr. Cook provides a demonstration to Zelie on screw fastener applications and techniques.
Mr. Cook describing the components of a Briggs & Stratton engine to a student during a lesson to completely disassemble the engine.

Today’s youth are increasingly immersed in electronic entertainment rather than learning practical tool and repair skills that were traditionally learned from their parents, grandparents and Scouting and Soapbox Derby organizations.

The Kittyhawk Academy is reversing this trend by using time-honored mentoring to develop our youth with the workshop skills and mechanical comprehension that are universal to trades skills and industrial jobs.

Mr. Patrick Mihalek (Museum Director) is providing a lesson to Keagan in squeezing rivets on a WWII historic aircraft that is being restored in the museum workshop.
Mr. Beckwith discusses the concept of bend radius and edge deburring during a lesson with Colton and Leland.
13 year old Grey practicing his lessons of hardware fasteners by sorting donated hardware into storage bins.

To be successful in high school vocational programs or post-secondary trade schools a student needs to engage in the mechanized world with tools and machines at an early age. Early exposure is essential to pique mechanical curiosity and develop an understanding of practical physics and problem solving skills.

Thirteen year old Mat is learning the finer art of drill out rivets from WWII aircraft parts. Drilling rivets requires many hours of practice to master the proper technique.
Mr. Trainor is giving a Kittyhawk Academy lesson on the operations of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine.
Patrick teaching our youth Anthony and Aiden how to drill rivets by removing the top skin of the B-25 center section.

Many Academy associates were born and raised in Michigan during the post-war boom years of the auto industry. We are passionate about Michigan’s manufacturing heritage and want to contribute to the development and retention of youth in our skilled trades workforce.

Anthony and Bryant work together to remove the framework for the main landing gear on our B-25.
Mr. Mihalek shows Grey, Casey & Jacob how to shear sheet metal. Shear donated by PTS Tools in Warren, Michigan.
Mr. Rohr (right) in a group photo with five of our students.

The Kittyhawk Academy is part of a growing nationwide focus to develop future talent in order to retain our world leadership in manufacturing and high-tech industries.

Mr. Beckwith shows Benjamin how to remove a difficult bolt while students Logan and Anthony work remove parts from a bomb bay of the B-25 Mitchell.
Each student of the Kittyhawk Academy receives their own one-cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine. They learn to disassemble, inspect, clean, reassemble, and run the engine.
Mr. Mihalek monitoring Alex to ensure proper technique in drilling rivets. Students need to drill thousands of rivets before they earn the delicate skill of removing rivets without damaging the aircraft.

The Kittyhawk Academy is the training and mentorship program associated with the Warbirds of Glory Museum. The museum is restoring a WWII B-25 Mitchell aircraft in Brighton, Michigan to honor the veterans that sacrificed for our freedoms. We are passionate about mentoring our community’s youth in trade skills, workshop disciplines, mechanical comprehension, and good character to become productive citizens and employed adults.