In aviation maintenance, a familiarization course—or "Fam Course"—helps technicians become comfortable with a new aircraft or system before they begin working on it. We're borrowing that tradition for our annual SkilRedi Fam Course webinar on August 5 at 1:00 p.m. Central.

Whether you're new to the Choose Aerospace SkilRedi learning platform, implementing it for the first time, or simply want a refresher before the school year begins, this live webinar will walk you through the platform, highlight recent updates, and answer your questions before students return to the classroom.

Members of the SkilRedi development team will be available throughout the session to answer your questions and help you get the most out of the platform.

Join us as we prepare for another successful year of aviation maintenance education.

Register today: 
​events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ddcd65b1-f5e3-4416-902e-7d639bfce87c@d82db458-38eb-4493-99de-94b18e1fbf0a

When Putnam City Schools launched its aviation academy, the goal was clear: connect students with one of Oklahoma’s growing industries in a way that felt real, relevant, and attainable.

The idea began when Denise Hensley, director of the program, was approached by Tonya Norwood, then the state director of STEM for Oklahoma Career Tech, about aviation curricula from Choose Aerospace and AOPA. With career tech leaders looking for ways to help meet Oklahoma’s aviation workforce needs, Hensley saw an opportunity to build something distinctive. 

About to start its fifth year, the academy serves students from all three Putnam City high schools. Because students attend for three hours in the morning or three hours in the afternoon, participation requires real commitment. That commitment is growing. After a year of increased recruitment and visibility, the program expects to serve about 65 students next year, with room to grow toward a capacity of 100.

That growth is supported by the addition of a new aviation sciences teacher, Robin Kitchens. Kitchens brings an unusual combination of experience as a math teacher, military pilot, and aviation maintenance professional. She will teach avionics, drone classes, and pre-calculus, expanding both the technical and academic depth of the academy.

​“We are very excited to add Robin Kitchens to our staff,” Hensley said. “Robin’s experience in the military makes her uniquely qualified to step into this position.”

The expanded teaching team will also allow Putnam City to offer physics and pre-calculus through an aviation lens. Students will not just learn classroom theory; they will connect academic concepts to aircraft systems, avionics, drones, and real-world aviation careers.

“These two classes married with our Choose and AOPA curriculum will give our students an understanding that will be like no other program,” Hensley said. “Our students are the beneficiaries of this amazing teaching staff.”

The impact is already visible. Julian, the academy’s first graduate, returned after earning his A&P in January 2026 to speak with current students. His message was simple: the program helped make aviation real and understandable.

​“That’s what we do,” Hensley said. “We help students understand that even though aviation may seem foreign to them, they can get there from here.”

Industry partnerships also help make that pathway tangible. Students intern and job shadow with partners including AAR, Capital Aviation, JetSet, and others at Wiley Post. Many Putnam City students are already working at companies such as AAR, JetSet, Atlantic, and Capital.

​For Hensley, the work is about more than classes. It is about opening doors.

“We offer our students a new way of life,” she said, “opportunities they otherwise would not be exposed to, and a real career—not just a job.”

For more information:
https://youtu.be/Ywgwhg41pjg?si=ydgaalUlmPA_t7vr