Marsh Freeman

Holden demonstrates the pneumatic rivet gun.

Eugene shows the instruction manual to parents and students.

Parents and students learning about the airplane program

We kicked off the Spirit of Athenian III program with a meeting on September 10th for returning and interested students and their parents. An overview of the program’s history was detailed, the adult mentors were introduced, and special kudos were given to the originator of the program, Marsh Freeman and his wife, Mugs.

To start the presentation, Eugene showed a short video with photos from the first two Athenian airplane projects, as well as some video of the current project, the RV-12. Then we donned our safety goggles and entered into the workspace to view some of the completed pieces of the plane.

Parents and students were encouraged to view the instruction manuals and see the process by which all progress on the plane is documented. Holden, one of our more experienced builders, gave an informative overview of the process, and instructed students and parents on the proper use of the pneumatic rivet gun. In the true Athenian spirit of experiential education, all were encouraged to demonstrate their ability to properly place a few rivets with the powerful tool.

The fall work sessions have started in earnest, with three sessions held each week. The groups are smaller this year, to ensure that all of the participants have an opportunity for hands-on learning during the sessions.