SANDPOINT, Idaho – After students from the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program, Incorporated built two airplanes, they submitted them to the Federal Aviation Administration for inspection.
On October 4, 2025, the administration inspected and approved the planes, certifying them as airworthy.
The planes, which were built by local middle school and high school students from Sandpoint, will now be put through flight testing, according to a press release from the North Idaho HIgh School Aerospace Program, Inc.
The test pilot for the FAA-approved flight testing will be Eric Gray, a former ACES student who worked on the Zenith in high school.
The two planes have been in construction for a few years and were created by volunteer mentors and students. Students worked in rented hangars at the Sandpoint, Idaho Airport on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The ACES program costs about $15,000 to run, according to the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program, Inc.
The program is looking to raise more funding through donations or grants to purchase another kit plane.
The program can be contacted at highschoolaerospace@gmail.com.
