Students from the Lancaster iLEAD school are set to take glider flying lessons later this month, officials said Wednesday.

A total of 20 eighth grade students are set to take their first instructional glider flight on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Crystalaire Airport, according to officials.

“This is an absolutely incredible experience for our learners,” said Kathleen Fredette, director of STEAM initiatives for iLEAD Schools. “It allows them to put difficult physics and math concepts into context and practice in a really functional way, and it gives them a reason to ask hard questions because they have real-life consequences. They are no longer considering concepts in a vacuum.”

The initiative was borne of a partnership with the Southern California Soaring Academy, a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 with the mission of providing instruction in soaring flight to students of all ages and physical abilities, according to officials.

The project is part of iLEAD’s ongoing effort to encourage student interest in science, technology, engineering, art and design and mathematics (STEAM) and to build students’ connections with Southern California’s aerospace and aeronautical communities, according to Fredette.

Gliders, or sailplanes, are full-scale aircraft with full flight controls, flight communications, transponders and aeronautical instruments, but without motors.

Typically, an airplane tows a glider aloft; however, they may also be launched like a kite, using a winch or even an automobile to pull it into the air. At the desired altitude, the glider pilot releases a towline, allowing the aircraft to glide.

The initiative underscores iLEAD’s commitment to project-based learning, a teaching method that focuses on allowing learners to investigate, actively explore and respond to authentic and complex questions or challenges, according to Fredette.

“It really allows our learners to picture another path for themselves,” Fredette said. “They’re piloting aircraft in the eighth grade. How cool is that?”

The event is set to begin with a safety briefing at 8:15 a.m., and students are set to begin flying shortly after, according to officials.

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