LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Manchester School of Technology (MST) students celebrated a major aviation milestone Saturday, Oct. 10, with the unveiling of its second fully assembled, custom-built airplane created through an innovative partnership between the Manchester School District, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire and the nonprofit organization Tango Flight.
The ceremony, held outside the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry, celebrated the completion of aircraft N833TF, a two-seat, all-metal Van’s RV-12iS recreational airplane. The aircraft is the second plane completed through the student plane-building program, which gives high school students the opportunity to build a real airplane while earning academic credit and gaining practical technical skills.
The event brought together students, volunteer mentors, school and community representatives, and state and federal officials, including Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, Gov. Kelly Ayotte and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan. The Manchester-Boston Regional Airport Fire Department marked the occasion with a traditional water arch salute.
Construction began in 2023, with close to 50 MST students contributing to the project over the past three school years. Working alongside experienced volunteer mentors under the supervision of MST aviation instructor Jeff Sullivan, students assembled the kit-based aircraft, gaining hands-on experience in aviation, engineering, problem-solving and teamwork.
“It’s not about just knocking together a plane. It’s about building relationships with people who are in the industry and starting to build your network,” Sullivan said. “It’s not just building a plane, it’s building a life and the mentors are all part of that, but the students are the core of it.”
Katrina Maglio, a 2025 graduate, is currently enrolled in the aviation program at Nashua Community College while working for Signature Aviation, fueling commercial jets. “On my first day at MST, I was thrilled to discover there was an RV-12. I was surprised the plane would be FAA-approved,” said Maglio. “My first thought was ‘this is intimidating, working on a plane that will eventually fly,’ But that faded as Mr. Sullivan and our mentors quickly got us up to speed and gave us the education and support we needed to succeed.”
The aircraft must undergo an inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before it can fly. Following the inspection, the plane is expected to complete its required ground and flight testing, known as the “fly-off,” to establish full airworthiness.
Once the process is complete, the aircraft will be sold through Tango Flight. Proceeds will help fund future student airplane-building projects.
“We have a wonderful state motto, ‘Live Free or Die’ but we are now also known as the state where high school students build airplanes” said Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire. “ Aviation and aerospace is a major contributor to our quality of life in this state. 24% of exports are aviation related. To the Aviation Museum, this self-sustaining program is part of our workforce development outreach.”
The student plane-building program began in 2019 as a partnership among the Manchester School District, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire and Tango Flight, a Texas-based nonprofit dedicated to expanding educational opportunities through aircraft construction.
The program combines classroom instruction with practical, project-based learning. Students work with volunteer mentors as part of a credit-earning high school course.
Once an aircraft is completed and sold, the proceeds are reinvested in the next build, creating a sustainable model that helps schools provide students with an exceptional technical education experience.
Following the program’s success in Manchester, the Aviation Museum established additional programs at Lebanon High School in 2024 and Farmington High School in 2025. Approximately 50 students are now participating in aircraft-building projects through their high school Volunteer mentors are an essential part of the program, sharing their knowledge and experience while helping students develop practical skills and explore potential career pathways in aviation, manufacturing, engineering and related technical fields.
For more information about the student plane-building program, click here.