12 Jun How San Miguel Academy Is Integrating STEMPILOT Flight Simulators into Humanities and Science Classrooms

At STEMPILOT, our mission goes beyond delivering powerful aviation-based EdTech tools — it’s about ensuring those tools are actively transforming classrooms, just like they are at San Miguel Academy. We strive to make aviation education not only accessible, but meaningful and relevant across subjects. That means equipping teachers with the training and confidence to integrate our flight simulators and drone kits into daily lessons — whether in science, math, or even the humanities.

This June, we had the unique privilege of visiting San Miguel Academy in Newburgh, NY — a school already known for its standout Afterschool Aviation Lab, where students soar through concepts of flight, mechanics, and aerodynamics under the guidance of licensed pilots Brian Tighe and David Terwilliger. Their afterschool program has sparked an unmistakable enthusiasm for aviation among students — a spark their leadership team hoped to carry over into the school day curriculum.

San Miguel Academy currently houses two Pilot Pro 3 flight simulators in their STEM lab — high-fidelity training tools that allow students to experience realistic takeoffs, landings, and in-flight controls. These simulators are the centerpiece of both their extracurricular and classroom aviation experiences, providing an engaging foundation for lessons across multiple disciplines.

We received a call from Molly Albrecht, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, on behalf of Father Mark Connell, asking us to help bridge the gap between the afterschool excitement and the core academic schedule. Could the flight lab’s momentum be translated into in-class instruction in a way that supports state standards and boosts engagement in core subjects?

Challenge accepted.

In response, the STEMPILOT team developed a custom professional development (PD) session designed specifically for the needs of San Miguel’s faculty. The goal was to showcase exactly how our curriculum aligns with classroom objectives — whether in science labs or literature circles — and to demonstrate how aviation-themed learning could reinforce core content while expanding students’ real-world skills.

During the PD session, we walked teachers through STEMPILOT’s full curriculum ecosystem, highlighting where key concepts such as force and motion, navigation, geography, and historical timelines intersect with student simulator missions. By using our turnkey lessons, educators could seamlessly tie our simulators into their existing plans — no major overhauls required.

We had the pleasure of working closely with Krista Luppino, San Miguel’s Humanities teacher, and Effiong Eyo, Science educator, as they engaged directly with our simulators and digital curriculum tools. We discussed practical ideas like exploring flight routes tied to historic events in social studies, or analyzing air pressure, gravity, and propulsion in physics. Watching them connect our platform to their subject matter in real time was nothing short of inspiring.

For us, visits like this are a powerful reminder that technology is only part of the equation. True impact happens when teachers feel equipped and excited to bring that technology to life. That’s why professional development is a cornerstone of what we offer. We don’t just drop off flight simulators — we deliver long-term support, coaching, and classroom integration strategies so they’re never sitting idle in the corner.

We left San Miguel Academy energized, honored to be part of their journey, and even more committed to developing dynamic training resources that help educators turn interest into action. It’s moments like these that fuel our work — moments when we see the classroom takeoff happening firsthand.

To the entire San Miguel team: thank you for your trust, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Your students are lucky to have such dedicated champions guiding their learning journey.

As we continue expanding our educator training initiatives, we encourage other schools to reach out. Whether you’re just starting with STEMPILOT or looking to reinvigorate your current setup, we’re ready to help you turn aviation into an everyday educational experience.

Let’s keep flying forward — together.