During the past decade about 100 Friday Harbor High School students took aviation ground school classes from volunteer instructor Bob Jamieson. Afterwards many took to the skies with the medevauc pilot in his private plane for flight instruction.
Director of Career and Tech Ed Larry Wight said, "Now about 20 percent are either flying in aviation school, or about to fly." When thanking and honoring "the remarkable man and volunteer of the decade" at the February 27, 2013 school board meeting, Wight shared Jamieson's response after he approached the school with his idea and was told there wasn't any money for ground school classes. 'That's OK I'll do them for free'. "
He never even turned in an expense report," Wight said.
"I just want to thank everybody here for allowing me to do what I did," said Jamieson. "I was a little bit apprehensive at first I didn't quite know how the kids would respond. It really made me feel good that the kids coming up and the ones that I was involved with were just a pleasure to be with. I had the pleasure of putting the kids in Bob Jones Beaver and a few other planes."
"It was an amazing time. I am going to miss doing it, but it's time for me to take my boat and go to Alaska. Thank you very much for putting your trust in me," he said.
As to the future of the program, "I'm working on my daughter."
Wight, who is always looking for ways to increase technical education, said he'd take advantage of the media's presence, "If we had two or three or four more people like Bob with that kind of commitment, multi-year, this school would be the best in the state if not in the nation. Thank you Bob."
Wight can be contacted at Larry Wight 622-6586 or lawrencewight@sjisd.wednet.edu.
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