DART is thrilled to welcome Willem Nicklason to the team as the instructor leading the Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s  groundbreaking RV-12 Airplane Build Lab at Pajaro Valley High School—a first-of-its-kind program where students are building a fully functional airplane at the Watsonville Municipal Airport.

Willem brings a powerful combination of technical experience and passion for hands-on learning that is well-aligned with DART’s mission to cultivate the next generation of aerospace innovators.

Meet the Instructor: Willem Nicklason

Before joining DART, Willem served as a teaching assistant for both the beginner and advanced GIS courses at UC Santa Cruz, where he taught students to collect, organize, and analyze geospatial data using drone and GIS platforms. A certified FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot, Willem has served as pilot in command on infrastructure site analysis projects supporting the installation of solar charging stations for electric vehicles.

He currently teaches as the Career Technical Education (CTE) instructor for Engineering Design: Flight, Aerospace, Systems, and Technology CTE pathway—where students are assembling a Van’s RV-12 aircraft at the Watsonville Municipal Airport. Willem holds a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Cruz, and when not teaching, he enjoys rock climbing, motorcycling, bird watching, and woodworking.

Inside the Classroom: Building a Plane, Building Futures

The RV-12 Airplane Build course officially kicked off on August 13, and students have already immersed themselves in the fundamentals of flight. Early class topics have included:

• History of flight and FAA aircraft classifications 
• Aircraft structures and airfoil anatomy 
• Forces acting on an aircraft, Newton’s Laws, and the structure of the atmosphere 
• Fluid properties, lift theory, and the lift equation

Next up: lessons in shop safety, tools, and hardware—as students prepare to work directly on the aircraft inside the hangar in the upcoming semester. The first hangar sessions are set for October 23 and 30, when students will begin shop setup in preparation for assembly.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Willem and the DART team are also coordinating experiential learning opportunities that connect students with industry leaders. Upcoming field trips include a visit to Joby Aviation on December 4 and a planned visit to NASA Ames Research Center on November 20 (pending government scheduling). These visits will give students rare, behind-the-scenes exposure to companies and research centers at the forefront of advanced air mobility.

A Program Built on Partnership and Purpose

This initiative is part of the broader Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) and DART partnership, launched earlier this year through strong community partnerships and support from the James Irvine Foundation. The partnership represents a shared commitment to expand equitable access to high-wage, future-focused careers across the Low Altitude Economy — spanning drones, advanced aviation and other automation and robotics technologies.

Through DART and PVUSD’s collaboration with TangoFlight, Joby Aviation, the City of Watsonville, Watsonville Municipal Airport, and EAA Chapter 119, this Career Technical Education pathway gives students an unprecedented opportunity to gain real-world aerospace skills while earning credit toward the FAA Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance Technician (AMT) Certificate.

“This is more than a CTE program—it’s a runway to the future,” said Dr. Heather Contreras, PVUSD Superintendent. “Our students will graduate with job-ready skills and the confidence to design, build, and operate advanced technology.”

Josh Metz, Executive Director of DART, echoed that sentiment:

“This program embodies DART’s mission—to realize a climate-smart, inclusive innovation economy by building hands-on pathways that connect education to the emerging low altitude economy.”

Looking Ahead

The RV-12 Airplane Build Program is proving that students don’t have to wait until college to make an impact in aviation and aerospace. By linking technical education with real industry connections, the program is building both airplanes and futures—one rivet at a time.

About DART

DART (Drones, Aviation, and Robotics Technology) is a nonprofit public-benefit organization advancing the Low Altitude Economy through inclusive workforce training programs, planning and development of critical infrastructure, and regional ecosystem coordination. Through programs like the RV-12 Airplane Build Lab, DART connects education, industry, and community to advance a climate-smart innovation economy for all.