CHS’ Tiago Antunes ‘25 Pursues Dream of Becoming a Pilot

  • Tiago Antunes photographed while standing on the wing of an airplane

    Participating in Chelsea High School’s Acceleration Academy during April’s school vacation, a program available through the district’s Extended Learning department, fueled an existing passion for CHS senior Tiago Antunes to become a pilot

    CHELSEA, Mass. – For Chelsea High School senior Tiago Antunes, a passion to take to the skies always existed. After taking an aviation course at CHS offered through the school’s Acceleration Academy over April vacation in the spring of 2024, Tiago’s goal to become a pilot was fueled even further.  

    “As a kid, I was surrounded by pilots, and with the class that I took with Ms. Boyd for the April STEM Acceleration Academy, it really made me want to go out there and become a pilot. It's like a dream for me. It's like a passion, aviation.”

    Following the week-long exposure during Acceleration Academy, Tiago’s passion brought him to Beverly Airport in June where he took a discovery flight, a short introductory flight for people interested in taking the first step towards earning a pilot’s license. Since then he has begun working towards his license, a process that includes ground school (an early step in flight training where you study aviation-related topics to help pass the knowledge test). As of early September, Tiago had flown in a “Piper Warrior November 1987” three times with an instructor.

    “It’s not the same as going on a commercial flight. It’s a different feeling. You get to turn the engine on, feel all that going through you, and when you’re taking over, pushing you throttle all the way to full power. To be honest, it has changed my perspective. I didn't know what I wanted to do before I started taking these aviation classes. I really didn't. So this is a big achievement for me.”

    To help pursue this dream, Tiago is working at a local movie theater to pay for his flight classes, which sometimes can cost as much as $300. On top of his classes and employment, he is balancing a full schedule at CHS that includes participation in the Early College program where he is taking courses at Bunker Hill Community College. It’s the passion to take to the skies that keeps him motivated. 

    “The aviation thing is pretty much driving me because if I have passion for something, I'm going to keep going. So even if it is really hard for me right now, I'm still going to push through,” Tiago commented.

    Eight students took the aviation course offered at CHS’ Acceleration Academy. The course included lessons about the language of aviation and the NATO phonetic alphabet. The students incorporated what they learned in the creation of their own call signs. Hands-on exercises featured the use of flight simulators to learn basic takeoff and landing maneuvers. A highlight of the week was a field trip to the Norwood Airport. Ms. Jacquelyn Boyd, CHS’ AVID and Internship Manager, taught the aviation course and is a pilot herself. She would love to see an aviation program grow in Chelsea.

    Tiago Antunes photographed while standing on the wing of an airplane with a flight instructor

    “Well, what I would like to see is an aviation program started here at CHS, even if we start as an afterschool program in our school. I believe aviation is a career path that we forget about when we do our career and college fairs. By helping support our students and helping our students sort out their dreams, we are able to understand them better and that helps the educator to understand how mighty and creative our students are. As the Internship Manager, it is my job to help with creative career pathways for our students such as Tiago. Finding unique ways in supporting our students makes our college and career pathways much more fun and interesting.”

    With educators like Ms. Boyd and opportunities like Acceleration Academies that are available to students through CPS’ Extended Learning Department, students like Tiago can pursue interests like aviation. In addition to going for his private pilot’s license, he has his eyes set on his commercial license and obtaining his Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. An ATP is the highest level of pilot certificate. 

    Tiago is working with Ms. Boyd to apply for potential scholarships to help him continue on his aviation journey after graduation, including the pursuit of the Civil Air Patrol which would open up opportunities for scholarships, additional licensure support and more. The duo are also recruiting classmates of his to hopefully grow the aviation program at CHS more.

    For Tiago, the sky is more than the limit. It’s where he wants to be. 

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    Contact:
    Michael Sullivan | Communications Director | Chelsea Public Schools
    Phone: (617) 466-4480 | Email: sullivanm@chelseaschools.com