FLY COMPTON FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER Q2 2025

Meet Our New Chief Operating Officer - Christa June

Christa June is an aerospace engineer, nonprofit strategist, and aspiring pilot passionate about expanding access to aviation, aerospace, and STEM for underrepresented youth. A former NASA researcher and Boeing engineer, she contributed to several commercial aircraft programs and led multidisciplinary teams from across the globe on the 787 Dreamliner, where her deep expertise in composite material science was instrumental. She now helps shape Fly Compton’s innovative programs and has forged key partnerships with the Boeing Company, CSUDH’s Innovation Incubator, and the Equity Space Alliance.

Christa also serves on the Innovation Incubator Advisory Board and has held board positions with Skystart Foundation, Map the Gap, and Accelerated Housing and Transit Development. She brings 10 years of expertise in world schooling and experiential learning curriculum development, empowering young people to unlock their full potential and boldly chart their own futures.

Exciting News & Announcements

1. Summer Solo Camp

Our Summer Solo Camp just wrapped, and 7 new student pilots, six of them young women, logged their very first solo flights. Across 10 days, they honed their pre-flight planning, radio work, and pattern laps, and exhilarating take-offs and landings alone in the cockpit.

Every student pilot’s shirttail was cut, a long-standing aviation rite of passage that marks the moment a student no longer needs an instructor’s guiding hand. Those fabric badges now hang proudly in our clubhouse, a daily reminder that at Fly Compton, the sky clearly isn’t the limit. Read more..

2. Aerospace Fashion Engineering Camp

Fly Compton Couture: Aerospace Fashion Engineering Camp is currently turning the CSUDH Innovation Incubator into a buzzing runway-meets-research lab. All week long (July 7 – 11), ten hand-picked creators are pairing motion-reactive LEDs, embedded sensors, and smart fabrics with classic tailoring to craft prototype flightwear that tackles real aerospace challenges.

Mentors from design studios and flight decks move between worktables, troubleshooting circuitry one moment and critiquing hemlines the next. The hum of sewing machines blends with bursts of brainstorming energy as each student readies a piece for Friday’s high-voltage showcase. Innovation is quite literally walking the runway right now in Compton. Read more..

3. OBAP - July 11, 2025

This July, Fly Compton partnered with the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) to support the 2025 Los Angeles ACE Academy, hosting 35 students for a full-day aviation immersion. Held at Whaley Middle School in Compton, the program introduced students to flight training, aviation fundamentals, and hands-on flying experiences. The Fly Compton team led sessions on solo flight prep, administered written tests, and took each student on a scenic flight, leaving a powerful impression and reinforcing our mission to inspire and equip the next generation of aviators.

Whats Next:

Project Breaking Barriers Day

On July 24th, we’re teaming up with Project Breaking Barriers for a hands-on aviation day at CSUDH/CPM, welcoming 12–15 students for a fun, educational experience. From 10 AM to 3 PM, students will learn the basics of aerodynamics, explore airplane parts, and hear about career paths in aviation and aerospace. We’ll wrap it up with an interactive game or aircraft scavenger hunt. Lunch is on Project Breaking Barriers—come out and lend a hand if you’re available!

What Our Students Are Learning:

April Recap: Instrument Navigation

VOR Mastery: Students tuned, identified, and tracked VOR radials until it felt second-nature.
DME Position Fixes: They paired VOR signals with distance-measuring equipment to nail down location, even when the GPS went quiet.

May Focus: Aircraft Performance

Runway Math: Calculated take-off and landing distances for every density-altitude scenario we could dream up.
Fuel-Flow Efficiency: Ran the numbers on fuel burn to squeeze maximum range from every gallon.
Weight-and-Balance Limits: Locked in safe CG envelopes so the center of gravity stays exactly where it belongs.

Shout-out to ground instructors Mayceo and Youssef for turning charts and formulas into cockpit-ready confidence.

Honoring Black History in Aviation

In 1922, Bessie Coleman became the first Black and Native American aviator, male or female, to earn an international pilot certificate, training in France when U.S. schools still barred both women and people of color. Her courage opened the sky to generations that followed, including the six young women who soloed with us this summer. faa.gov

As Fly Compton continues to evolve, we stand on the shoulders of these pioneers, using their stories to inspire our students to aim higher and dream bigger.

Mark your Calendar: Compton Air Fair

On Saturday, November 1! Compton/Woodley Airport will once again buzz with flight demos, discovery rides, kid-friendly S.T.E.A.M. booths, and hangar-side food trucks at our annual Fly Compton Aviation Fair. It’s the perfect chance to meet our student pilots, explore aircraft up close, and feel the energy that keeps our programs climbing.

RSVP opens soon, but loyal newsletter readers get the first shot at spots; watch your inbox for the early-access link and secure access before we announce to the wider community!

Student Highlights & Updates

The Girls Who Took Over The Sky

This moment isn’t about highlighting just one student. It’s about celebrating six incredible young women who’ve each put in the time, focus, and dedication to reach new heights in aviation.

What they’ve accomplished isn’t just impressive. It’s rare. Six girls stepping up, breaking barriers, and proving that the sky is not the limit.

Congratulations to all of you. Your hard work is inspiring, and we’re so proud.

Thank You to Our Partners

We couldn’t do this without the support of our amazing partners and sponsors. Your generosity helps us continue to grow and empower the next generation of aviators.