Learn to Fly2

Sam E. Dupris wants others to enjoy the feeling of flying an airplane.

A former pilot, his career in aviation included time as a sprayer pilot and a pilot for the CIA in Southeast Asia. He worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 25 years as the only Native American to be employed in the organization.

Dupris contacted South Dakota State University to come to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and speak to the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School students about its aviation program.

“We [Native Americans] had no representation whatsoever in the [aviation] business. I took it upon myself to try and spread the word out here to the people, to the students, families and faculty about their options,” he said.

SDSU aviation professors, instructors and students went to Cheyenne-Eagle Butte May 10 and 11 to speak about their program. They also took a flight simulator, which has actual controls. Users can practice flying using simulations of actual airports from around the world. Nearly 2,000 people have sat in the simulator since February 2017.

They also brought SDSU planes for students to ride in. These efforts allow students to gain access to aviation materials and to think about attending college after graduation. Calvin Traversie is a sophomore aviation student at SDSU and is a Cheyenne-Eagle Butte graduate. He said that he is glad to see SDSU visit his alma mater and give students an idea as to what college and flying are like. He hopes other Cheyenne-Eagle Butte students are interested in pursuing an education after graduation.

“Take a leap. Take a chance. You won’t regret it,” he said.

Jill Kessler, a counselor at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School, hopes that students will take Traversie’s advice.

“Whether it’s aviation or health care or education or STEM, there’s so many jobs and positions with whatever our students want to do,” she said.

The aviation program makes trips to more than a dozen schools across the region over the summer to educate high school students. Dupris is happy to see students from his hometown eager about the aviation industry.

“It’s mind boggling the feelings that they get after they’ve been in that airplane, it’s just marvelous.”