Offshore Aviation Group and OffshoreUAS Partner with St. Mary’s Ryken for Hands-On Aviation Experience

St. Mary’s Ryken is excited to partner with Offshore Aviation Group (OAG) and OffshoreUAS to bring students real-world aviation and engineering experience. This collaboration allows students to construct Offshore Aviation aircraft each semester, gaining practical skills and industry knowledge.

OAG provides tools, components, and engineering mentorship to help students and faculty build and flight-test a commercial drone. The completed aircraft—branded with the program’s name—is delivered to a government customer, with proceeds funding future UAS build projects, ensuring a sustainable program.

This year, 14 students are participating in two aircraft builds as an after-school activity. Next year, our student team—now called Knightwerks—will be integrated into the St. Mary's Ryken Flight Academy curriculum, expanding opportunities in aviation and engineering.

“This partnership with Offshore Aviation Group and OffshoreUAS is a transformative opportunity for our students,” said Rick Wood, President of St. Mary’s Ryken. “It brings real-world aviation and engineering experience directly into our curriculum and empowers our students to apply their knowledge in a hands-on, meaningful way. We are proud to work alongside leaders in the industry who share our commitment to innovation, education, and student success.”

Our student team, Knightwerks, worked in February and March to build a drone using materials and guidance provided by OAG.  KnightWerks' first OAG-SMRHS OA-2E Phoenix UAS successfully passed a functional check flight on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at the OAG Test Facility in Valley Lee, MD. 

 

Congratulations to KnightWerks, led by senior Aiden Abell and comprised of seniors Matthew “Tre” Green, Sergio Guadalupe, Max Nameth, Edwin Salvador, and juniors Richard Anderson, Nicholas Hawker, and Gracie Thomas.  Thank you to Flight Academy Instructor Gerald Swift for instruction and community outreach.   Thank you to Offshore Aviation Group's Reese Matthew and Kyle Matthew for your guidance of the student team and to SMR parent and Offshore Aviation Group founder/CEO Robert Hicks for including our students in OAG's mission to provide support services to the Department of Defense.

“The program has opened doors I never imagined—giving me hands-on experience in aircraft systems and helping me stand out to top schools, including the one I’ll attend. Unmanned aviation is the future, and thanks to this partnership, I’ve had the chance to chase my dreams before even beginning my career," said Aiden Abell '25. "On behalf of my build team, I want to express our deepest thanks to Offshore Aviation Group. Their support has made a lasting impact on our futures, and we’re truly grateful.”

“We are very grateful to Offshore Aviation Group for affording our students this opportunity," said Gerald Swift.  "This one-of-a-kind aviation and engineering experience in a high school program elevates our curriculum above academics; it allows our students to put their learning into direct practical application.  And, our students learn the responsibility, and reward, of producing a product for a real-world customer enabling their unique mission needs.  Our goal is to have every St. Mary’s Ryken aviation and engineering student participate in these builds during their high school experience.”

OAG, a leader in Unmanned Systems (UAS) based in Valley Lee, produces about 120 OA-2Es annually—large-scale, fully programmable UAS systems used by the U.S. Army for training and testing. These non-combat systems serve as advanced educational tools. Through this partnership, students work with an apprentice engineer and faculty to assemble airframes, install avionics, and integrate motors and fuel systems in a structured academic setting.

This initiative provides Flight Academy students with invaluable hands-on engineering experience. With OAG and OffshoreUAS supplying aircraft, resources, and mentorship, St. Mary’s Ryken continues to lead in STEM education, preparing students for careers in aviation and engineering.