Training and Workforce
Georgia Team Tops 2026 GAMA Aviation Design Challenge
Teams modified a Caravan for Alps mission
2026 GAMA Aviation Design Challenge first-place team from Cambridge High School Porter High School (from left to right: John Friske (teacher) Clark Benner, Christian Seawright, Morgan Smith and Adam Gould).
2026 GAMA Aviation Design Challenge first-place team from Cambridge High School in Milton, Georgia (from left to right: John Friske (teacher), Clark Benner, Christian Seawright, Morgan Smith, and Adam Gould). © Image courtesy GAMA

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) named Cambridge High School of Milton, Georgia, the first-place winner of its 2026 Aviation Design Challenge. Corona del Sol High School of Tempe, Arizona, placed second, and Greenville Technical Charter High School of Greenville, South Carolina, placed third.

The project required teams to redesign the airplane to carry maximum cargo weight at maximum speed between two remote, high-altitude locations in the French Alps. Judges evaluated entries on simulated flight performance, a design-change summary, a video presentation, and a test-flight checklist.