An Interview with Falcon AeroLab Founder Mark Hyatt & Falcon FlightPath Executive Director Marion Johnson

by Renée Gotcher

In this exclusive CHEC interview, we speak with Mark Hyatt, founder of the publicly funded Falcon AeroLab homeschool enrichment program, and Marion Johnson, executive director of the recently launched Falcon FlightPath private-pay enrichment program, about Colorado’s rapidly changing homeschool enrichment landscape. Mark originally founded Falcon AeroLab nine years ago to connect homeschool students with the state’s thriving aerospace industry. But as recent Colorado legislation tightens restrictions and cuts funding for publicly funded enrichment options, he and Marion Johnson have launched Falcon FlightPath: an independent, donor-supported model built to carry this mission forward without state oversight while protecting your educational freedom.

Why did you start the Falcon FlightPath program?

Mark: We just started FlightPath a couple of months ago because it’s part of the process of going away from public money, and that’s where I think we’d all like to be in a couple of years. We’re getting so much micromanagement now on the funded side. But I’m willing to fight for your kids. The bottom line is, I really am fiercely in your favor, and I will do whatever I have to do. We’re a fraction of what we used to be on the funded side, but we’re in the process of growing our Falcon FlightPath offerings and camps that don’t take any public money. We’ve got “Build-A-Plane” out at Meadow Lake, we have an [IFT Powered] flight program, and a sampler platter program that we’re calling “Intro to Aerospace.” We’d love to grow [them], but the cool thing is there’s no state involvement.

Marion: [Mark] is the creator of both companies, Falcon AeroLab and FlightPath, but FlightPath doesn’t meet at the same location. We meet at Meadow Lake Airport. We have totally different instructors. Our instructors have also changed the curriculum. FlightPath is absolutely a private entity.

What has been challenging about starting Falcon FlightPath as a private-pay program?

Mark: [State overseers] have said you can’t have the kids commingled at the same location — ever. So, we have to have different locations, and [AeroLab] students can’t be in the same class [at FlightPath]. They’ve come up with so many micromanage-y rules and we’re trying to stay compliant. We would love to expand FlightPath. In a perfect world, I’d like to shut down AeroLab and just have Falcon FlightPath and be all private pay. So we’re raising money. I’m just absolutely excited about the future, and I just hope we can grow FlightPath the right way.

Marion: Other than getting the word out, I would say the second [challenge] is trying to find a price point that’s fair, which is why Mark has the heart to fundraise. We’ve talked about taking what we have and making it different, like smaller week-long camps or once a week for five weeks, so that way the price point comes down. But I don’t want to lose what we’re doing for the full year [program] because [an offering] like the plane program is amazing. Those kids are going to build a plane that will literally be flightworthy and FAA-certified, or the kids taking IFT Powered will eventually get their private pilot’s license.

How are you addressing these challenges?

Mark: I’ve intentionally nurtured my retired network. We have more volunteers now than we have ever had. They’re engineers, airline pilots, astronauts, physicians who do aerospace physiology, and they teach our kids about all that stuff. It’s the way life should be. I know there are a lot of [former professionals] out there in their 60s, 70s, and even early 80s who still want to give time, talent, or treasure.

Marion: Although some of the [AeroLab campuses] are not there anymore, [Mark] still has very devoted staff. Some [former instructors] love our program and what we’re doing for kids so much that when they come over to FlightPath, they are willing to sometimes work for free and volunteer and put in those extra hours, which I think speaks so highly to the passion of the instructors. So yes, we can grow because we do have those dedicated staff around Colorado. 

What do you want homeschooling parents to know about the benefits of moving to a private-pay model with FlightPath? 

Marion: The best part about [private pay] is that it retains their privacy. I don’t think there’s any bigger benefit for those families than that. I think the other benefit is that because you are paying for it, parents are probably going to be much more apt to make sure their kid reaches that private pilot’s license or stays through to the full finish of building that plane. And I think that those are invaluable lessons for our students to see that there’s longevity and perseverance when we invest in a program, versus when it’s just offered to us as a freebie. 

CHEC is excited to see the creativity in the homeschool programs offered to Colorado families that are free from government control. What programs have you discovered that have switched from government funded to private pay to serve the Colorado homeschool community? Let us know in the comments!