Rising Aviation High School Team Wins the 2026 Competition at VERTICON, Presented by Snap-on
A team comprised of students from Rising Aviation High School was recently named the winner of the second annual Competition at VERTICON, presented by Snap-on, showcasing outstanding performance in the school’s first ever participation in a national skills competition.
Rising Aviation High School is a private school in Addison, Texas, that guides students through a curriculum that specializes in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Aviation and Math).
The program puts a large focus on aviation and aerospace technology, which helps students prepare to pursue trade school or college opportunities to support an aviation career.
The Competition at VERTICON—hosted by the Aerospace Maintenance Council—allows aviation maintenance professionals and students to compete in skills-based events against other teams. Participants include:
- AMTs
- AMEs
- Aviation maintenance students
- Military personnel
The Competition at VERTICON 2026 featured 22 teams, encompassing:
- 14 school teams
- Two commercial teams
- Six military teams
During each event, teams had to complete each task within 15 minutes, with the team that finished earliest and with the highest safety standards earning the highest scores. Errors made caused point deductions.
The Rising Aviation team earned their win after scoring higher than all other teams in seven out of the nine events completed during the Competition at VERTICON 2026 in Atlanta.
The 2026 events included:
- Safety wiring
- Torque application
- Thrust reverser troubleshooting
- Borescope inspection
All events had their own corporate sponsors to officiate as well as prizes for the top-performing participants.
The prize for the overall champion team was a replica helicopter created from Snap-on tools, which was presented to Rising Aviation’s Assistant Coach Pete Miller and School Principal Kassandra Dena, as well as student competitors:
- Garrett Moore
- Jaden Barraza
- Thomas (TJ) Wilson
Aviation Maintenance and Technology Instructor at Rising Aviation High School Pete Miller said, “We thought just being here would be a great experience for the kids and good for the school.”
Miller added, “I’m beyond thrilled for our students; they were the ones who achieved this.
“There’s definitely going to be a new attitude at the school,” said Miller, “They know now that they have what it takes to succeed in this field. My goal is to develop competent, professional mechanics, and this is a huge step in that direction.”
Snap-on is the presenting sponsor of The Competition at VERTICON and MRO Americas, showcasing its dedication to aviation maintenance technicians. As part of this commitment, Snap-on has donated over $150,000 worth of equipment and tools to be given as prizes for both events.