CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The City of Charlotte is flying high with excitement as crews just broke ground on the new Carolinas Aviation Museum on Tuesday.

The museum will be renamed in honor of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, who landed Flight 1549 in New York City’s Hudson River back in 2009.

What You Need To Know

  • Ground was just broken for the new Carolinas Aviation Museum

  • The museum's president says this project will introduce more kids to STEM

  • It’s projected to be finished by the end of 2023

It’s meant not only to educate people on the history of aviation, but it is also meant to inspire the future generation of STEM students.

The President of Carolinas Aviation Museum, Stephen Saucier, who taught in the classroom as a science teacher and has a master’s in science education, says he wants to prepare kids for the future of work through STEM.

“Those that can think critically, in other words, ask good questions, those that can innovate, can iterate, can solve problems, can identify problems — those are the kids that are going to be able to determine their own future and really take advantage of the changing world in terms of how they will be empowered to work in that economy,” said Saucier.

The campus will feature flight simulators, interactive exhibits and STEM education programs.

The new museum is expected to open by the end of next year.

They also expect to connect more than 15,000 students to STEM programming and career development labs.