While Eustis High School may sit at just 100 feet above Sea Level, many of its students this coming year will have their studies aimed several thousand feet higher than that. Through a partnership with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Eustis High School will begin offering aviation classes starting in August.
The classes are designed to provide knowledge about aircraft, weather and navigation, as well as put students on paths to earn industry certifications, college credit and possibly pilot certificates while still in high school.
Dave Cohen, the instructor for the courses and Lake County Schools’ new Aviation Program Specialist, describes the venture as the first steps toward preparing Lake County’s students for the growing aerospace industry. “Over 200,000 new pilot seats will need to be filled in the next couple decades,” Cohen said. “If we can prepare our students for these opportunities in high school, they’ll be light years ahead of their peers when they graduate.”
These first courses will include Introduction to Aerospace for freshmen, Introduction to Flight, Aircraft Systems and Performance for sophomores, and a dual enrollment course for juniors and seniors through Embry-Riddle, Private Pilot Operations. This course will prepare students to take their Federal Aviation Administration Private Pilot Written Exam, the first of two tests required for a private pilot certificate. The dual enrollment course also allows students to earn five credit hours at Embry-Riddle, a value of over $7,000.
Joining similar courses offered through the Navy JROTC program at South Lake High School and the unmanned aircraft operation courses at East Ridge High School, the Eustis High School program will aim to not only expose students to aviation, but also develop in them the concepts of responsibility, attention to detail, and critical thinking.
Eustis High School is expecting more than 100 students to be enrolled in these courses next school year and opportunities to grow more courses with increased enrollment in the near future.
