Tallahassee State College and Sterling Flight Training are launching a new Professional Aeronautics Certification program designed to get aspiring pilots workforce-ready.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The new Professional Aeronautics Certification program looks to address the growing demand for pilots nationwide. It combines classroom learning, simulator work, and hands-on flight instruction, allowing students to move from no experience to commercial pilot readiness in as little as 12 months.
Chris Johnson, Program Manager, says the need for new pilots is urgent.
"Right now, we have an aging aviation workforce. [We've] got a lot of people who are in their early to mid 50s all the way to their early 60s, and they have to retire at age 65. Aviation is one of the only careers that has a mandatory retirement age, which is 65, and 27-percent of the workforce has to be replaced in the next 10 years," Johnson said.
Students will train both on campus and at Sterling Flight Training near Tallahassee International Airport, earning between 250 and 300 flight hours while preparing for FAA certifications.
TSC Vice President for Workforce Development Shelly Bell said in a statement that the partnership creates "life-changing career opportunities" for students in the region.
Program leaders say aviation remains insulated from the automation trends reshaping other industries.
"The pilot unions protect the cockpit so AI won't be replacing a pilot anytime soon," Johnson said. "There are a lot of highly educated tech workers and other knowledge workers who are suitable to be commercial pilots who have been put out of work by AI. So we're hoping to attract a lot of these people and convince them to come in and be commercial pilots, because the pay is really good and the job security is there for the foreseeable future."
The program is scheduled to launch in Fall 2026, and school leaders say space will be limited for the first group of students.
Johnson will be holding webinars next week to help the community learn more.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
