Palm Beach State College and Boca Pilot Training expand Aviation Program

Aviation students and instructors gather beside an aircraft at Boca Pilot Training. [Photo courtesy of Boca Pilot Flight Training]

Palm Beach State College and Boca Pilot Training are expanding the college’s Professional Aeronautics Certification program to a second location at Lantana Airport to widen access to career-focused flight training amid a nationwide pilot shortage.

The accelerated, nondegree program is designed to prepare students for careers as professional private and commercial pilots. Over 12 to 16 months, students can log 250 to 300 flight hours while working toward the FAA certifications required to enter the aviation workforce.

Housed within PBSC’s Corporate and Continuing Education division, the program follows a cohort model that pairs classroom instruction at the Boca Raton campus with simulator and aircraft training at Boca Pilot’s facilities. The new Lantana location joins the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport training site.

“This partnership combines exceptional academic instruction with hands-on, industry-quality flight training,” says Deborah Gordon, the director of the CCE program. “As Boca Pilot expands to Lantana and Fort Lauderdale, our collaboration will provide even greater access to students and a direct, affordable pathway to rewarding aviation careers.”

Through the program, students can earn a private pilot license, an instrument flight rating and a commercial pilot license. Those interested in teaching can take certified flight instructor and multi-engine instructor training.

Dr. Chris Johnson, the program’s architect and a former Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor, says the curriculum was built around what airlines look for in new hires.

“Professional pilots get paid for their FAA licenses, not their degrees,” Johnson says. “We designed this program to provide exactly what airlines are looking for — career-ready pilots.”

Program leaders anticipate a larger class this fall. Boca Pilot Training plans to hire additional instructors and invest in more aircraft and a flight simulator to keep pace with enrollment.

Visit the Boca Pilot website for more information.