The Aviation Academy here at West Boca has so much to offer! From hands-on learning to getting your pilot and drone license, you learn it all here in house! The director is Mrs.Hutchings who is an absolute sweetheart! She said, “The aerospace industry caught my attention early in life. I used to watch the space shuttle launches from my backyard in Coral Springs. My family didn’t travel much or branch outside of Coral Springs, so watching space travel was a symbol of freedom and adventure.” In the academy there are a bunch of educational simulations where students are able to fly in the simulation.
The academy has well established partners that help with the academy “We have amazing community partners that help support our Academy, such as the Boca Raton Airport Authority, Lynn University, Palm Beach International Airport, and the George Snow Foundation. I want to continue building community partnerships to be able to offer our students internships and apprenticeships in the aviation industry. The future of aviation and aerospace is so exciting with the development of commercial space travel and tourism and electric vertical take off and landing aircraft called eVTOLs which will operate out of Vertiports. These are flying cars similar to Ubers of the sky! Our students have already participated in Vertiport meetings with the Boca Airport Authority and we are staying on the leading edge of aviation technology here at West Boca Raton High School.”
Students in this academy are able to get their remote drone certification and also complete the written part of their private pilot licenses while in high school. According to Mrs. Hutchings, “Each of these certifications puts them years ahead of their peers and launches them into an industry that needs their talents and energy.” These certifications save a lot of time and money for the students as they can exit high school on the path to become a pilot. Mrs. Hutching also stated that “Several of my students are already working as Certified Flight Instructors (CFI’s) building their flight time to start at the Commercial Airlines.” This academy is a fast track for students to become pilots, and anybody who has interest in aviation should absolutely join this academy.
For more information please email [email protected] and you can find application information here: https://www.palmbeachschools.org/studentsparents/school-choice/applying-to-a-choice-program
