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With aviation a growing career field, a church in west Charlotte is hosting a twice-monthly aviation program for middle and high school students.
The Aviators Explorers program has been led for more than two decades by the Rev. Dr. Ricky Woods and retired airline captain Joe LeCompte. On Saturday, the two-semester program kicked off, offering students the chance to learn basic aviation academics to prepare for flight school.
Students also participate in activities outside the classroom, including a tour of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport control tower and a visit to the Lowe’s aviation hangar. Nelson English, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, said introducing aviation to students early is essential.
"The overall goal is to make certain at the end of the program that they're comfortable with learning basic ground school and they can go through a ground school course a little bit easier," Nelson said.
"They'll have their have their drone license, if you will, to fly locally but not commercially and then as they get of age 17 and above we can fly them FAA part 107 qualify."
Chameron Chase, now a pilot at United Airlines, returned to speak to students. Chase joined the program in 2009 and said the experience inspired him to pursue a career in aviation.
"It gave me purpose, most importantly, but it also gave me drive, dream and a direction," Chase said. "And from that, you know, I, from a young age, I was able to go off to school, start my career pretty early, and I'm 30 years old now. I've been in the industry as a professional for 8 years now."
For more information on the program, visit fbcwest.org.
