Location:

Countryside Academy

Career Opportunities Include:

• Airline Pilot
• Air Cargo Pilot
• Corporate Aircraft Pilot
• Flight Instructor
• Commercial Drone (UAV) Pilot

GRADES: 10-12

Class Description

The CTE - Aviation program is designed as a two-year course. For students serious about
becoming a licensed pilot, these years of study and exploration and skill-building, will provide an invaluable portal to a challenging and rewarding pathway. For students considering aviation-related occupations like aircraft maintenance or air traffic control, the knowledge of how planes work and how they’re flown provides an introduction to these complementary vocations.

The emphasis of this program is on the flight of both manned and unmanned aircraft. Students who complete both years successfully will have the opportunity to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) written exam to become a licensed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot. Students may also choose to take the FAA private pilot written exam. The written exam is one of three tests that must be passed to become a licensed Private Pilot. Completing this test is an excellent precursor to actual flight training. While manned airplane flight training does not occur through Countryside Academy, serious students may pursue this with local flight instructors, or pursue collegiate programs that offer flying lessons.

The first year of CTE - Aviation is a one hour course composed of lessons that all pilots must learn in the process of becoming certified pilots. Units on aircraft construction, forces of flight, aircraft stability and control, and flight instruments are studied through a combination of classroom lectures and applications of flight using flight simulators and UAV aircraft.

The second year of CTE - Aviation is a two hour block composed of more intense materials in preparation for the passing of FAA written exams. Lab activities, flight simulators, and UAV aircraft are used to illustrate and clarify all elements of flight.

Content Areas

• Aircraft Construction and Systems
• Navigation and Communication
• Aviation Weather
• Airport Operations
• Federal Aviation Regulations
• Aeromedical Factors
• Career Readiness

Career Outlook

Airline and commercial pilots fly and navigate airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft.

The median annual wage for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers was $147,220 in May 2019.

The median annual wage for commercial pilots was $86,080 in May 2019.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019-20 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ 

Updated 11/20/2020