Harlingen CISD starting aviation program for students

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District has a new aviation program for students.

According to the district's Career and Technology Education Department. The program provides students with flight training where they can learn the fundamentals during their freshman year.

Flight hours are completed during their senior year. The program aims to have students earn a pilot's license by the time they graduate high school.

The district says the idea for this program comes from a nationwide shortage of commercial airline pilots.

"When we're working as a team as educators we're always looking for high-demand and high-wage positions and all the research is showing that there is going to be a huge shortage of pilots, there already is," J.A. Gonzalez, superintendent of schools for Harlingen CISD, said. "So, we wanted to put our students in a position to fill those pilot seats and step one to getting a commercial pilot license is a private pilot license so that where it all originated."

Gonzalez said students from across the Rio Grande Valley have expressed interest in the program considering it is at no cost to students.

"They're gonna walk across the stage with their caps and gowns and have some silver wings on their gowns indicating that they are private pilots and that's a big deal," he said.