About Us
The Aviation Prep Academy was born out of a couple's shared professional expertise and vision: to bring aviation to a new generation of flight enthusiasts.
Michael A.N. Winkler has been involved in aviation since the early 1980s. On the ground, he has held leadership positions in marketing, finance, and operations for large international carriers (Lufthansa and JetBlue Airways) on two continents; in the air, he flew business jets in Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean. For over a dozen years he also co-owned, managed, and taught at a flight school at Farmingdale, New York's Republic Airport, with many of his graduates now in senior pilot positions themselves.
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Sara Hill, Ed.D., has many years of experience writing standards-based curriculum for youth and adults. She most recently completed co-writing a career and college ready curriculum for the National Urban League that will be implemented nationally. She has designed and delivered professional development and training for staff and youth professionals via the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and SCO Family of Services. She has published several articles and written book chapters in the areas of best practices in professional development and the youth development field.
Aviation Opportunities
The next decade will bring an unprecedented demand in employment in the aviation industry, specifically airlines (scheduled & unscheduled), general aviation (on demand charter), and ancillary services (Fixed base operations, maintenance operations, etc.). The airlines alone account for about 600,000 jobs, and general aviation for another 600,000.
The difficulty that the industry is encountering is several-fold:
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Demographically, a comparatively large number of their employees is approaching retirement age, while the demand for travel is increasing.
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The complexity of the airline business is such that competency is more difficult to achieve than in many other industries. That is, the skills needed are significantly higher than most entry level jobs.
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Applicants are often ill prepared to join airlines, because they know little about the industry, and because other industries (high tech, gaming, etc.) appear more interesting regardless of barriers of entry.
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In addition to industry-specific skills, many applicants, particularly those who are under-represented in the industry need guidance and training to acquire and practice other types of workforce skill sets, including filling out an online application, writing a resume, interviewing, handling conflict, setting goals, work-life balances, and developing a vocational or college plan or pathway.
Aviation Prep Academy
Classes
The program design for Aviation Prep would have three tiers. The tiers are not pre-requisites for one another, although it is recommended that students take Tier One before Tier Three.
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Schedule and current offerings
We will have a hybrid course delivery, with both online and in person classes. The in-person instruction will take place at a community-based organization based in Rockville Centre and/or Hempstead, New York.
We will be offering a tier 1 course beginning in September, 2025. If you are interested in applying, click here (link to application).
Tier One
A course of approximately 60 hours. Upon completion, participants would be well-prepared to apply to airline positions of “Load Planner” or “Crew Scheduler.” These positions, on average, pay a starting salary of $60,000, and do not require a BA.
Tier Two
A course of approximately 10 hours to receive their FAA certificate remote pilots for commercial purposes (drone operation). The course would also include using drones for filming and provide training in film editing.
Tier Three
FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate. This certificate requires 170 hours of training, and is sufficient for anyone who would apply to be a dispatcher in an airline, and the position does not require a BA degree. Students in this tier would need a substantial background in the aviation industry, either by working in the industry or by completing tier 1 of the Academy. Any graduate of this program would automatically be eligible for 12 transfer credits at any institution of higher education.
With Special
Recoginition
Aviation Prep Academy is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of aviation enthusiasts. Our mission is to provide underprivileged youth with opportunities to explore the world of aviation. Through mentorship programs and hands-on experiences, we aim to inspire and empower dreams. Many thanks to our generous supporters who make our work possible. Without their contributions, none of this would be achievable. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to our cause.
James W. Etchison
Marguerite Keller
Keiko WInkler
Jules Pluviose
Father Felipe Rufes
Alton Taylor
Kyie
Dr. Zodelia Williams