Fresno Unified still plans to launch a highly anticipated aviation academy where high-school students can obtain a private pilot’s license, though it won’t be opening this school year as district officials had hoped.
The district has long planned to build a dedicated hangar and classrooms at Fresno Chandler Executive Airport to teach students how to fly planes and fix aircraft while earning college credit. Officials described the initiative as a “one-of-a-kind program” that would help ease a shortage of pilots and aircraft mechanics by offering training to students in the Fresno area.
A district spokesperson said the process of launching the academy is “moving along” and in a “final push for funding,” though it remains unclear when it will open to students…