Aviation Technology

Where Future Aviators Take Off

Want to learn to fly? Ready to launch a career in one of the fastest-growing, highest-paying industries in the country?The Arlington Career Center Aviation Technology Program, one of only five high school flight-training programs in Virginia, gives students the opportunity to learn to fly, pilot a real airplane, and pass the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam while still in high school.All fees for discovery flight time and the FAA written exam are fully covered by the Career Center. Students train using both the Gleim & King Private Pilot Knowledge Test system, industry-standard curriculum used in professional flight schools, and gain hands-on experience using Gleim BATD flight simulators, identical to those found in collegiate aviation programs.

What You’ll Experience

• Fly a real plane twice – one discovery flight each year
• Train like a pilot using FAA-approved ground-school materials and flight simulators
• Prepare for and pass the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam
• Earn verified high-school credit and build professional credentials
• Qualify for aviation scholarships and post-secondary program credit toward your pilot license

Student Success

Many recent graduates of the Career Center’s Aviation Program have continued their aviation journeys in a variety of exciting directions, including:

• Military Service Academies and ROTC programs, earning flight and leadership training opportunities
• Engineering and aeronautical science programs at leading universities
• Aircraft maintenance, drone operations, and aerospace technology careers
• Civilian flight training, earning their Private Pilot License and later on with their  Instrument/Commercial Pilot rating
• Flying for fun or travel abroad, with students pursuing recreational flying overseas
• College aviation scholarships, often totaling thousands of dollars from organizations such as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC)

Whether students dream of flying jets, designing aircraft, maintaining them, or leading aerospace teams, the Career Center’s Aviation Program provides the foundation, and the mentorship, to make it happen.

Credentials & Credit

Students completing this two-year course can earn or qualify for:

• Skills: Virginia State Competency Standards – Aircraft Pilot Training I & II (8731, 8732)
• Credit: One verified high-school credit upon passing the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam
• Certification: FAA Private Pilot Written Exam endorsement
• Experience: Flight time in real single-engine aircraft

Follow Our Program:

X (Twitter): @AccAviation

BlueSky: accfrazavndn.bsky.social

To learn more, contact Instructor Tony Frazier, FAA Advanced Ground Instructor, Instrument/Commercial & FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot

[email protected]

Arlington Career Center – Where Future Aviators Take Off!

(Updated 10/14/25)