Pathways Flight Academies

Pathways Flight Academies is a free summer aviation program from the Virginia Space Grant Consortium for Virginia high school students who want to become pilots. The consortium received its designation from NASA in 1989 as part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The academies were created to help address the shortage of airline pilots and are aimed at students with a strong interest in flying and in STEM fields. Students admitted to an academy go through an intensive mix of pilot ground school and hands-on flight training. The training is designed so that participants can work toward their first solo flight by the end of the academy. Earlier editions ran as twelve-day residential academies, but the current page does not list next summer's dates or sites, so students should check with the consortium. The academies are held in person in Virginia and are run with partners including the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Aviation, Averett University and Rick Aviation. State and aviation department funding covers the program, so there is no cost to participate. Students are responsible for getting themselves to the academy, and those accepted must obtain an FAA medical certificate before flying.

Applicants must be Virginia residents and U.S. citizens with at least a 3.0 GPA, be 16 years old by the start of the academy, be able to pass an FAA flight physical, and have transportation to the academy; accepted students must obtain an FAA Medical Certificate. The application includes an online form, a high school transcript, a 500-600 word essay answering four prompts, and recommendation forms submitted electronically by references. Applications open in January.