Community Education
Aviation Academy adding remote hub at Narrows Airport as application deadline nears
Heads up, Peninsula School District sophomores and juniors. The district’s Aviation Academy lottery closes Monday, March 2.
Applicants must register by the end of the day on Monday. Students already enrolled do not need to re-enter the lottery.
The Aviation Academy, which launched last fall, is a two-year program offering career-focused learning opportunities in aeronautical sciences to juniors and seniors throughout the district. The program is geared toward anyone interested in air flight and related fields, such as aerodynamics and meteorology.
Space in the popular new program is limited, so the district uses a lottery system to fill available slots. The academy does not require an entrance exam or competitive selection, but students must be on track to complete all high school requirements to be accepted. The district maintains a waitlist through spring.
Visit the academy’s webpage and click here for instructions on how to apply.
What will I learn?
Although the academy is not a flight school, its students learn the basics of piloting on flight simulators at Henderson Bay High School, where the program operates. Other classes prepare students for Federal Aviation Administration certification in a variety of well-paying aviation careers, such as air traffic control, airport management and airline dispatch.
The Aviation Academy is part of the district’s Career and Technical Education division. Students receive dual credit from Green River College. They can earn up to 60 college credits during their two years in the program.
New remote hub
The Legislature last year approved a $179,000 proviso for the Aviation Academy. The district will use part of that to establish a remote program hub at Tacoma Narrows Airport. Students will go there on field trips to learn alongside flight professionals.
The district will place a flight simulator lab there and will use the site for visits from industry experts and other guest speakers.
A proviso is a budget allocation for a specific purpose, such as programs, projects or initiatives. The Legislature funded only eight provisos in 2025, and the Aviation Academy was the only new program. The Tacoma Narrows Airport hub will open this fall for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
“This new location at our local airport puts our students right in the heart of their learning environment,” Superintendent Krestin Bahr said. “State proviso funding made this possible, and we are grateful for the Legislature’s recognition of what this program means for our students. Together with our Museum of Flight partnership, Aviation Academy is opening doors for students into one of the world’s most dynamic industries.”
Industry partners
PSD developed the Aviation Academy with the Seattle Museum of Flight, which provided the curriculum foundation through its Aeronautical Science Pathway program. Field trips to the museum in Tukwila are integral to the curriculum.
“Adding a dedicated space at Tacoma Narrows Airport is a milestone for Aviation Academy,” said Ashley Stolhand, Aviation Academy director. “Our students will now have an additional home base in the aviation community, where they can learn alongside industry professionals in the environment they are training to work in.”