One of the lesser-known programs San Jacinto College offers is the aeronautical technology (aviation) program. Often overlooked by many students wishing to obtain a private or commercial pilot license, or aviation management degree, many students are surprised to learn about these career training opportunities right in their own back yard.

“I was searching online for flight schools and found San Jacinto College,” said 30-year-old former Army flight operations specialist and aviation student, Jessica Veasey. “I grew up in Dickinson, so I’ve always been familiar with San Jac, but I never knew they had a flight program.” When Veasey was stationed at Fort Bragg researching training options to get her pilot license, San Jacinto College was a surprising option. “It was great because I knew I would be able to go back home and be close to my family.”

Currently on active duty in the Coast Guard, aviation student Eric Mobiglia was also glad to hear about flight training opportunities right at his duty station at Ellington Field. “I’ve always wanted to fly,” said the 27-year old. “I first got stationed in Houston in 2011, and knowing that I’d be assigned to a land unit, I wanted to start going to school using my VA benefits, so I started asking around about flight programs. My supervisor told me about San Jacinto College’s aviation program, and I looked it up online, went to the Central Campus to meet with the instructors and registered for the following semester. The fact that it’s so close is a great benefit.”

The San Jacinto College aviation program offers an Associate of Applied Science in Aeronautical Technology pilot development and aviation management, along with a certificate of technology in pilot development. The pilot development program entails classroom lecture with flight time at Ellington Field with the Flying Tigers Flight School. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires a minimum of 40 flight hours for certification, with student solo flights being approved after 20 flight hours. The program’s advisory board includes professional and commercial pilots, airport management, and flight school instructors. The newest additions to the aviation program, beginning this Fall, are a certificate of technology in commercial pilot and airport management. Within the Gulf Coast region, aircraft dispatchers with a technical certification can expect to earn an average of $16 an hour ($32,000 annually) and $25 an hour ($50,000 annually) as an experienced professional. Private and commercial pilots with an associate degree can earn an average of $30 an hour ($60,000 annually) and $50 an hour ($100,000 annually) with professional flight experience.

“Everyone is nervous for that first flight you operate by yourself, but it’s still an amazing feeling,” said Veasey, who will begin studying for a master’s degree next Fall. “I have so much more confidence now. San Jacinto College is everything when it comes to accomplishing my career goals. I want to become a commercial pilot flying regionals, so this is definitely setting things in motion.”

Like Veasey, Mobiglia also has plans to become a commercial pilot. “Being active duty in the Coast Guard, more than likely I’ll get transferred somewhere before I complete the program, but San Jacinto College has definitely opened this door for me to continue training for my pilot license,” he said. “Once I retire from the Coast Guard, I want to immediately be able to start working as a commercial pilot.”

For students looking into the program, both agreed that commitment and safety are two big factors to have going in. “Flying is a three-dimensional world,” said Veasey. “You have to be comfortable with what you’re doing. If you’re ever in a situation that doesn’t feel right, don’t push yourself- you’ll live another day,” she noted.

“Stick with it, even the techniques you find difficult,” said Mobiglia. “If there’s something you’re not good at, you can’t get away from it. You have to commit to it and master it.”

For more information about the San Jacinto College aviation program, visit our website or call 281-998-6150.

Andrea Vasquez