First of its kind aviation program comes to Moss Point School District

Students at Moss Point High School are taking to the skies.

The Moss Point School District has partnered with the Jackson County Airport Authority and Aspire Aviation to launch an aviation academy for students.

The program is the first of its kind in the Magnolia State.

Students and staff gathered to mark the start of the program at Trent Lott International earlier Thursday morning.

The program will encompass a range of aviation skills including air traffic control, pilot training, and maintenance.

By next week, students will begin flying with an instructor and solo flights may begin a month from now. Moss Point School District Superintendent Oswago Harper said, “I’m so thankful that that we are able to provide this opportunity for our children.”

Moss Point High student Linal Tickles said, “I dreamed about this as a kid, so I’m like most people can do it to. So, I’m trying to show everybody they can do to.”

Moss Point High student James Spain II said, “I have an early head start so I could probably, hopefully start being an airline pilot, hopefully sometime in my later 20s.”

“So, hopefully this will be a springboard for other school districts to kind of tap into this awesome opportunity.”

Spain and Tickles are the two inaugural students to enroll in the program.