It’s a national problem that a local university could help. According to CNN, there is a pilot shortage in the US.
Lynn University is hoping their cheaper flight school and new technology will encourage more students to sign up and take to the skies.
“It’s just expensive,” Dr. Jeffrey Johnson is the Dead for the College of Aeronautics at Lynn.
He said flight school can cost $80,000. Lynn offers their program at around $50,000.
Johnson said they also have a flight simulator that has helped with flight hours and reduce the cost of flight school by 10%.
“The big advantage to this machine is it is about 1/3 to 1/2 the coast to a plane,” he said.
Senior Chris Annandale said the simulator will offer more experience in different terrains and conditions you don’t get in Florida.
“If I want to go fly in an airplane from here, I have to sit on the ground, take off and fly to an airport, where I want to practice a maneuver or some sort of weather, the cost is so much more expensive,” said Annandale.
He said he will feel more prepared when he leaves flight school.
“I have been able to fly to airports I have never been to before, when I am done I can say I have been to all these airports,” he said.
Lynn said they plan to keep finding more ways to make it cheaper for students to go through their program.