Yay!
A) Ten showed interest
B) Seven started the program
C) Three  made it to the end & graduated
D) Jan is the first to sit in on the FAA exams, and passed on the very first try! ..... 425 days from the day we started :)!!!

Our first graduating class! Congratulations to  Sam, Monica, and Jan.
After 9 months and 21 days -we started April 9th, 2024- we ended on January 30th! .... these three people were just a total joy & so inspiring; they struggled and worked so hard* to get to the end, sacrificing weekends, days off, etc. ..... congratulations from the bottom of my heart!
They're the best!

* ... and a "thank you" to their spouses, partners, and children, too!

Our  Goal:
Provide quality aviation training to young people who otherwise would never think of entering that industry, whether for
A) lack of exposure,
B) lack of resources, or
C) both!




There are very many very good jobs to be had in the Aviation Industry!

While most people think of this industry of an "airline monolith," in reality it is multi-faceted that covers airlines, airports, FBOs (Fixed Base Operators), maintenance facilities, flight-schools, charter businesses (where one charters business-jets and turbo-props from for personal transportation instead of relying on airlines), and -of course- large and medium sized companies that own their own aircraft to transport their executives, engineers, and other crucial employees from one location to the other.

Other areas cover drone operations for pipe-line inspections, real-estate, the film-industry, and other purposes.

AvPrep's purpose is to help people from communities that traditionally have not been exposed to this industry to gain footing, and provide entry-level credentials.

I know from my experience, that certain professional areas in the aviation world unfortunately remain hidden from most peoples view:  Anyone names pilots and flight attendants from the top of their head, closely followed by mechanics, but that's almost where it ends.

The reality -unsurprisingly- is more complex:  True - pilots and flight-attendants ride the "tip of the spear," but for every pilot and every flight attendant there are dozens of other people who "make the flight happen."

This is where AvPrep focuses its efforts on.  The areas where good jobs that provide satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment can be had, along with good benefits!

AvPrep's Plans:

2024:
AvPrep started with the very ambitious, 200-hour, FAA approved program.

2025:
By the beginning of 2025 we will return to the -originally planned- 60-hour Av-Prep program (aka "Dispatch Light") addressing the needs of people more-or-less fresh out of high-school, slightly younger than the typical Aircraft Dispatch applicant; the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher program's minimum age is an FAA mandated 23 years of age, which is why it does not lend itself for the younger cohort.

2025 Programs Outlook:
-  63-hour Av-Prep program to prepare young people for an entry-level position within the aviation industry
-  §107 FAA Drone Program w/ Film Editing class
-  §65  FAA Ground Instructors  (pre-requisite class/certificates)
-  possibly a §65  FAA Aircraft Dispatch Program

Many thanks to:

Without the following people’s generosity (in alphabetical order), none of this would or could have happened - I am deeply indebted to them:

-  James W. Etchison                         Academics of Flight

-  Sara Louisa Hill, EdD                    Community Organizer

-  Marguerite Keller                            Hispanic Brotherhood

-  Keiko                          Instructor

-  Jules Pluviose                                  National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees

-  Father Felipe Rufes, M.Id.               Pastor, Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church

- Alton Taylor National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees

-  Kyie                               Instructor

-  Dr. Zodelia Williams                     3D’s Aftercare Inc.

…..    and many more!