Nineteen-year-old Brian Martin of Venice is fortunate and knows it. He’s had a passion for planes since he was a kid and now, just a year out of high school, he’s ready to launch his career in aviation. He’s also excited about the salary prospects.
“It's crazy because you can make such good money. Just two years out of high school, 20, 21, 22, depending on your age, you can make 100 grand a year, six figures a year,” Martin said.
Martin was able to jump-start his career by taking aviation industry classes at Charlotte Technical College while still at Charlotte High School. In November, he’ll get his certification in airframe and powerplant.
“You can go work for a big airline. Go work for government. There's so many things you can go do,” Martin said.
It’s this type of career opportunity that has Charlotte County School District leaders working to expand the district’s aviation program by building a hangar actually on the Charlotte High School campus for a new aerospace program.
School leaders hope that will remove one deterrent for students who might have passed on the program in the past: the travel time required to get to the technical college located at the Punta Gorda airport.
“To me losing that time, it's just -- you're taking away from your high school life,” Martin said.
For students like him, jump-starting a career in high school can al
so save thousands of dollars in training expenses since the school district picks up the tab.
“This is the place to be if you like to work with your hands. And even if aviation ends up not being your career, you can go to NASCAR. You can work on metal, medical equipment. You can work on elevators, escalators. There's a million other industries that this program prepares you for,” said Amanda Fox, an aviation maintenance specialist at Charlotte Technical College.
County leaders say the entire region benefits from a program like this. That’s why they’re asking elected leaders like Congressman Greg Steube for help securing government dollars to pay for the hangar.
Steube recently visited Charlotte High to learn more about the program and why district leaders feel growing this aviation program is important to the local economy.
“When we look at what Charlotte County has become, we have a very large service-based economy. We are already partially a bedroom community, to our communities to the north and south,” said Derrick Rooney, president of the Charlotte County Economic Development Partnership. “We need to look to diversify, we need to look to the platform that we have here. And that platform, I believe, is the airport.”
But James Parish, the CEO of the airport authority, says growing the airport— a top economic engine in the county — has one big obstacle.
“One of the problems we've had for about 18 years that I've been at the airport, was always when we had an industry come to us. They're like, ‘well, where's my workforce?’” Parish said. “We have great retirees, but we were missing that young workforce.”
Brian Granstra, the director of career and education for Charlotte Schools, believes that the future hangar is part of the solution. He said it will expose more teens to Florida’s booming aviation industry, one which is facing critical employee shortages nationally and internationally.
Granstra points to the success of Brevard County’s Eau Gallie High on the Space Coast where he says students have landed jobs with companies like Lockheed Martin, Space X and Blue Origin. It’s a program that’s serving as a model for Charlotte High School’s new AeroSpace program.
“So the space industry, as we know, does much of their launching from Cape Canaveral and they do some of their assembly in Cape Canaveral, as well the privatization of the space industry. Many of their suppliers are throughout the country in Georgia, Alabama, and Texas. So, with Space Florida, we're hoping to lure some of those businesses into Charlotte County by having a talented workforce and also getting them incentives to move here,” Granstra said.
1 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Students in the Aviation Maintenance School at
Charlotte Technical College prepare for their final days of class before graduation. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
2 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Amanda Fox is an aviation maintenance specialist at Charlotte Technical College. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
3 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Amanda Fox is an aviation maintenance specialist at Charlotte Technical College. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
4 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Students in the Aviation Maintenance School at
Charlotte Technical College prepare for their final days of class before graduation. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
5 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Aircraft parts can be found all over the hanger at the Aviation Maintenance School at Charlotte Technical College The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
6 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Students in the Aviation Maintenance School at
Charlotte Technical College prepare for their final days of class before graduation. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
7 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Aircraft parts can be found all over the hanger at the Aviation Maintenance School at Charlotte Technical College The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
8 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Aircraft parts can be found all over the hanger at the Aviation Maintenance School at Charlotte Technical College The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
9 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Alligiant Airline uses the Punta Gorda airport. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
10 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Brian Martin, aviation student and Charlotte High School graduate, studies for a test and is looking forward to graduating in the fall. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
11 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Brian Martin, aviation student and Charlotte High School graduate, talks about how much he enjoys the school and is looking forward to graduating in the fall. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
12 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
13 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Brian Martin, aviation student and Charlotte High School graduate, talks about how much he enjoys the school and is looking forward to graduating in the fall. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. On February 22nd WGCU stopped in to see the already successful aviation program being taught at Charlotte Technical College.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
14 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
15 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Students in the Aviation Maintenance School at
Charlotte Technical College prepare for their final days of class before graduation. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
16 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Students in the Aviation Maintenance School at
Charlotte Technical College prepare for their final days of class before graduation. Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch of a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
17 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
18 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
19 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
20 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
21 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
22 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
23 of 23
— WGCUAviationCharlotte042224AM
Charlotte County School District leaders say the launch a new aerospace program next academic year will bring in more jobs and help diversify the economy. The district plans to build a hangar to house the program at Charlotte High School. It's an expansion of the district's already blossoming aviation program. But one challenge facing officials is funding. The district is trying to secure at least 2.5 million dollars just to build the hangar. They say having the program on campus will encourage more kids to sign up for the program, because some students might have avoided it because they had to leave school to travel to the Punta Gorda airport every day. Congressman Greg Steube recently visited the planned site for the school's hangar. On February 22, 2024, a press conference announcing the project was held at the school. Steube said a few words and took photos with students and staff after.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
But making that goal a reality will not be quick or easy. Launching an aerospace program at Charlotte High means securing government dollars to pay for it.
It will cost $2.5 million just to build the hangar district officials are proposing.
Congressman Steube told a crowd of elected and schools officials at the high school he sees promise in the program.
“You have a lot of really great young minds whose minds think differently than being in college, and what a great opportunity to have something like this in Charlotte County,” Steube said.
But Steube can’t make any promises. Because Congress has failed to pass a budget so far, Steube said he intends to submit a federal funding request specifically for the hangar project, but it still has to be approved by Congress.
Still Granstra is optimistic that Governor Ron DeSantis will soon sign off on the 1.5 million dollars the legislature has set aside for this. Then Granstra and his team vowed to find the rest of the federal, state and local government dollars and donations needed to build the hangar, as well as all the additional funds needed to get the planes and technology that students need to learn.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
