Ready to soar? Air Force museum offers introductory piloting class

Open to students 14 to 18, program provides students opportunity to fly a simulator.
The exterior of the National Musuem of the U.S. Air Force in October 2021. Air Force photo

The exterior of the National Musuem of the U.S. Air Force in October 2021. Air Force photo

If you’re a young person ready to take the first steps toward flight, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has a program for you.

Registration is now open for introductory piloting classes at the museum.

The free program is designed to inspire and educate students about a career in aviation, the museum said.

Open to students aged 14 to 18, this program provides students “an opportunity to fly a simulator and determine if they have the desire and/or capability to become a pilot before investing in expensive flight school classes,” the museum said.

Be aware the class does not provide any level of certification and cannot be used as a substitution for courses that provide certified flight instruction.

The program consists of two introductory-level courses: Introduction to Pilot 101 and Complex Aircraft 201, giving participants a brief overview of what an actual flight school could be like.

Space is limited and classes will fill quickly, the musuem cautioned.

For a full list of available classes, requirements and registration information, go to www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Education/Introduction-to-Becoming-a-Pilot/.

The Introduction to Becoming a Pilot Program is made possible by support from Wright State University with the Air Force Museum Foundation.

The museum says it is the world’s largest military aviation museum. It features more than 350 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts on more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space.

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