Butler County Community College President Nick Neupauer comments Wednesday on the new partnership between BC3, the Community College of Beaver County and High Flight to launch an aviation academy for Butler County juniors and seniors at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport.

PENN TWP — Butler County Community College, the Community College of Beaver County and High Flight Academy are offering Butler County high school students a chance to earn credits toward an associate degree in the aviation field.

Officials from the colleges and High Flight, based at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, announced the opening of the Community College of Beaver County Aviation Academy at High Flight at the airport Wednesday.

Beginning in the fall, county high school juniors and seniors with a grade-point average of at least 2.5 can take the four-semester, 28-credit program at High Flight.

CCBC instructors will teach ground school subjects such as introduction to aviation, flight theory and aircraft systems. BC3 instructors will teach English composition and statistics, which students will attend for one hour and 40 minutes five days a week.

Then they can apply those credits toward CCBC’s School of Aviation Sciences, which offers associate degrees for careers in air traffic control, aerospace management, unmanned aerial vehicle operations and as professional pilots.

Students in the program can work on obtaining their pilot’s license.

This is an excerpt — pick up Thursday’s Butler Eagle to read the full article.