Dallas ISD students take flight with hands-on aviation training

Dallas ISD students are getting a head start on careers in aviation, learning to navigate aircraft, operate flight simulators and prepare for pilot certification before graduating from high school.

At Career Institute North, about 30 students a day arrive from neighborhood high schools to train for careers that could take them thousands of feet into the sky.

"I think after high school, I'll go to pilot school or fly for a company once I get all my hours in," Diego Murillo said.

For students like Murillo and David Flores, what might look like video games is serious flight training. They're learning cockpit procedures, operating commercial jet simulators, and developing drone-flying skills that can lead to certification.

The simulators provide students with an introduction to aviation, many of whom have never even been passengers on commercial aircraft.

"Get my licenses, get my commercial license, so I can fly around the world," Flores said.

Instructor Michael Johnson helps oversee the aviation program, preparing students for a range of careers in an industry seeking skilled workers.

"Not only in the cockpit as a pilot, but you'll understand the difference between that and an air traffic controller, a dispatcher for an airline or private company," Johnson said. "You'll understand how to repair airplanes."

Students can begin preparing for a private pilot's license at 16, with the district's simulators supplementing training available through flight schools.

Although there are no actual airplanes on campus, the program is already producing results. One former student is now a commercial pilot.