The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners will open a new aviation career training center, Barrington Irving Technical Training School, for those looking to enter the industry. Unlike those targeted at pilots, cabin crew, or airport staff, the new center will target the ever-growing need for business aviation executives for jobs across airlines and associated providers. The new facility will be located on the premises of Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport.
The future of the industry
On Wednesday, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III announced plans for the new career training facility for those looking to enter the aviation industry. He presented a $100,000 check to Captain Barrington Irving, who operates The Flying Classroom, a STEM learning course for school students of all years. However, Captain Irving is better known for his record-breaking flying missions, which we'll discuss in a minute.
The new center will be located in Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport, a hub for charter, private, and general aviation operations located in eight miles from Miami International Airport (MIA). Making use of the available space, the airport can host new training facilities while having access to flying operations. Named the Barrington Irving Technical Training School, it celebrates its founder and groundbreaking aviator.
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In a statement about the new center, Chairman Gilbert said,
"I am excited to bring what will be a major hub for innovation to the Miami Opa-locka Executive Airport. individuals who will come for certification will be educated by the best, and they will have access to top-of-the line resources. This center will transform lives. It will unlock curiosity in our youth to imagine what's possible by studying fields from a technical perspective, and for adults, it will provide a new start in a viable career that can increase their livelihood. The best part is, we are getting started now."
Led by Irving
If you haven't heard of Captain Barrington Irving, the Jamaican-American pilot's resume speaks for itself. In 2007, he set the record for the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe at 23 years, a feat he completed in a single-engine Columbia 400. He also became the first African-African person to circumnavigate the globe, a record he continues to hold. Since 2007, few more have beaten the record for the youngest person to fly around the world, with 17-year-old Mack Rutherford currently holding a record after his brave flight last year.
Since the record-setting flight in 2007, Irving has been busy training the next generation of aviators with various partnerships and training centers, mainly located in his home state of Florida. He is behind The Flying Classroom Bombardier Academy and Experience Aviation, making a presence in the educational space.
Using his experience and background, he hopes to attract people from diverse backgrounds of all ages into the industry. On the new eponymous center, Captain Irving said,
"This funding from Miami-Dade will help us launch an innovative training program to get more students from a variety of backgrounds into business aviation and other industries where they can achieve their professional dreams."
What do you make of the new center? Let us know in the comment section.