Aviation in Dutchess County takes flight
Recently, Think Dutchess Alliance for Business Director of Business Attraction Philip Scarano III attended the 2023 National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas to share Dutchess County’s advancements in aviation with industry leaders from across the country. Hundreds of industry professionals took part in the three-day event, which featured dozens of education sessions on business development and trends across the aviation sector.
“Attending the NBAA-BACE event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase Dutchess County and Hudson Valley Regional Airport to several industry professionals,” Scarano said. “It was great to be able to discuss the investment being made in the aviation sector here in Dutchess County by creating a solid pipeline of workforce through the (Dutchess Community College) DCC program, along with the county creating shovel-ready space at the airport and (to discuss) how the business community has come together to help support these initiatives.”
Aviation continues to be a top industry for Dutchess, with several key developments in recent years. One of the most notable was the opening of Dutchess Community College’s Aviation Excellence Center in 2021. The $16-million facility, in the Hudson Valley Regional Airport, is designed to offer one of the most advanced programs of its kind, with classes taught by field experts with decades of aviation experience and numerous hands-on learning opportunities.
Since 2005, Dutchess Community College’s Aviation Science Program has been preparing students for jobs across the aviation sector with three different programs – pilot training aviation, maintenance technician and aviation management. The Aviation Management program is the first of its kind to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 50 years. The college has the only aviation program in the region that provides a pathway to an associate degree. Salaries for many graduates begin at $50,000 – and climb to well over $200,000 throughout their careers.
As a result of the college’s program, the county is now home to Falcon One, a Grumman G3-C20 jet previously owned by the U.S. government and used by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, along with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. Earlier this year, the college hosted a team of experienced detailers and sponsors from North America and Europe to restore the exterior of the Falcon One aircraft and recondition the interior leather, with the help of Automaxx+ LLC in Wappinger Falls. Now, Falcon One acts as a hands-on learning tool for students in the aviation maintenance technician program.
In turn, the airport’s access to major transportation sites, including Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad, along with Interstates 84 and 87, have helped Dutchess become a hub of activity in the tristate area. Earlier this year, the airport welcomed Tradewind Aviation to its hangar. This regional air mobility leader is primed to be a strong economic driver in the county that will help it continue to recruit new pilots, trainees and ground crew.
For more, visit thinkdutchess.com/aviation.