ILM, airfield in Bladen Co. receive NCDOT grants for aviation, aerospace-themed summer academies

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced on March 14 that its Division of Aviation has awarded grants to 10 airports across the state to fund aviation and aerospace-themed summer academies.

According to the announcement, the academies will be offered to middle and high school students.

“The rapid growth of the aerospace and unmanned aircraft system sectors offers many job opportunities for North Carolinians in the aerospace field. The 2023 Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy Grant Program aims to inspire and expose the next generation of talent to those careers,” stated the NCDOT in the release.

Recipients include:

Currituck County Regional Airport in Currituck County
Curtis L. Brown, Jr. Field in Bladen County
Fayetteville Regional Airport in Cumberland County
Henderson-Oxford Airport in Granville County and Triangle North Executive Airport in Franklin County will partner to host an academy
Kinston Regional Jetport in Lenoir County
Smith Reynolds Airport in Forsyth County
Statesville Regional Airport in Iredell County
Washington-Warren Airport in Beaufort County will offer two camps, with one focused on traditional aviation and another on drones
Wilmington International Airport

Topics covered at the academies will include:

Aviation history
Career discovery and planning
Unmanned aircraft systems

In addition, the academies will allow students to visit aerospace fields and take part in hands-on simulations of drone and airplane flights.

“Academies prioritize exploring high-demand aviation and aerospace careers, such as manned and unmanned aircraft pilots, aircraft technicians, electronics, including coding and programming, avionics, air traffic controllers and engineers,” the NCDOT added in its announcement. “Academies will also explore how students can gain education and credentials through North Carolina’s community college and university programs to pursue those professions.”

For more information, please visit the NCDOT website.

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