B.C. Rain to offer aviation training

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - B. C. Rain High School will begin teaching aviation and aerospace technology to some Mobile County students this fall.

As Mobile's aviation industries continue to grow, a new career academy for budding high school aviation enthusiasts takes-off.

“We've known that the aviation hub is right here in Mobile for this region,” said Career Tech Executive Director Larry Mouton.

Students in the program will go on field trips and perform hands-on science experiments.

“This first year we've opened it up. And we've invited everyone who wants to be part of it because the first course at B.C. Rain High School is a foundation course where they learn about the aerospace industry,” said Mouton.

Right now, they have about 50 students enrolled in the program but expect more.

“Last year, we started identifying and recruiting students that had an interest and an affinity towards what we know are going to be the requisite skills to be successful in this program,” said Mouton.

Mouton said students should have an interest in math and be able to work together to solve problems.

“Realistically, a "D" isn't going to do it, a "C" you're going to be challenged. So you need to make sure that if you're a student that wants to go into one of these high demand areas that you're an "A, B" student, not just in math but in any subject,” said Mouton.

To apply, students need to contact a guidance counselor.

School officials want to add 40 additional students to the program each year.

“We found that there's a big deficiency for A&P mechanics to work in the aviation industry,” said Mouton.

And the timing couldn't have been better planned with Airbus scheduled to begin rolling out planes in 2016.

The Mobile County School System plans to build a $500,000 facility at B.C. Rain High School to house the aerospace, aviation academy.