POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.: Last week, 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, Nevada to share Dutchess County’s advancements in aviation with industry leaders from across the country. The three-day convention was attended by hundreds of industry professionals and 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 HV Regional Airport to several industry professionals,” said Philip Scarano III. “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 DCC program along with the county creating shovel-ready space at the airport and how the business community has come together to help support these initiatives.”
Aviation continues to be a top industry for Dutchess County, with several key advancements occurring in recent years. One of the most notable developments was the opening of Dutchess Community College’s Aviation Excellence Center in 2021. The $16-million facility, located in the Hudson Valley Regional Airport, is one of the most cutting-edge programs of its kind, offering 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 its 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 FAA in 50 years. Dutchess Community College is the only aviation program in the region that provides a pathway to an Associate Degree, and starting salaries for many graduates begin at $50,000 – and climb up to well over $200,000 throughout their careers.
As a result of Dutchess Community College’s high-caliber program, Dutchess 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 General Norman Schwarzkopf. Earlier this year, Dutchess County Community 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.
Hudson Valley Regional Airport’s access to major transportation sites, including Amtrak and Metro North Railroad, along with Interstates 84 and 87, have helped Dutchess County become a hub of activity in the Tri-State area. Earlier this year, the airport welcomed Tradewind Aviation to its hangar. Tradewind Aviation, a regional air mobility leader is primed to be a strong economic driver in Dutchess County that will help us continue to recruit new pilots, trainees and ground crew.
Learn more about Dutchess County’s thriving aviation industry at thinkdutchess.com/aviation.