Aviation Prep Academy is a vocational training program that prepares individuals for jobs in the aviation industry. Its students range from young people who have just graduated from high school and are seeking vocational direction to adults seeking to establish a career or change careers.
The Academy has three components:
- Aviprep: A 50-hour certificate program targeting jobs in aviation that do not require a BA degree but which pay a good starting salary with full benefits. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be well-prepared to apply to airline positions such as “Central Load Planner” or “Crew Scheduler.”
- Remote Pilot: This provides 6 hours of instruction and prepares participants to take the FAA written exam for a certificate in remote pilot for commercial purposes (drone operation).
- Aviprep Academy: Offering an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher program, this program requires a minimum of 200 hours of training. If they pass the exam, participants can apply to be a dispatcher with an airline. Participants in this program are usually already working in the aviation industry and want to advance to a dispatch position. Any graduate of the dispatch program may be eligible for up to 18 transfer credits at an institution of higher education.
Aviation Prep Academy works in partnership with the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre under the leadership of Executive Director Marguerite Grasing Keller. The agency, a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1984. It provides a wide range of services, including an After-School Child Care and Tutorial Program and the Hispanic Brotherhood Senior Citizen Club. Services also include housing and employment counseling, housing referrals, job placement, translation, immigration and legal assistance, naturalization and citizenship counseling, advocacy for individuals and groups in disputes such as tenant/landlord and employer/employee; and emergency food.
Aviation Prep Academy core staff includes Michael A.N. Winkler, who is an instructor and program director. Michael has been involved in aviation since the early 1980s. On the ground, he has held leadership positions in marketing, finance, and operations for large international carriers (Lufthansa and JetBlue Airways) on two continents; in the air, he flew business jets in Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean. For over a dozen years he also co-owned, managed, and taught at a flight school at Farmingdale, New York’s Republic Airport (FRG), with many of his graduates now in senior pilot positions themselves.
Sara Hill, Ed.D., is an instructor and program director. She has many years of experience writing standards-based curriculum for youth and adults. She was a curriculum developer for a career and college ready curriculum for the National Urban League. She has designed and delivered professional development and training for staff and youth professionals via the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and SCO Family of Services. She has published several articles and written chapters in the areas of best practices in professional development and the youth development field.
Brandon Baptiste, instructor, is a seasoned leader in youth services, restorative practices, and nonprofit management, with over a decade of experience supporting young people and building impactful programs. Currently serving as the Assistant Director of Training and Program Development at the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID), Brandon designs and leads conflict resolution trainings across NYC schools, equipping students and educators with tools for peer mediation and restorative justice. His background spans roles from executive team leadership to case planning and adoption recruitment, earning recognition such as the Excellence in Practice award from the Administration for Children’s Services.
Brandon brings a trauma-informed, equity-focused lens to all his work, driven by a deep commitment to creating safe, supportive environments for learning.
One of the founders of Aviation Prep Academy, based on his decades of experience in the aviation industry as a director, business jet charter pilot, and dispatcher and trainer, recognized the need to fill positions with qualified employees. This need was exacerbated by the following factors:
Demographically, a comparatively large number of aviation employees are approaching retirement age;
The complexity of the airline business is such that competency is more difficult to achieve than in many other industries. That is, the skills needed are significantly higher than most entry level jobs;
Applicants are often ill-prepared to join airlines, because they know little about the industry, and because other industries (high tech, gaming, etc.) appear more interesting regardless of barriers of entry.
In addition to industry-specific skills, many applicants to airlines, particularly those who are under-represented in the industry, need guidance and training to acquire and practice other types of workforce skill sets, including filling out an online application, writing a resume, interviewing, handling conflict, setting goals, work-life balances, and developing a vocational or college plan or pathway. Aviation Prep was created to create a program that is targeted to fill these particular needs and prepares participants to apply for a range of jobs in the aviation industry including airlines, FBOs, air taxi operations, large flight schools and ancillary services.
The Aviation Prep Academy has a unique curriculum that blends workforce skills with technical knowledge and STEM and has developed partnerships with community based organizations such as Hispanic Brotherhood, The Cradle of Aviation Museum, and Hempstead Works. The Academy’s pride is in their students who are committed to improving their lives and those of their families.
Aviation Prep Academy
59 Clinton Ave.
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Tel: (917) 418-3780
