NWTC, Aviate Flight School launch PAC certification program

GREEN BAY – A partnership between Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and Aviate Flight School is making the pathway to a career in aviation quicker and more accessible than ever through its recently launched Professional Aeronautics Certification (PAC) program.

This accelerated training focuses on providing the instruction and flight hours required for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses — allowing a student to go from zero experience to a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) in 12 to 16 months, without needing a four-year aviation degree.

The program was developed by Dr. Chris Johnson, a commercial pilot and former professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who shared that the program aims to address significant workforce gaps in the aviation industry.

“[The program] is local, it’s vocational and it’s affordable,” Johnson said. “We’re responding to a huge workforce demand — we need to replace 27% of the entire aviation workforce in the next 10 to 15 years. The numbers we need are staggering. We’re all hands on deck trying to create streamlined pathway programs and that’s what this is.”

According to the PAC program’s website, this demand stems from several factors in the aviation industry, including growth in global air travel, mandatory retirement at age 65 and an aging aviation workforce.

The program is designed to fit into students’ lives, offering both a part-time and accelerated full-time option.

“We’ve got a part-time cadence and a full-time cadence. Normally, it’s part time — a 15 to 20 hour per week commitment,” said Johnson. “That includes a ground school class at NWTC, which is usually in the evenings so it’s not in the way of daytime commitments, and a minimum of three flight lessons at Aviate Flight School every week.”

The program will also be the first of its kind in the Northeast Wisconsin region to offer streamlined aviation training without needing a degree.

“Sometimes, a traditional degree pathway isn’t required for the profession,” said Jim Draeger, Dean of NWTC’s Corporate Training Economic Development. “That’s what differentiates us from other programs within the state and across the country — we’re getting students the skills through that affordable, accessible and focused approach.”
Draeger added that the PAC program also takes a unique, experience-based approach to flight education that sets it apart from private flight school.

“Typically, flight schools will teach their courses one-on-one with students, whereas here, we’re taking a cohort of up to 15 students and getting that in-class theory work done at one time,” said Draeger. “So, flight instructors spend more time in the plane and in the cockpit with students. That’s what’s novel about this approach — we’re taking the private flight school to scale in partnership with the tech college.”

Johnson said he sees the program as best-suited to returning adult students who are changing careers, traditional college students who already know they want to be pilots and even high school students 17 and older who want to be a year closer to their dream job.
“If we get a 20 year old in the right seat of the jet, by the time they’re 30, they’ll be making $300,000 a year working 15 days a month,” said Johnson.

The PAC program will begin in fall of 2026. Because of limited seats available, students are encouraged to apply now.

For more information about the PAC program visit aviateflightschool.com/pac.

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