Local & Community
Desert Hot Springs Students Take Flight Through Aviation Career Program
Desert Hot Springs High School students are getting a firsthand look at careers in aviation through a program designed to take learning beyond the classroom.
The Aviation Awareness Program introduces students to careers including aircraft maintenance, air traffic control and piloting. Students participate in classroom lessons and hands-on activities before getting the opportunity to experience an actual flight.
The program culminates with flight sessions at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Five Desert Hot Springs High School students took to the skies Wednesday, with four additional students scheduled to fly on October 7.
During their flights, students are accompanied by a Palm Springs Air Museum pilot and a Palm Springs Unified School District administrator. Students get the opportunity to sit in an aircraft, handle the controls, experience taxiing onto the runway and take a flight over the Coachella Valley.
Program organizers say the experience gives students a firsthand glimpse of what a future career in aviation could look like and helps them understand that those opportunities are within reach.
The program was first piloted in spring 2026 with nine Rancho Mirage High School students.
Following that pilot program, the aviation initiative is continuing this school year with student cohorts from all PSUSD high schools.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 30, 2026
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