PUSD brings flight simulators to military academy

A new elective for students is ready to take off at Porterville Military Academy.

Porterville Unified School District has partnered with Edwards Air Force Base and a company called STEMPilot to bring flight simulations to ninth and tenth-grade cadets.

The software allows students to fly airplanes anywhere in the world, from New York or Paris, to the local airfield in Porterville.

"The purpose of our curriculum program here is to excite future career opportunities in students," said STEMPilot CEO Jay Leboff. "That might be in engineering or coding or drones or repair and maintenance or air traffic control. What we're trying to do is excite kids that they will have a positive trajectory for their career."

Porterville Unified will receive 15 new flight simulators as part of this new program.