Photo Gallery: BISD student flies trainer aircraft as district, flight school prepare to launch CTE aviation pathway
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BROWNSVILLE — The Brownsville Independent School District and Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are getting ready to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students.
On Friday, the aviation academy, START for short, played host to BISD officials who this week will begin the launch process for a Career and Technical Education aviation pathway.
The developments came as BISD senior Camilla Olvera demonstrated the possibilities by flying START’s single-engine Tecnap P-Mentor trainer aircraft to South Padre Island and back.
Olvera is among 40 students in START’s inaugural class, said Jorge Whitley, flight school owner and chief executive officer.
Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Veterans Memorial Early College High School Senior Camilla Olvera trains on a single engine Tecnap P-Mentor on Friday, Sep. 4, 2026, inside the historic Hunt Pan Am Aviation Hangar at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The district and the airport’s Flight Academy of South Texas are preparing to launch a CTE aviation pathway for BISD students. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
