Dutchess County Airport Primed for Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition
Dutchess County’s Airport already has a tremendous impact on the local economy, with an annual impact of nearly $45 million, but it has the opportunity to significantly increase that impact and create good paying jobs, thanks to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed “Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition.” Dutchess County will actively compete for these proposed grant dollars to further expand our existing economic development efforts at the Airport and continuing to attract more private investment and well-paying jobs, both of which benefit Dutchess County residents and businesses through additional spending and tax revenue.
Dutchess County Airport is the second-busiest general aviation airport in New York State, servicing more than 73,000 takeoffs and landings each year. The airport has a FAA traffic control tower, which is used by the FAA for training, and the facility employs 117 workers, including county employees. One of our airport’s largest tenants is Associated Aircraft Group (AAG), a Lockheed Martin company. Lockheed Martin is a global aerospace defense, security and advanced technologies company based in Bethesda, Md.
To further the airport’s impact by attracting aviation-related businesses and help more students pursue a career in aviation, Dutchess County has partnered with Dutchess Community College to establish a START-UP NY program. The new program will expand the school’s curriculum to include an Airframe and Powerplant program and attract maintenance facilities to the airport. Dutchess Community College has been designated part of the START-UP NY program with potential for further development of its aviation program and creating potential partnerships with companies looking to take advantage of the benefits START-UP NY provides.
Nineteen students from the Ulster County BOCES aviation program recently visited the Dutchess County Airport for a tour, learning about the facility and the possible careers available for them to pursue. Click here to watch highlights from the tour.
The BOCES aviation program teaches students in myriad areas, including communications, aircraft performance, human factors, principles of flight, meteorology, instrumentation, airplane systems and flight environment.
Approximately 50 Dutchess Community College students are studying in a similar aviation program at the Town of Poughkeepsie school, as either Aviation-Pilot or Aviation-Management majors. Approximately 15 to 20 of those DCC students are flying, as Dutchess provides training on ratings from Private Pilot, Instrument, and Commercial Pilot. Students can graduate with an Associate’s Degree and a Commercial Pilot License from Dutchess Community Collegein two years.
Students who pursue aviation locally can move on to successful careers. The national median salary for an air-traffic controller, for example, is $84,595 a year, while the median salary for a flight dispatcher is $49,657, and the median salary for an aircraft mechanic is $60,600. Across the country, the average yearly salary for a corporate jet pilot is $136,500, and the average salary for a flight captain is $70,000.
