Isaac Gonzales has wanted to be a pilot for as long as he can remember. Now, through San Bernardino Valley College’s (SBVC) new professional pilot program, he’s getting closer to his dream.
“I’ve known I wanted to be a pilot for what feels like forever,” says Isaac Gonzales, a student working on his degree in Flight Operations-Professional Pilot at SBVC. “I want to see all parts of the world.”
The new Associate of Science (A.S.) degree and Certificate in Flight Operations – Professional Pilot program combines classroom learning with hands-on flight training, giving students experience in navigation, aviation safety, flight operations, and simulator training.
“Our program emphasizes safety, academic excellence, and career readiness,” says Dr. Shannon Millen, a pilot and Aeronautics instructor who spearheads the program.
Students train using advanced flight simulators before taking to the skies through SBVC’s partnership with Riverside Flight Academy at Riverside Municipal Airport.
The program offers a high degree of flexibility for flight training and training hours.
“It worked out well,” Gonzales says, citing the flight simulators as a highlight. “Riverside Flight Academy is a great place to train.”
The program helps students with the financial burdens of training by helping cover their flight hours; a minimum of 40 hours is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Students can also qualify for financial aid, which is not always the case with other flight training programs.
Offered through the SBVC Aeronautics department, the program accepted its first students in Fall 2025 and prepares them to succeed in various flight operations roles, including commercial pilot and flight instructor.
“After I graduate, I hope to become a flight instructor and then build enough (flight) hours to get hired by the airlines,” Gonzales says.
Demand for pilots is expected to remain high for many years. The FAA projects strong, continued demand for air travel through 2045 and, despite potential economic fluctuations, the long-term career outlook for pilots remains very promising (bls.gov).
The Inland Empire’s position as a major logistics hub, along with the expansion of airports in Palm Springs, San Bernardino, Ontario, and elsewhere, is pushing up demand for pilots in the region. A high volume of projected industry retirements is also driving hiring (bls.gov).
Job growth in aviation extends beyond pilots, and the SBVC Aeronautics department offers a comprehensive array of programs in other high-demand fields, including Airframe and Aviation Maintenance, Powerplant Maintenance, Flight Operations, and Flight Operations and Management.
And the department is expanding offerings with air traffic control courses and a new air traffic control associate degree launching in Spring 2027. It will become one of only a handful of such programs in the country. An interdisciplinary drone program is also in the works.
Gonzales says he found a great place to pursue his dreams. “(I’ve enjoyed) being introduced to flying and learning more every day,” he says. “I can’t wait to be an airline pilot and travel the world.”