West Florence senior Abigail Buddenborg has become the first student in Florence 1 Schools to earn a private pilot license through Advantage Academy’s aviation program, according to a press release sent out Tuesday from the district.
Buddenborg recently completed her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Practical Test, also called a checkride, with Joe Rogers, an FAA-Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) for the Florence area. This test consists of an oral exam and a flight portion. The district said she will continue pursuing her goal of becoming a commercial aviator at Charleston Southern University this fall.
“To be able to get an opportunity to accomplish this in high school is unbelievable,” Buddenborg said. “I am going to be so much further ahead than my other peers at CSU.”
Advantage Academy started a partnership with Carolina Flight School's aviation program in the 2021-22 school year after a needs assessment identified it as an area of interest. The inaugural group of students, including Buddenborg, took their First Flight in December at the Florence Regional Airport, the release furthered.
Carolina Flight School instructor Robby Peed said that Buddenborg was a great student.
“I would say that Abigail is one of the hardest working students we have ever seen,” Peed said. “She really put in the time and effort needed to get it done and we can’t be more proud of her.”
In December, Florence 1 was awarded a FAA grant for $339,000 to go toward aviation education. The grant will allow Florence 1 students to receive a scholarship to cover the cost of completing flight training to get their private pilot’s license, the release read.
Find out more about the aviation program and other courses offered at Advantage Academy's website.