During the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA’s) 2024 NBAA White Plains Regional Forum, the Barrington Irving Technical Training School (BITTS) announced its first set of graduates from its local program, all of whom are ready to take positions at area facilities for two leading Fixed Base Operators (FBOs).
The announcement comes just months after the BITTS organization expanded from its Miami, FL base to an additional installation in New York’s Westchester County. Read more about the new BITTS location in New York.
Founded and led by Capt. Barrington Irving, a Guinness World Record-breaking pilot and NBAA American Spirit Award recipient, the organization provides technical training for students with diverse backgrounds, teaching them the hands-on skills needed to excel in aviation and other industries. NBAA is a supporting partner of the training school.
In his remarks at today’s NBAA White Plains Regional Forum, Irving noted that the first group of five student graduates at the school’s Mt. Vernon, NY, facility are preparing for interviews with Atlantic Aviation and Signature Flight Support, having completed a 12-week workforce development program focused on FBO training.
The announcement was met with applause from local civic officials, including Mount Vernon, NY, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard and Thom Kleiner, the executive director of the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board.
Mt. Vernon’s Management Services Commissioner Juan Perez and Youth Bureau Deputy Director Dena Williams, Westchester County Youth Program Director Liz Oliveto and Ranell Ogilvie from State Sen. Jamaal Bailey’s office were also on hand to congratulate the graduates.
“With our partners and our team, we have created something that is helping more people achieve their professional dreams through business aviation,” Irving said. “I couldn’t be more proud to see our goal come to life through these students.”
“The business aviation community understands the pressing need to attract, develop, retain and promote the next generation of industry professionals,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said. “Barrington Irving’s pioneering program was once a dream, but it is now inspiring young people to be a part of an exciting industry with boundless opportunities. We applaud Barrington for his leadership of this one-of-a-kind training school, and we are honored to support its mission.”
The Barrington Irving Technical Training School was opened at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in 2023 with the support of Bombardier, Miami-Dade County, NBAA and other organizations. It is part of Irving’s Flying Classroom, a pre-K-12 STEM+ program.
Last December, BITTS graduated its first 15 students and landed them careers worth almost $1 million in salaries. The school has quickly added three new training centers – two in Florida at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Pompano Beach Airpark, and the Mt. Vernon, NY, operation announced in late February 2024.
