Texas State University has partnered with Flex Air in San Diego, expanding its Aviation Science degree program to Southern California.
Beginning Spring 2027, students pursuing a bachelor of applied arts and science (B.A.A.S.) in Aviation Science through TXST’s Accelerated Online Program (AOP) will have access to professional flight training at Flex Air’s facility at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego.
"By partnering with Flex Air, TXST is adding to our efforts to reach students where they are while simultaneously making it easier for them to graduate with a pilot’s license,” said TXST President Kelly Damphousse, Ph.D. “Through this program, graduates will be able to pursue high-paying jobs as professional pilots, helping address the nation’s growing pilot shortage.”
Through this partnership, students will complete their B.A.A.S. degree through TXST AOP while gaining hands-on flight training at Flex Air. The partnership creates an integrated pathway that pairs university-level academics with Flex Air’s mentorship-first, flexible training model built for working adults and nontraditional students entering aviation.
The addition of a San Diego training site reflects the continued demand for professional pilots nationwide. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of commercial pilots is projected to grow by more than 5,600 positions from 2022 to 2032, with an average of 16,800 job openings each year driven largely by retirements, positioning TXST Aviation to help meet one of the industry's most urgent workforce needs.
“This partnership brings together two complementary approaches to career flight training: the flexibility and mentorship-first model that helps working adults and nontraditional students enter aviation, and the academic rigor and resources of a university program,” said Paul Wynns, Ph.D., president and CEO of Flex Air, Inc. “Texas State gives students a strong academic foundation; Flex Air helps them build a practical, supported path around the realities of their lives. Together, we are creating a transformational opportunity for people with the ability and discipline to succeed in aviation, but who may never have seen a traditional college-to-flight deck path as possible for them.”
The program is offered through the Department of Organization, Workforce and Leadership Studies (OWLS). Students complete all academic coursework through TXST while gaining hands-on fixed wing flight experience at Flex Air—equipping graduates for careers across emergency medical services, law enforcement, offshore energy, agriculture, corporate aviation and utility operations.
For more information, visit aviation.txst.edu.