Des Moines Public Schools Central Campus Aviation Maintenance Program

Program Overview

This program fits Iowa high schoolers who want FAA-track aviation training and free college credit before they ever leave high school.

Central Campus's Aviation Technology Academy sits on County Line Road on the south side of Des Moines and is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students earn high school credit alongside college credit at no added cost. Coursework leads toward airframe and powerplant mechanic work, fixed base operator jobs, or piloting, and it stands as Iowa's only FAA-certified high-school-level program.

This is a high-school-level Part 147 program, one of 5 FAA-certificated schools in Iowa. Metro Des Moines employs about 130 aviation mechanics at a median wage of $59,100 a year, below the $79,870 national median for the occupation.

• Located at 205 County Line Road on the south side of Des Moines
• Only FAA Certified program at the high school level in Iowa, and the only high school program of its type in the entire Midwest
• Students earn high school credit while also gaining college credit at no additional cost
• Open to grades 10-11-12; prepares students for Airline Maintenance Airframe/Power Plant mechanics, Fixed Base Operators, and Piloting

As stated on centralcampus.dmschools.org

Des Moines Public Schools Central Campus is at 205 County Line Road, Des Moines, IA 50320. Compare it with every aviation maintenance school in Iowa. For schools within commuting distance, see aviation maintenance schools near Des Moines.

Annual median wage for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011), BLS OEWS May 2025. See the Iowa aircraft mechanic salary data.

The closest FAA-approved schools to Des Moines Public Schools Central Campus, by straight-line distance.