Davis Aerospace High School returns to airport campus with expanded aviation training
Davis Aerospace Technical High School is returning to its original home at the Coleman A. Young International Airport—a move that will once again give students access to the runway and hands-on aviation training.
The school, which offers free aviation courses including drone certification and pilot licensing, was relocated in 2013 while the city was under state management. Since then, students have been unable to obtain federal certification in aviation mechanics due to lack of airport access.
Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says the move is meant to correct a decision made under emergency management.
“We’ve gone about reforming the school district,” Vitti says. “Sometimes everyone’s quick to get rid of everything and say nothing worked in the past, and this was the complete opposite of that. This was about bringing something back that absolutely made sense and should have never been taken away from the district and the city.”
The airport’s three-level terminal will be converted into the school’s new campus, which is scheduled to open in fall 2026. The relocation is expected to allow the high school to expand its enrollment to 200 students.
Principal Michelle Davis says this year, nine students passed their FAA drone certification course, and four passed the written portion of the private pilot’s license test. With the move, those students will be able to fly next year—something the school hasn’t been able to offer since 2013.
The relocation will cost nearly $15 million, with funding split between the school district and the state.
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