Forrest Reading practices on a flight simulator located on the Hillsboro Aero Academy campus at the Redmond Airport. Reading was preparing to get behind the controls of an airplane for the first time on the following day.

Forrest Reading was looking forward to getting behind the controls of an airplane for the first time.

“A little nervous, a lot excited,” he said on the tarmac of the Redmond Airport.

Reading is a new student at the Hillsboro Aero Academy, a private flight school with a campus in Redmond. He grew up in Pasco, Wash., and worked as a gate agent for Horizon Air.

Over the years, Reading would chat with pilots as they waited to board their planes in Pasco. He came to realize that he, too, could make a career out of flying. After talking it over with his wife, he decided to go back to school and get his pilot’s license.

“It’s a big chance and a big use of time and money,” he said. “But it’s gonna be worth it.”

Reading is exactly the kind of student the industry is hoping to attract. Historically, most airline pilots came either from the military or from a traditional four-year college. Many airlines required a bachelor’s degree, in addition to the numerous licenses required to pilot a plane. That’s an expensive proposition for young people and those considering a career change. It costs roughly most students roughly $70,000-$90,000 to secure all the necessary licenses and training required to fly a major aircraft.

“In the past, there were so many applicants and a degree was used to narrow the field,” said Nik Kresse, vice president of airplane operations for Hillsboro Aero. “Now, there’s a serious shortage of pilots and everyone is being creative about ways to fill those spots.”

Boeing estimated that major airlines will need to hire 645,000 pilots in the next 15 years — with 212,000 of those based in North America.

To meet the demand, Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines partnered with Hillsboro Aero to start the Ascend Pilot Academy. The academy aims to train 250 students a year and offers each a $25,000 stipend to cover the cost of a commercial pilot license. It also includes low-interest financial aid to help cover additional expenses. Students who graduate from the program get a conditional job offer at Horizon Air, with the opportunity to work for Alaska Airlines, once they have the requisite hours and training.

The the new program was crucial to Heidi Roth, who is midway through her education at Hillsboro Aero. Roth grew up in Salem, watching her father pilot a small plane for fun and recreation. She graduated high school and worked in health care for awhile, but always kept her eye on the sky.

She said the cost of getting all her necessary licenses felt overwhelming, and wasn’t sure there would be a job for her at the end of it. But last year she decided to plow ahead, after hearing about the pilot shortage and the new offerings to make school more cost-effective.

“It also makes the process more of a straight shot,” she said. “It was a clear route to getting the job.”

There are about 220 students at Hillsboro Aero in some part of the process — some getting their instrument ratings while other aiming for a full commercial pilot license. Roth and Reading are two of the first few to go through the Ascend Academy, but Kresse said they expect it to be a popular program for future students.

“We need a big scale up,” he said.

Kresse said Ascend will help the company increase capacity, as well as increase interest from prospective students. He said the company is putting staff and planes in place so they can continuously start new cohorts of students and begin moving them down the path toward becoming professional pilots.

“The more efficient we can be with their time, the more cost effective it is for them,” he said.

Kresse and Roth both said Central Oregon is a great place to learn to fly. There’s lots of great weather and beautiful views. Roth said she enjoys cruising around Mt. Hood and taking off over Smith Rock.

“That’s what you should do on your first flight,” she told Reading.