The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Wesley Chapel church aims to extend God’s grace to others

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If there’s one thing that Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community Church, knows for certain it’s this — the church that he leads is physical proof that God is “able to do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we ask or imagine.”

Indeed, that’s part of a Bible verse that Olsen said summarizes the church’s entire quest to build a permanent home at 7107 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel.

Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community Church, said the building project has been blessed abundantly. He estimates that volunteers completed 50 percent of the labor, saving the church between $500,000 and $600,000. (B.C. Manion)

“This project was beyond us. It took more resources, more help, more finances than we could do on our own. But, we’re doing it because we want to reach beyond ourself to others — a church that’s for others,” Olsen said.

The church moved into its new home in July, but is hosting its grand opening celebration on Sept. 9, with services planned at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a free barbecue lunch at noon and a pizza night for its teen ministry starting at 6 p.m.

Olsen describes the church as a contemporary church, with some traditional elements.

“We’re a Good News church, not just good advice. The good news is that God loves you,” Olsen said, and that’s the central message of its ministry.

Building the 7,760-square-foot church required an army of volunteers, and, Olsen said, adding that by God’s grace, they showed up.

The property was acquired in 2014, the plans were done in 2015, the site preparations were completed in 2016. The ground-breaking service was on July 1, 2017.

“In most churches, a traditional groundbreaking is some gold shovels, a couple of pictures and everyone walks away. That was not this project,” Olsen said.

Volunteers from Carpenters for Christ help to build Grace Community Church in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Grace Community Church)

“We dug all of the footers on groundbreaking day. We had dozens of volunteers over the Fourth of July weekend. One of the church members had an excavator. Others brought shovels,” he said.

It took about 50 volunteers about six weeks to complete the footers, rebar and concrete forms, the pastor said.

Over the course of the entire project, about 250 volunteers pitched in, doing everything they were allowed and able to do, the pastor said.

He estimated that the volunteers completed about 50 percent of the labor on the project, saving the church between $500,000 and $600,000.

“We didn’t do mechanical, electrical, plumbing or even erection of the steel structure,” Olsen said.

Besides a core group of church volunteers, other helpers came from far and wide.

Crews from Carpenters for Christ, based in Auburn, Alabama, showed up twice to help.

Other groups of volunteers came from Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

A group of pastors helped. Boy Scout Troop 177 helped. And, a volunteer crew chief came down from Connecticut to provide guidance to volunteers from early January through late March, Olsen said.

“So many people did so much,” Olsen said.

Robert Whorley used an excavator to help dig footers.

“Just when we’d done all we thought we were able to do, somebody else would come, (and) somebody else was able to come – until it was finished.

“It was exciting. It was tiring. It was wonderful to see that God could do something beyond what we asked or imagined. What a joy to be part of something like that,” Olsen said.

The church building features a foyer that can be used for small gatherings, a sanctuary that can accommodate 200, a preschool classroom, the pastor’s office and other rooms.

Olsen’s wife, Heather, oversees the preschool that began operations in August.

“When I think of Grace Community, I think of a community of people who come from diverse backgrounds, but are committed to building a better community by God’s grace.

“We are not here trying to convince anybody that our church is more amazing than anybody else’s in town,” Olsen said.

“We’ve seen an amazing God do something amazing things, and we believe he can do that in their lives.

“There’s a tendency, right now in churches, on sermons that are success-based and that are good advice.

“We are a Good News church. We declare the historical Christian faith, God’s love. The gospel is central. Grace is what we are about.

“You can come here weary or broken and find help or find hope, find people who care,” Olsen said.

As the church moves forward, it intends to look for ways to extend God’s grace to others, through a variety of programs at the church and through outreach ministries.

And, while the church celebrates its grand opening, it also has plenty of space to accommodate future growth.

When that might happen isn’t yet clear, Olsen said.

That’s a matter of “God’s timing,” the pastor said.

Grace Community Church grand opening
When: Sept. 9, with services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., followed by a free barbecue lunch at noon. The Walk Student Ministries, for teenagers, will kick off its fall season with a pizza party from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: 7107 Boyette Road, Wesley Chapel
Info: Visit ExploreGrace.com, or call (813) 994-9363.

Published September 5, 2018

Townhomes approved off Willow Bend Parkway

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a rezoning to allow a townhome development on the north side of Willow Bend Parkway, about a half-mile east of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, in Lutz.

The rezoning allows up to 70 units.

Technically, the new zoning classification would allow apartments, said Denise B. Hernandez, zoning administrator/special projects manager for Pasco County.

However, that won’t occur in this case because, Hernandez said, “the applicant is proposing single-family attached homes that will be on fee-simple lots,” and “the applicant has agreed to record a deed restriction on the property for that to be the only principal permitted use on the property.”

The zoning change will not take effect until that deed restriction is recorded, the zoning administrator said.

Two area residents spoke against the request.

They cited concerns about adding traffic to Willow Bend Parkway, which they said already has so much traffic that it’s hard to get onto or off of the road.

They also objected to allowing townhomes to be built in an area where the predominant development pattern is single-family homes on single lots.

Commissioner Mike Moore said he’d heard from opponents to the project, but said they thought that apartments were being proposed on the site. He said he would have opposed apartments.

Michael Horner, a planning and land use consultant, represented the applicant, Dorothy Dahm Bard Trust, and the contract purchaser, Town Homes of Willow Bend LLC.

“My client wants to build high-end, single-family attached townhomes. These are three-bedroom, two-bath, two-story, 2,000 square feet, high-end furnishing,” Horner told commissioners.

The site has fragmented wetlands, providing the ideal opportunity to have clustered single-family homes with individual views of the wetlands, Horner said. The townhomes are expected to start at $300,000.

“They want views. They want the double-car garage. They want the tray ceilings. They want the quartz countertops,” Horner told commissioners. “They do not want to cut grass, maintain lots, on the weekend.”

Moore noted that the current zoning allows 70 homes to be built, and the rezoning will allow 70 townhomes. “It’s a wash,” he said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, agreed, noting the rezoning is not “a big change.”

Starkey made a motion for approval, which carried unanimously.

Published September 5, 2018

They jam on ukuleles — making music and new friends

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Bob Grindey provides vocals, as his wife, Gayle Grindey, strums her ukulele at the jam. Kent Linder of Carrollwood, far left, plays along as members jam on the back porch of the restaurant. (Fred Bellet)

You don’t have to be a skilled ukulele player, or a professional singer, to take part in the Ukulele Club that meets twice a month at Ukulele Brand’s restaurant, at 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Just bring your ukulele, your music stand and a singing voice to join in the jams on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

First-time players are welcome to join the club, which is a mix of seasoned ukulele players and newbies. Those who know the ropes help those who are just learning the instrument.

A recent jam brought together players of all experience levels, coming from Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Carrollwood, Hudson, Wesley Chapel and Dade City.

To find out more about the club, email Dennis Pashouk at .

Bob Register, left, of Wesley Chapel, along with Bruce Brand, center, (whose father, Ben, started up the business) read the music charts with Jeri Shafford, of Lutz, as they play another selection during a recent jam session.
Jean Trawatha, of Lutz, has no trouble playing along, as she and other club members make their way through the play list.
It may look like a matchup of dueling ukuleles, but all 20 members of the Ukulele Club are in harmony, as they play a piece by Bob Dylan.

Proposed rezoning for Ballantrae office park raises questions

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The Pasco County Commission has continued a request to rezone the Ballantrae Professional Center until Sept. 17, to sort out issues relating to the center’s current uses, the proposed zoning and who has authority to request the proposed zoning.

The center, on the south side of State Road 54 at the intersection of Hunting Bow Circle, in Lutz, is currently zoned as a PO-1 Professional Office District.

The request, by the Ballantrae Center Owners Association, is to change the designation to a PO-2 Professional Office District, which allows a wider array of uses, said Denise B. Hernandez, zoning administrator/special project manager for the county.

The county planning department and the Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning.

However, during the County Commission’s public hearing on Aug. 21, an owner of a condo office building within the development objected to the proposed rezoning.

And, that objection prompted a reaction from Commissioner Mike Moore.

“He owns the building. That’s not what he bought into. That’s not what he purchased. Who am I to tell him that he’s got to change his zoning for something he doesn’t want. I’m not going to back this,” Moore added.

Hernandez said the rezoning request is aimed at bringing uses on the property into conformance with PO2.

“Going PO2 allows them to do every single use in PO1 and then add some additional uses, including private schools, post office, government buildings, barbershop, beauty salons, flower shops, those type of things,” she explained.

A number of current uses on the property already fall under the PO2 designation, she added.

“We think it’s consistent with the character of the area, the existing area, and we’re recommending approval of the zoning amendment,” Hernandez said.

However, there is confusion over who has the authority to request the rezoning, and also about the site’s current zoning.

The office park is condo-platted.

A real estate agent working on a parcel came in and told the county that the development needed to be PO2 because there are PO2 uses there, Hernandez said.

Stacie Mixon, speaking on behalf of the management company for the office development, said “this property, in essence, was originally a PO1, then it was changed to a PO2 years ago.

“If you looked at the property appraiser’s website, all of these properties are zoned PO2 according to the website.

“One of the builders went to build and they were told by building permitting that it’s PO1,” Mixon said.

“A lot of the owners purchased under the assumption that it’s PO2,” she said. “Tenants are in there that are supposed to be in PO2.

“Now, we’re at a standstill,” Mixon said.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the issue wouldn’t be before the County Commission if the current zoning wasn’t PO1.

“The property appraiser is not the one who is in charge of zoning,” Steinsnyder said. “This board is.”

At one point, a portion of the office development was temporarily zoned PO2, with explicit provision that the zoning was temporary and was exclusively for Imagine Charter School, Hernandez said. That zoning was initially granted in 2008 and expired in 2012.

Imagine Charter School now has a permanent location on Sunlake Boulevard.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked whether an individual office condo building owner could decide if they want PO1 or PO2.

“We don’t want to shut down all of those businesses,” Starkey said.

Mixon said owners in the office park voted on whether to seek a rezoning to a PO2 and the majority agreed, but she did not have specific information about the vote at the public hearing.

Steinsnyder recommended continuing the hearing until Sept. 17.

“Without looking at the condominium documents, I don’t know who the legal authority to rezone this property really would be,” Steinsnyder said.

By delaying the vote, county staff will have a chance to get additional information from the opponent to the rezoning and from the applicants, commissioners said in voting for the delay.

Published September 5, 2018

Bexley borrow pit gains approval

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a request for a borrow pit to provide fill dirt for use at Bexley by Newland Communities, a master-planned community, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The development sought approval to operate the borrow to provide up to 1 million cubic yards of sand and dirt to be excavated and hauled over a period of four years.

The borrow pit will be reclaimed after the dirt hauling is completed.

The infill dirt will be used for internal uses at Bexley, but some of will need to be trucked across Tower Road, which is used by the public.

The borrow pit site is south of Tower Road, west of Sunlake Boulevard, and about half-mile east of Ballantrae Boulevard.

The borrow pit’s operating hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will not operate on Sundays or holidays.

The Pasco County Planning Commission recommended approval of the request, and the County Commission approved it on its consent agenda, meaning there was no discussion of the item, at its Aug. 21 meeting.

Approval also is required from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, also known as Swiftmud.

Published September 5, 2018

Sign up for lifelong learning

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September is Library Card Signup Month, a time when the American Library Association and libraries nationwide remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card can be the first step toward academic achievement and lifelong learning.

And, now is an especially good time to get a Pasco County library card as the library launches new services for residents.

The Pasco County Library System now has four new offerings, including two streaming media services, as well as wireless printing and Wi-Fi hotspots.

“We’re excited to continue to offer our patrons these premier streaming media services,” Bob Harrison, public communications specialist for the libraries, said in a news release.

New services include:

  • Freegal: free music service offering access to more than 15 million songs. Users can download up to three songs per week, free of charge, and stream up to three hours of music per day.
  • Kanopy: streaming movie service offering more than 30,000 feature films, independent films, foreign cinema, documentaries and kids’ movies. Movies also can be streamed at no cost.
  • Wireless printing and print-from-anywhere: Print from smartphones and tablets, or from a home computer or laptop. The cost is 10 cents per page for black-and-white, or 25 cents per page for color.
  • Internet-on-the-Go: Borrow a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to three weeks. The 4G LTE device is easy to set up, and can connect multiple devices, including laptops, gaming consoles and more.

All library services are available at no cost with a Pasco County library card, free at any branch.

Published September 5, 2018

A vision with a purpose

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Keep Pasco Beautiful has been named the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Non-Profit for 2018.

The award honors Keep Pasco Beautiful’s continuous efforts to engage the community in litter and waste reduction, while encouraging beautification.

(Courtesy of Pasco County)

“Our organization does amazing things in the community thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and partners who share our vision and passion,” Kristen King, coordinator of Keep Pasco Beautiful,, said in a news release.

“We appreciate the Chamber’s recognition and support,” King added.

Keep Pasco Beautiful coordinates and develops a variety of annual local-level beautification and cleanup events, often with ties to national efforts, including: Coastal Cleanup (led by The Ocean Conservancy), Great American Cleanup, Earth Day, and the Pasco Upcycle and Art Festival.

This year, Keep Pasco Beautiful is promoting the importance of trees while hosting a sapling giveaway in partnership with the Rotary Club of New Port Richey and the City of New Port Richey.

The organization also brightened the landscape at Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes, planting nine trees with the help of Sunlake Key Club volunteers and Covanta Pasco’s sponsorship.

Keep Pasco Beautiful was founded in 1992 and continues its mission with a small, but dedicated, team.

For information, visit KeepPascoBeautiful.org.

Published September 5, 2018

‘My job is to care for everybody,’ local pastor says

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Sometimes Jordan Kassabaum does a double-take when someone calls him “pastor.”

“I’m just not used to it,” said the 27-year-old pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes. “It seems surreal when I’m standing in front of a congregation.”

Kassabaum, a native of Dade City, was named pastor of the Land O’ Lakes church on July 1.

Jordan Kassabaum, pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Land O’ Lakes, wants his church to be an inviting place that cares for everyone. (Brian Fernandes)

He is gradually getting to know his new congregation.

“I’m astounded at just how many gifted people are here,” said Kassabaum, who leads a church established in 1959. “My staff are amazing.”

Currently, membership stands at around 200. Kassabaum would like to see that number grow.

The church leader said his title isn’t the important thing — and he doesn’t mind when members of his congregation call him by his first name.

It’s that casual approach he’d like to share with people outside of the church, as well, he said.

For instance, in the past, he has participated in such events as ‘Beer and Hymns,’ where folks gather in a brewery or bar to sing classic church songs. He’s also taken part in ‘Pints and Parables’ which entails sharing drinks while taking part in bible study.

Those are some ways that Kassabaum has tried to break down stereotypes about church, and show it in a new and refreshing light.

“My job is to care for everybody,” he said. “Most of my friends are actually not deeply religious people.”

Early beginnings
Kassabaum was born in Dade City, and grew up there, graduating from Pasco High School.

“I loved it,” Kassabaum said. “When you’re growing up in a place like that, it can seem very restricting. You can’t wait to get out, and you really don’t appreciate that quiet kind of life until you go off and see the rest of the world. Now there’s a certain kind of attraction to it.”

He came from a musical household. His father played the saxophone and his mother played the flute. That influenced him to join the high school band and to play the saxophone.

He enjoyed performing so much that he contemplated it as a career, but he decided not to pursue that because he didn’t want to turn something he loved into a chore.

Kassabaum said he didn’t grow up in a religious home.

On several occasions, he attended a Baptist church that his grandfather had helped to build, but he was not immersed in church life, nor obligated to hold any religious beliefs.

“My parents wanted me to make decisions for myself,” he said. “They didn’t want to impose anything on me.”

In school, he excelled in science and biology, and had a desire to help people in need. That motivated him to look toward a medical career.

Finding meaning in tragedy
Although his desire to help others sparked an interest in medicine, it was his father’s illness that compelled him in that direction. He was just 15 when his father died from brain cancer.

“That really set me on a path towards being just a doctor,” he recounted.

As he was coping with the loss of his father, he began questioning life in general.

It was then that a friend invited him to the First United Methodist Church of Dade City.

“I asked a lot of these tough questions,” Kassabaum recalled. “Is God real? Does God love me? Why do we suffer?”

The church and its congregation provided a place of refuge and solace.

When the pastor describes his spiritual journey to others, he said, he often describes it as both a moment of epiphany, as well as a gradual process.

The transitions he went through, he said, were “fundamental experiences.”

“I was lucky enough to be in a space where there were people who loved and cared about me. Who didn’t seek to fix me,” he said.

As he acquainted himself with the congregation — through bible studies and discussions —  he realized that he wanted to remain within the Methodist denomination.

Leadership skills through academics
Kassabaum’s desire to become a doctor took a turn as he began to feel that evangelism was his true calling.

“I don’t think anybody goes into ministry without having a sense of call,” said the pastor. “A sense that God has placed a task for you to complete.”

With that in mind, he enrolled at the University of Florida in 2009. He graduated four years later with a double major in religion and classical civilization.

In 2013, Kassabaum moved to Connecticut to continue studies at Yale Divinity School.

“It was interesting to be exposed to all sorts of different people and different ways of thinking,” said the pastor about Yale’s diversity.

He graduated in 2016 with a Master of Divinity, a standard degree which qualifies a minister to go through an ordination process.

He then returned to Florida, where he worked for two years as a missions intern and adult ministry coordinator.

New and present chapter
Now, he envisions his Land O’ Lakes church becoming a place which is filled with individuals ministering to others with their own unique set of gifts — gifts that not only contribute to the church, but to the community at large.

He already has seen their talents through Sunday school teaching, as well as mission and relief work.

Working with those within the church and inviting others to join, the pastor hopes that one day his congregation will mirror its community — diverse in age groups and ethnicities.

Bob Swan, the church’s facilities manager and a member for 25 years, said “Pastor Kassabaum has brought a wealth of new ideas, and it’s just been great.”

Kassabaum knows that leading a church is not a one-man job, and he’s grateful for his staff and congregation, who have rallied around to help.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience here,” the pastor said of his new home church. “I knew this was where God wanted me to be.”

Published August 29, 2018

Traffic signals on tap in Zephyrhills

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Pasco County officials are lauding a new traffic signal in Zephyrhills — for making a busy intersection a little less dangerous.

The fully operable traffic light at Eiland Boulevard and Handcart Road was installed in time for the 7 a.m., start of the school year on Aug. 13.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said the project has been “a main priority” for Zephyrhills and the county since he stepped into office in 2014.

Pasco County officials recently held an informal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new traffic signal at Eiland Boulevard and Handcart Road in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

“It was much-needed,” Moore said. “It’s a life-safety issue, so that’s what’s most important. We have to think about our citizens’ lives and their safety, and this is obviously done to stop potential accidents.”

It, too, has been on fellow County Commissioner Ron Oakley’s radar for some time.

He explained: “I’ve been here my entire life, so I know so many different people that this light affects. Before this light was installed, many accidents were happening.

“I can’t tell you how many people I’ve run across and said, ‘Thank you for getting that light.’”

Pasco County engineering services director Margaret Smith called the traffic signal “a definite, definite need” for Zephyrhills — labeling it “a good intersection control project.”

“Just watch (traffic) coming through compared to the craziness it was before — it totally controls the intersection,” she said.

Smith pointed out previous struggles for motorists to make left-hand turns east from Handcart onto two-lane Eiland Boulevard.

“I’ve been there all kinds of times of day, and it was very difficult. I think they needed to slow it down a little bit,” Smith said.

Such turns were also something Oakley experienced, as a nearby resident: “You can take a right turn here fairly easily, but you take a left turn and you’re taking a chance,” he said.

Along with the traffic signal, Eiland and Handcart had other improvements, including guardrails and road resurfacing.

Reflective pavement markings also will be installed at the intersection in about a month, officials say.

The Pasco County Commission approved the design plans for the project in 2016. Construction began in March 2018.

Before construction, the county completed a 30-day traffic operations study at the intersection to collect traffic data.

The analysis showed the traffic signal was warranted “based on Handcart (Road) southbound approach volumes and the amount of left turn vehicles turning east onto Eiland Boulevard.”

The study also found that two crashes occurred from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2013. The crashes “may have been prevented with the installation of a traffic signal,” the study found.

From Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014, the study also documented two angle crashes that occurred at the intersection.

Meanwhile, other traffic signals are coming to Zephyrhills.

A new signal is expected to be operating at Eiland and Geiger Road by late November.

A third is planned at Chancey and Coats roads. That signal will be operating in late October.

Oakley noted each of those signals are necessities to keep up with increasing traffic patterns: “The reason for these (roads) being so busy is our growth in our county. I mean, that’s great growth we’re having, and it’s a managed growth, so this is part of that management — managing traffic because it’s gotten bigger and bigger with the schools and the communities here.”

Published August 29, 2018

First female pilot earns private license in PHSC program

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The first time she steered a plane, Vanessa Baker was hooked.

It was that moment, on an introductory discovery flight, that she knew piloting was the career for her.

“The second you do it, you fall in love,” Baker said. “It was kind of like an addiction after, like you do it and once you’re like, ‘This is awesome! I want to do this again!’”

Baker, 24, is the first — and currently the only— female pilot student at Pasco-Hernando State College to have earned a private pilot’s license, through the school’s professional pilot technology program.

Vanessa Baker is the first, and currently the only, female piloting student from Pasco-Hernando State College to have earned a private pilot’s license through the school’s professional pilot technology program. She began taking classes in January and earned her first wings in July. She has about another year-and-a-half in the associates of science aviation degree program. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Baker’s interest in flying piqued after her father showed her a magazine about the PHSC’s new aviation department at the East Campus in Dade City.

A self-proclaimed “wild child,” Baker figured she’d give it a shot. She’s had fun ever since.

“Literally, every day I’m there, I have the best time,” she said of learning to fly.

Baker began taking classes in January and earned her first wings in July.

“I do feel a sense of accomplishment, like, ‘Hey, I was the first female to do this. If I can do it, you can definitely do it,’” she said.

Along with the designation at PHSC, Baker joins rare company nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports about 7 percent of all pilots are females, equating to about 42,000 total.

Even fewer are commercial pilots, which Baker wants to become someday.

Said Baker: “I definitely do think it’s interesting that it’s mostly a male-dominated field. I think that’s very weird. It doesn’t make any sense to me at all, and I think it would be really cool if that changed.”

Mark Aragon, PHSC professional pilot director, said other female students are enrolled in the PHSC aviation program, but have yet to get their private pilot’s license.

He also noted just 10 percent of all pilot students across each state college end up earning their wings, making Baker part of an “elite group.”

Aragon taught Baker her aviation ground school classes.

The instructor admits Baker struggled early on, but her effort and dedication has won out in a pilot technology program, which he said “is like drinking from a fire hose.”

“She’s going to be very successful,” Aragon said. “She has that stick-to-itiveness, that drive and desire that like, ‘This is what I want to do. This is what I want to be. I’m not going to let anything slow me down.’”

Private pilot license in hand, Baker is still seeking her instrument pilot rating, multi-engine pilot rating and commercial pilot license — all through the two-year professional pilot technology associates of science degree program.

She’s racked up more than 100 flying hours at the American Aviation Flight Academy at the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport. She needed about 40 hours to earn her private license.

At the academy, Baker trains in a Cessna 172, a four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft that cruises at 140 mph and reaches more than 180 mph.

She’s flown throughout Florida, passing over Naples, St. Augustine, Crystal River, Gainesville, Ocala and Crystal River, and even going as far north as Valdosta, Georgia.

The thrill of flying still hasn’t worn off, Baker said.

“You definitely feel alive,” she said. “I still look out the window when I’m flying, and I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I get to do this!’”

In between her busy class and flight schedule, Baker works as a phlebotomist at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, not leaving much room for free time.

“It’s a lot of work, but totally worth it,” Baker said. “I think this is probably the best decision I’ve ever made — definitely the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

The state college launched its aviation department last August.

It began offering two Associate of Science degrees in professional pilot technology and aviation administration. This fall, it began offering A.S. degrees in aviation maintenance administration and unmanned vehicles systems operations.

The two–year programs are designed for students interested in becoming private and commercial pilots or airport managers.

Other possible career opportunities include flight dispatchers, transportation security officers, various Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) occupations, aviation safety and aircraft manufacturing.

Pilot students, who receive more than 200 flying hours during the entire degree program, also train on the FAA-approved Advanced Flight Simulator Laboratory, located at PHSC’s East Campus. The simulators can be reconfigured to emulate all types of aircraft in any environment or weather condition, providing a realistic experience.

Besides flight training, other classroom topics cover meteorology, flight safety and security, flight theory, and aviation regulations, among others.

Baker and other PHSC aviation students seem to be entering the aviation industry at an ideal time.

A 2017 report by Boeing estimates airlines in North America are going to need 117,000 new pilots and more than 200,000 aviation mechanics in the next 20 years, as passenger and cargo airlines worldwide are expected to buy 41,000 new airliners through 2036.

And, retirements at U.S. airlines will start to rise precipitously starting in 2021 as the current crop of pilots turn 65, the mandated age of retirement. More than 42 percent of active U.S. airline pilots at the biggest carriers will retire over the next 20 years, according to a 2017 report by Cowen & Company.

In Florida, meanwhile, employment as a professional pilot is expected to grow by about 13.5 percent between 2016 and 2024, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).

Pilots in Pasco and Hernando counties typically earn entry level salaries of about $30,000 for a private pilot, and up to $104,000 for a commercial pilot, the FDEO says.

“The risk is worth the reward,” Baker said. “I think it’s a great thing to get into, and I don’t know why more people don’t do it.”

Published August 29, 2018