Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Verdin and Supervisor Paulding, Arroyo Grande High School will soon offer a new aviation career and technical education program. While we applaud the addition of this valuable educational program, we take issue with the claim that it depends on the Oceano Airport or that it benefits the Oceano community. This assertion is a misleading effort to justify the continued operation of an airport that primarily serves a small group of out-of-town private pilots.
Upon closer examination, the “You Can Fly” program is primarily a classroom-based curriculum that does not require access to an airport. Only advanced coursework might include the use of a flight simulator or small drone. Materials needed to complete the course cost $1,500 and $2,000 and can be purchased at any big-box store.
So what’s the role of the Oceano Airport in this program? Field trips? We assert that any student interested in aviation would benefit far more from a visit to the San Luis Obispo Airport, which features daily commercial operations and comprehensive aviation services. In contrast, the Oceano Airport sees minimal activity and offers little meaningful engagement for students.
We are not opposed to the CTE program, but we object to the misinformation surrounding its supposed connection to the Oceano Airport and benefits to the Oceano community. Those 60 acres of valuable coastal land might serve Oceano better as a park, soccer fields, community gardens, wetlands, and more. In fact, in December 2023 the California Coastal Commission directed SLO County to conduct an independent land use preference study and vision plan of the Oceano Airport. So far, the county has done nothing to meet that request.
Oceano Beach Community Association
This article appears in Winning Images 2025.
Bahahaha, I’m not surprised but the ridiculous efforts put forth by this insane group of people formerly known as the Oceano advisory council, who were disbanded for horrible conduct and overstepping their bounds. Even thinking you were above the law and tried to shut down the Oceano airport. Keep up with the ridiculousness, it’s quite entertaining. I’ll keep commenting so people who aren’t familiar with you can do their own research on you and your extremism. Just look up Oceano advisory council on you tube folks. This is the same group just reorganized under a different name because they were disbanded by the Board of Supervisors.
Adam Verdin here — I appreciate the enthusiasm for the new aviation CTE program at AG High, but a few key clarifications are needed.
First, this program wouldnt exist without support from Lucia Mar staff, airport personnel, and groups like Friends of the Oceano Airport, whove long connected aviation to our community.
Second, while the AOPA curriculum begins in the classroom, real exposure to a working airport is critical especially for students new to flight. Oceano Airport provides that access right here at home with no TSA lines, no terminal congestion. Saying students dont need that is like teaching music without ever picking up an instrument.
Third, this program directly benefits South County students. Its public education, not a private pilot club. I grew up three blocks from this airport. I earned my pilots license at 17 because this community believed in young people. That little runway helped launch my future and it can do the same for others.
This airport already serves our community, and the Board of Supervisors unanimously affirmed it should stay. This should be about opportunity–not opposition,
We can have aviation and open space. Lets not pit one good thing against another.
According to the 2022 Cal Poly Land Use Preference Study 44% of Oceano residents oppose the airport; 22% support it; and 22% don’t have an opinion. This is the most scientific survey ever done in Oceano. The forty year old Oceano Advisory Council did a fantastic job for the community and was proactive in advocating for County action on long recognized community issues like a lack of safe streets; inadequate sidewalks ; lack of safe routes to schools; street and residential flooding; environmental and economic injustice due to our beach being a vehicle highway; and the proliferation of vacation rentals which removes homes from the rental market and drives up the costs of rentals. These actions rubbed conservative MAGA Supervisor Compton the wrong way and she retaliated. She chose to not discuss or dialogue with the Advisory Council, refused to attend our meetings, and basically ignored Oceano, other than her special interest supporters. The Advisory Council did raise questions as to whether an airport was the best use of 60 acres of prime land when it comes to the needs of Oceano residents (eg, housing, recreation facilities, flood protection; commercial space, etc) These are very legitimate and reasonable questions–and 44% of Oceano would like to hear the answers.
Charles always likes to refer to this Cal Poly study. Well, this study was done in 2022 and only 275 households were surveyed. 44 percent of the survey would be around 121 households which equals about 4.6 % of the households in community of Oceano. I do not think that this is the most scientific study done with so little of the population surveyed.
He also likes to blame Lynn Compton for the council being unrecognized after 40 years, well there were three other supervisors that also thought that they were overreaching and acting outside their means and voted to unrecognize the Oceano Advisory Council.
But by Charles posting his negativity here regarding the new aviation program diminishes the hard work that not only Mr. Verdin has put in to developing this amazing new program for the students in Lucia Mar but also all the other amazing people who put in so much work to make this program come about. This program will allow students to have an amazing opportunity not only as scholars but also in future careers.
Varni believes the airport is racist to Latinos.
The issue is – are parents and students being told the truth? Recent reports greatly exaggerate the importance of the Oceano airport to this program. Students will simply not be given free flying lessons or obtain a pilots license with this program. In fact no one has been able to give any specific information on exactly how the Oceano Airport (with dismal little activity) would be used or how the program would benefit the community of Oceano. There are no guarantees any students from Oceano would even take the course. And how many could go on to afford private flying lessons? This valuable student program should receive strong support. The mis-information connecting it to the Oceano Airport is deceiving and should be corrected.
Charles Varni… isn’t he that wife swapping, swinger pervert left over from the 1960s? Not sure, I thought he published a paper about that way back in the wild and crazy 70s, before most of us were born. But enough about Boomers that only care about themselves; I am sure that most people do not understand the positive financial impact of an airport. That person from out of town that flies in and stays at Oceano airport spends money at hotels, restaurants and shops. Not everything about exposing young people to airports is about getting them to be a pilot… lots of people make money supporting aviation: mechanics, air traffic controllers, restoration shops, airport personnel. If a kids family member does not work in that field… how are they supposed to learn about job opportunities in aviation? Good paying jobs with benefits. And yes, big fences and TSA security keep kids that want to see airports and planes from getting within eye sight of all the cool stuff at an airport, even a small airport.
Lloyd Massey
airport supporter
I dont have a problem with an aviation history course at AGHS and imagine that some students will find it an interesting elective. However, Mr Verdins assumption that students will become private pilots as teenagers and follow in his footsteps (that little runway helped launch my future and it can do the same for others) sounds like a fairy tale. Where will Oceano teenagers find the $12,000 it takes to complete 40 hours of inflight training with a certified instructor? And if they did have the money I imagine they would buy a car with it.
Mr. Verdin clearly dodges Ms. Ernsts call for some tangible proof that the airport benefits the community of Oceano. Where is the data on how many pilots spend any money in Oceano on hotels or food? Where is the balance sheet on annual operations profits and losses at the airport? And, IF there is any profit it all goes to County, not to Oceano. And, how much revenue to the County and community would be generated if the airport land contained housing, businesses, and camping facilities?
Mr Verdin asserts that students need real exposure to a working airport. That would not be the one in Oceano which has not a single Fixed Base Operationother than a self serve gas pump. Kids will be wild to see that! SLO Airport is a gold mine of Fixed Base Operations including private and commercial air flights; aircraft operations and maintenance; radar; instrument navigation; a control tower with air traffic controllers, etc, etc.
Finally, why is there no mention of the fantastic, nationally recognized, Airframe and Power Plant Certification two year training program at Cuesta College? ACI Jet Services, a multi million dollar business at SLO airport, initiated this program with Cuesta in order to have more certified employees. An eighteen year old can go to Cuesta for two years, apply themselves and work hard, achieve their FAA certification and get a technician/mechanic job that starts at $70,000 a year. To me, that sounds like a pathway to success available for every kid in Oceano that wants to give it a try. Its more tangible, practical, and cheaper than a private pilots license at 17and think of the gas money and plane rental costs to take your sweetheart on a date!
With all the money a FAA certified technician/mechanic makes he or she could afford to pay Mr. Verdin, a certified pilot instructor, the $12,000 to get a pilot license. In closing, a senior manager at ACI told me that Oceano Airport had no role or relevance to the training program they support at their facilities in SLO and it would never be anything but a private pilots small airport.