“I was about 5 when I randomly went up to my mother and asked for a flight lesson.”
Ethan Bassis, ’25, recalls the youthful moment his passion for aviation took off.
“I remember coming up to her when she was cooking in the kitchen,” added Bassis, who grew up the oldest of three in Stony Brook, New York. “I had just finished watching some sort of video about an airplane, and for some reason, I was very intrigued by that.”
His “extremely supportive” parents quickly set up his first flight session, booster seat and all. “The flight instructor was next to me, teaching me how to land, and I said to the control tower, ‘Air traffic control, we landed!’ And because I’m 5 years old, everyone was laughing. But that was my first real taste of real flying, of real aviation. And that has catapulted me into everything I’m doing right now.”
Bassis set his sights high, and after earning his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate in high school, he is now a resolute aviation administration student at Farmingdale State College (FSC)—one of the largest collegiate flight schools in the Northeast and the only four- year aeronautical science degree program in the State University of New York (SUNY) System. He shares he chose FSC “because of the opportunity to be a leader” and “build a name for myself.”
“Farmingdale State College’s community allows someone to really excel, especially in aviation,” he added.
“I had Ethan as a student in his first semester at FSC, and it was clear from the start that he was a stand-out student,” said Department of Aviation Professor Jeanne Radigan, EdD, who noted Bassis’ impressive confidence and public speaking skills. “Ethan quickly rose to the rank of president in the FSC student chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). The chapter has flourished under his leadership. Ethan has taken advantage of every opportunity that has been presented. He is very driven and well respected by faculty and his peers.”
Through his involvement in the AAAE, Bassis has helped host several high-level industry professionals as campus speakers, including executives from Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, British Airways, JFK International Air Terminal, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“I love our club’s creativity,” said Bassis, who worked to expand the club’s board with new positions in marketing, advertising, and outreach. “Planning these beautiful events as a team has been very fulfilling. AAAE’s success has been because of our enthusiastic members, forward-thinking student leadership, and supportive advisors. And New York is home to so many fantastic aviators, so many amazing companies within aviation. We have several airports within just a 50-mile radius of Farmingdale. So, the most rewarding aspect has been the number of connections we have built between nearby corporations and Farmingdale.”
Also a member of FSC’s Student Government Association and the New York Aviation Management Association (NYAMA), where he acts as a liaison between NYAMA’s executive team and the College, Bassis recently completed an internship at Long Island MacArthur Airport and will soon be interning in Allegiant Air’s finance division.
“It's beyond the academics here. FSC prepares you for real-world careers.” Ethan Bassis, '25
“I’ve had internship opportunities, consistent job offers, have been able to go to conferences across the country, all thanks to the support that Farmingdale State College offers,” said Bassis. “So, it really is a testament that it’s beyond the academics here. FSC prepares you for real-world careers.”
Looking toward the horizon, Bassis plans to pursue a career in aviation management, where his talent and ingenuity can take flight.
“I love being in the cockpit, but in management I can create a vision,” he said. “Whatever I dream of, I can make it a reality. You have to reach for the sky.”
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