Published by Scott Warner on Thu, Jan 10, 2013
Recently, there has been growing public dialog regarding a “looming pilot shortage” (USA Today recent article) due to a number of coinciding factors, all aimed more or less at making the airlines safer. A key element in making an airline safer is a proficient, well-trained pilot flying the aircraft. Producing that proficient, well-trained pilot is something Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation has been doing successfully for a number of years.
For many, many years young people have entered flight training programs (aviation schools such as the College of Aviation at Western Michigan University) to learn to fly. Some choose military flight programs, some choose civilian; both tracks teach those young people to fly in about the same number of flight hours, both to commercial pilot standards with the skills to fly in instrument meteorological conditions. But that is where the tracks diverge. While the military pilot can expect to be immediately assigned to a tactical aircraft, frequently a high performance tactical jet aircraft, the civilian counterpart is required to accumulate some number of additional flight hours of experience before being considered for the front seat of a transport category aircraft.
Why the difference? Put succinctly, much of the difference lies in the relative richness of the respective programs. Yes, military pilot candidates are extensively screened, tested and held to very high standards. Those who don’t meet the standards are not permitted to continue pilot training. Military pilot candidates are trained in aircraft that are highly reflective of the tactical aircraft they will later fly once trained. Civilian pilot candidates, on the other hand, may choose a number of pathways to certification, from a local airport operator using a 60-year old aircraft, to a highly structured and accredited 4-year baccalaureate program associated with a university. Some collegiate flight programs employ aircraft and aircraft systems that are highly reflective of the transport category aircraft that their graduates will eventually fly, just like the military programs do. Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation is not only one such program, but has been, for a number of years, the industry leader in that regard.
Western Michigan University employs the Cirrus SR-20 aircraft equipped with the Avidyne Entegra II avionics system, including an advanced digital autopilot, the DFC-100. Why? The reasons are many. For example, the Cirrus aircraft, just like transport category aircraft, is made from composites and is “slick”. Neither aircraft likes to come down and slow down at the same time, thus presenting the pilot with the challenge to manage their energy much more so than in older, traditionally used flight training aircraft. The avionics package was chosen specifically because it mimics in so many ways the avionics used in the modern transport category aircraft that Western Michigan University graduates will later fly.
When Western Michigan University leadership announced their intention to transition to the Cirrus aircraft with the advanced technology of the Avidyne avionics systems, the pundits said we could not expect our students to learn to fly in such an advanced aircraft, that the airlines would take whatever the collegiate programs produced, however they did so. We, our students and graduates, have proved the pundits wrong and, in so doing, we have created a reputation for excellence in providing the aviation industry with the proficient, well-trained and SAFE pilots the industry wants and needs.
If you or somebody you know is expressing interest in an aviation school, or in an aviation career, know that it is an exceptional time to enter the industry. Much research has been done with the aviation industry, and researching the career will definitely help individuals understand the need for aviation professionals in the coming years.
Western Michigan University is a highly regarded public education institution, consistently ranked in the list of top 100 national public universities. Its aviation school is exceptional and is ranked among the top three aviation schools in the nation along with world-wide positive reputation. WMU houses the best and most comprehensive aviation school in Michigan.
We highly recommend that individuals who are interested in an aviation school and career should download The Essential Pilot Career Guide with industry details and recent information. You can do that completely free by clicking the link below.