75 Years of Aviation Education - A WMU Celebration

Published by Tom Thinnes on Wed, Nov 26, 2014

Seventy-five years of aviation at Western Michigan University and what the next quarter of a century will bring was celebrated Oct. 24 in Battle Creek.  As Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons said in that memorable song, “Oh, what a night” and what a night it turned out to be.

Some 400 friends of the program, alumni, faculty, staff and students of the WMU College of Aviation gathered to mark the program’s diamond anniversary in a huge hangar at W.K. Kellogg Airport, home of the college since 1997.

Among the highlights of the evening was the induction of the two latest members of the WMU College of Aviation Hall of Honor.  The 12th and 13th inductees were:

• Hall of Honor inductee—Dr. Curtis "Doc" Swanson, WMU associate professor emeritus of aviation sciences. Swanson, who earned a master's degree from the University, retired in 1999 after nearly 32 years of service to WMU aviation.

• Hall of Honor inductee—Clarence "Pappy" VanDeventer, WMU associate professor emeritus of transportation technology. VanDeventer, who is the author of an aviation textbook that was used nationally, served as a flight instructor from 1955 until his retirement in 1975.

Additionally, the evening saw the presentation of the 3rd Excellence in Diversity Award:

• Excellence in Diversity Award recipient—Albert Glenn, A captain for FedEx Express and member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Glenn is a past chair of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals Board of Directors and current member of WMU’s College of Aviation Advisory Board.

Receiving special awards from the Federal Aviation Administration were:

• Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award - Larry Traxler, a WMU alumni, pilot and aviation enthusiast was presented this prestigious award, recognizing pilots who have “demonstrated professionalism, skill and aviation expertise by maintaining safe operations for 50 or more years.”  Traxler took his first ride in 1940 at the age of 10, eventually earning his private pilot license on June 1, 1951.

• Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award and Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award - Robert Keller, a WMU alumni, former Army helicopter pilot, aviation maintenance technician and aviation enthusiast was presented both awards.  In addition to the Wright Brothers award, Keller was awarded the Master Mechanic Award, which recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics.  Charles Taylor served as the Wright brothers' mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft.  To be considered for the award, an individual must have worked for a period of 50 years in an aviation maintenance career.  Keller first began “wrenching” on planes in 1958, the same year he began his flight training.  In 1960, he started working towards his A&P when he enrolled at WMU, earning the license in approximately 1963.

The keynote speaker was Nicole Barrette-Sabourin, a staff member of the International Civil Aviation Organization that is part of the United Nations family of entities.

Barrette-Sabourin painted a rosy picture for the future of aviation as an industry around the world, with a couple of caveats.  Discussing the state of the global aviation industry, Barrette-Sabourin provided statistics highlighting the growth of the global aviation industry.  However, while demand in aviation will continue to grow, supply could become a limiting factor.  A lack of well-trained, professional pilots and maintenance technicians could impede the impending growth.  While pilots tend to get a majority of press, a larger limiting factor will be a lack of professionally trained mechanics and technicians who will build and maintain the spectrum of aircraft needed to meet the public’s demand.

WMU Provost Dr. Tim Greene offered a brief overview of Western’s linkage to U.S. aviation, from the dawning of the program in 1939 training aeronautical mechanics to its role in preparing fighter pilots in World War II to its emergence as a global resource nurturing the aviation industry around the world.

With a current enrollment of over 750 students, the college channels students toward careers in aviation flight science, aviation maintenance technology, and aviation management and operations.  To support some of those students, the College of Aviation used the opportunity to announce two new scholarships available to new and current students.

The family of the late Daniel Van Dyke, a 1990 WMU graduate of the flight science program, founded the Daniel L. Van Dyke scholarship.  Two $25,000 scholarships will be granted annually to students majoring in flight science and demonstrate financial need.

In recognition of the partnership the College of Aviation shares with Duncan Aviation, the new Duncan Aviation Inc. Aviation Maintenance Scholarship was also acknowledged.  This $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to a resident of Southwest Michigan pursuing a degree in aviation maintenance technology each year.

Each attendee also heard remarks from Capt. Dave Powell, dean of the College of Aviation and Dace Copeland, who chaired the 75 year celebration steering committee.  The guests also received a “coffee table” book, detailing the program’s history and a commemorative 75-year coin.

Paraphrasing “Doc” Swanson’s perspectives that he cited in response to his induction, everyone wants to hit a home run, to be like Chuck Yeager and be the first to crack the speed of sound.  It is okay to strive for major milestones.  However, those achievements are based on a foundation of what he called “minor” accomplishments that can be chalked up every day.  Little things do mean a lot.  The devil is in the details.  When added together, those do equate to the headline-grabbing accomplishments that fill history books.

Western Michigan University’s aviation program fits into Swanson’s paradigm.  Through its 75 year history, the program has continued to make impact after impact.  While many of these accomplishments tend to be footnotes in the overall history of the institution, when added together and summed up, the obvious becomes apparent.  Aviation at WMU is huge.  Much like the diamond represented in this anniversary, the College of Aviation is a sparkling example of perseverance, dedication and continued pursuit of excellence.  Upon reflection, the past 75 years have went by at the speed of sound.  Who knows?  Maybe the next 75 will go by at the speed of light.