State of the WMU College of Aviation - 2015
Published by Tom Thinnes on Thu, Feb 05, 2015
Happy New Year, although a bit late, to our aviation family and friends. I’ve got some really exciting updates to share with you and welcome any feedback or conversations you might like to have.
Dave Powell, Dean
EXPLORATION OF IPTC IN PUNTA GORDA, FL
WMU AGAIN HOSTS MBAA AND WMBAA EDUCATION INITIATION
IMPROVEMENTS TO POWER PLANT LAB
WMU HOSTS SKILLSUSA HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
EXPLORATION OF IPTC IN PUNTA GORDA, FL
Western Michigan University's College of Aviation is exploring the possibility of starting an international pilot training program in Florida.
We have identified a vacant waterfront building in Punta Gorda, Fla., that once housed a private college. It's less than five miles from the Punta Gorda Airport south of Tampa on Gasparilla Sound, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico, where flying weather is typically better than that in Michigan. The site could be used for an international private pilot training program, which we ended in Battle Creek about a decade ago after the 9/11 attacks prompted airlines to scale back their funding for training.
Demand for aviation professionals has increased as the industry has forecasted growth over the next 20 years. Aviation entities who we would interface with all have an interest in discussing this further, and potential expansion in Florida could bring a financial boost to both locations amid continued funding cuts. We estimate the program would be very small, with about 40 students in the first year. Any growth beyond that would be based on the market's demand.
We have been working closely with Charlotte County officials and visited the roughly 53,000-square-foot facility that would need some improvements after being vacant for a few years. Other space in the facility includes a 250-seat auditorium, ideal space for flight simulators and plenty of room for growth. This facility leaves room for the possibility of other programs that might expand to the Punta Gorda area. We will also require a hangar at the airport to store planes and provide pre-flight briefing rooms and flight operations for us.
Charlotte officials are also interested in working to create a strong local aviation industry in the area and there have been discussions to create an agreement between WMU and nearby Florida SouthWestern State College for a bachelor's degree program in flight mechanics
WMU AGAIN HOSTS MBAA AND WMBAA EDUCATION INITIATION
For the second year in a row, the Michigan Business Aviation Association and the West Michigan Business Aviation Association have chosen WMU’s College of Aviation to host their Education Initiative. Leadership from some of the state’s largest corporate flight departments will network with students interested in corporate aviation. This year the event will be held on March 3 in our hangar facilities and is being sponsored by Gulfstream. The initiative includes a presentation, mini-career fair for aeronautical engineering and aviation maintenance students, professional development mentoring for each discipline, and on display, a Gulfstream G650.
The purpose of this initiative is to encourage students to apply for corporate internships and scholarships, and to bridge the gap between graduation and business aviation. We are honored to have such generous corporate aviation partners in Michigan and look forward to working with them to create opportunities for our graduates in corporate aviation not ever seen before in aviation education.
IMPROVEMENTS TO POWER PLANT LAB
We are currently in the final stages of the upgrade to one of our maintenance training labs with a refurbished floor and multiple Snap-On workstations. Each station has three sections and there are multiple stations in the lab. In addition, the tool room has also been upgraded to be more efficient and a large toolbox, including aviation specific tools, has been supplied.
We believe these upgrades to our lab better reflect the quality of our program and we are looking forward to upgrading the structures lab very soon. Partners in the industry are being sought to provide financial support and equipment to aid in this upgrade.
Once the lab is complete, please plan on joining us during one of our events where the lab will be open for tours.
WMU HOSTS SKILLSUSA HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
The College of Aviation at Western Michigan University started a chapter of SkillsUSA in the fall of 2012. SkillsUSA is a national organization founded in 1965 as the Vocational Industrial Club of America (VICA). Its national membership totals 300,000 high school and postsecondary students and instructors. At the core of SkillsUSA are local, state and national contests in 99 different categories ranging from 3D visualization and animation to welding. The College of Aviation’s chapter of SkillsUSA participates in the Aviation Maintenance Technology competition. Each year SkillsUSA holds the National Leadership and Skills Conference where students compete for the national championship in their respective skill. In June of 2013, Andrew Kincaid won the national championship in the Aviation Maintenance Technology competition.
For the last two years the College of Aviation has held a contest in the spring to determine who will compete in the SkillsUSA national championship. In March of 2014, the contest earned the distinction of being the official SkillsUSA state championship for aviation maintenance technology. With that designation, Snap-On tools sponsored the event by donating tool sets to the top three finishers. The SkillsUSA state contest for 2015 is scheduled for March 27th and 28th at the WMU College of Aviation. This year we are opening the contest to high school students as well and are looking for volunteers. If you are interested and wish to volunteer for this event, please contact @email.