Sen. Katie Britt visits Tuskegee to announce federally funded flight school program
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Sen. Katie Britt took a trip over to Macon County last week for a meeting with Tuskegee University President Charlotte Morris.
The pair discussed plans for the new Tuskegee Aviation Program, a flight school that will be supported by $6.7 million in federal funding that Britt sponsored. Tuskegee plans to launch the program this fall, though the proposal first needs approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
It's unclear when the flight school plan will go before the commission for a vote, but Tuskegee is already planning to launch the program in fall 2024. Currently, the school plans to accept 25 students into its inaugural class and gradually grow the program from there.
“We look forward to starting the program this fall after our proposal to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, our accrediting body, is reviewed," Morris said. "This program will create opportunities for young aviators who dream of spending their lives soaring through the skies – here and around the world. I think General Chappie James and Captain Alfred Anderson would both be proud.”
Among Tuskegee's notable contributions to history are the Tuskegee Airmen, the men who trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field to become the first Black flying unit in the U.S. military. James and Anderson were both part of the historic group.
Leaders at Tuskegee said the decision to start a flight school was majorly inspired by the area's history.
“The most exciting part is the opportunity to train our students to become pilots,” said university provost and vice president Keith Hargrove said in a statement. “In the tradition of General Chappie James and the Tuskegee Airmen, we will continue the legacy of excellence in aviation.”
The other motivation is the ongoing pilot shortage. The International Air Transport Association expects a global pilot shortage of around 85,000 by 2032, according to Fortune, and Tuskegee wants to help fill that void.
Hargrove said part of Tuskegee's strategic plan revolves around identifying academic programs "in high demand for industry and for the workforce.” In this instance, flight schools is one of them.
Tuskegee is partnering with Republic Airways' LIFT Academy to create the curriculum.
Students in the program will be able to earn flight hours in the same place where the Tuskegee Airmen once flew. Before they reach that stage, though, students will take a general education core and numerous aviation science courses in aerodynamics, aircraft structures, aircraft propulsion, performance stability, control and meteorology.
By the end of the program, each student will obtain a bachelor’s degree in aviation science.
Hadley Hitson covers children's health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Tuskegee University to open new flight school with federal funding
