The aviation program at the University has been steadily growing over the past four years. Christine Doering, the program’s marketing manager, said the program has 250 students. Since 2014, the incoming class size has increased by 67 students, with the incoming class in 2014 containing 21 students and the 2017 class containing 88 students.
Doering said the number of students in the program has increased, and the program’s fleet of airplanes has grown too large for its hangar space. The hangar holds eight airplanes, and the program currently has 13. Doering said the program is soon going to build a new hangar so they will no longer have to rent out space.
The University recently purchased a 152 Cessna, a smaller, slower plane, for the Falcon Flight Team. In December 2017, the flight team won the Safety Award from the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. At this competition, the team was up against teams from universities like Michigan State, Ohio State and Kent State. Doering said the team is just one of many aspects of the aviation program that makes it stand out and explains its growth.
“Our students really love the small class sizes.” She said the small sizes create a more personal atmosphere and ensure that each student gets the attention he or she deserves. Each class size is no more than 30 students, according to the program’s website.
Another feature that makes the program stand out is that it is one of only two in the nation which has its own airport on campus. Doering said some students at other universities have to drive 20-30 miles to get to an airport, but at the University’s program, students only have to walk 10 minutes to the Wood Country Regional Airport. The location is advantageous to students who need up to 1,000 hours of flight time to graduate.
Doering also said the new engineering program has been growing rapidly since it started four years ago. This new program could be another reason for the aviation program’s growth. When the engineering program started four years ago, it only had one student — now, the program has 14.
“The program is getting some notoriety out there, and I think once people start graduating and we find out what kind of jobs they’re getting, that will promote the program even more,” Doering said.
Another reason for the aviation program’s growth could be the availability of jobs in the piloting industry. Doering said that, since pilots have to retire at 65 years, the job market has many openings. Students with a small amount of interest in flying feel more drawn to aviation because of availability within the career, she said.
The aviation program has also seen success in its graduates. She said that, in the past four years, only two graduates have not gone into the field of aviation. The program has also had 100 percent placement for the past two years, which means all graduates have received jobs at an airline.
Patrick Rolle, sophomore, is an international student and a member of the flight team who was immediately drawn to the University’s aviation program.
“I always knew I wanted to be a pilot,” Rolle said. Rolle looked at multiple universities with aviation programs before choosing the University. There were many factors that lead to his decision to come to the University, one being how close the airport was to campus. He knew he would not have a car, so having the airport so close was extremely beneficial.
Another reason for Rolle was the quality of the airplanes, most being fairly new or recently refurbished. He said his parents were pretty happy with the airplanes — for safety reasons.
But Rolle’s main reason for attending the University was the atmosphere of the campus.
“All the reviews I read about BG, not just the aviation program, were about how much it felt like a family here. I see that especially at the flight center, it’s like one big family.”
