By Breanna Shen
Staff Writer
RCTC formally announced its plans to defy gravity by adding a new two-year pilot training program, the Aviation Pilot Associate of Applied Science at a news conference on Jan. 24.
To make this program possible, RCTC is partnering with the local aviation industry and educational community. The Great Planes Aviation flight school is providing certified flight instructors, three Piper Archer III planes, and a Redbird MCX flight simulator, while the Rochester International Airport is supplying practice grounds.
The program begins this fall with a class of 24 students.
Students completing this 60-credit program will participate in both classroom and hands-on training. They will attend general courses, such as math and physics, and program-specific courses, such as air navigation and the theory of flight, in addition to receiving flight instruction.
The program will fully prepare students to take the Federal Aviation Administration exams and obtain a private pilotís license, instrument rating, an airplane single-engine land commercial pilotís license, and a flight instructor certificate.
Tuition, flight hours, lab fees, written tests and other expenses for the program will cost students approximately $75,000. However, financial aid/loans can help offset the expenses, and there can be a considerable payoff. Pilots face favorable job prospects and strong demand.
In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pilots pocketed a median salary of more than $110,000 in 2017. Airlines across the country are hard-pressed for new pilots, and there will be an estimated 200,000 more pilot openings throughout North America over the next 20 years, according to the Post Bulletin.
With this degree, the possibilities abound. For instance, students can transfer the associate degree to Minnesota State University, Mankato and finish a bachelorís degree, work towards becoming commercial airline pilots, or find employment as flight instructors.
For those anticipating this opportunity, RCTC will host information sessions about the aviation pilot program on March 1 and March 7, with details on the following website: rctc.edu/aviation.