WSU Tech in Wichita will be offering a two-year program beginning in August to train new pilots for the aviation industry.
The program was announced Wednesday by WSU Tech President Sheree Utash. She said graduates will be certified as FAA Part 141 pilots and they will earn an associate of science degree, and they will be eligible for five ratings from the FAA: Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine, and Certified Flight Instructor. The students will be required to complete a minimum of 235 flight hours, and they will begin that with WSU Tech’s new Cessna Skyhawk 172.
Textron Aviation is leasing the Skyhawk to WSU Tech as part of the Top Hawk program, which began in 2015. Textron President and CEO Ron Draper said the company has donated 26 planes to colleges and flight schools for up to a year to encourage growth in aviation and meet a need for pilots. More than 1,000 students have been trained under the program.
[ photo: WSU Tech ]
