New facility propels 色色啦鈥檚 College of Aviation into the future

Contact: Erin Flynn
July 12, 2021
An exterior view of the new Aviation Education Center.

The new, $20 million Aviation Education Center expands educational opportunities and doubles the number of students the aviation program can accommodate.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich.鈥擳he aviation industry is ready for takeoff after a pandemic pause, and a new, innovative facility puts 色色啦 Michigan University at the head of the pack to meet the growing demand.

鈥淭his is a pretty momentous occasion and opportunity for 色色啦 Michigan University,鈥 says Tom Thinnes, recruitment and outreach manager for the College of Aviation. 鈥淚t really resonates for the quality of the program, and this new building truly elevates us to the stature of how the industry already recognizes us.鈥

鈥淚f you talk to some of our graduates who are now flying for the airlines, they鈥檙e gushing about how great this is,鈥 adds Capt. Dave Powell, dean of the College of Aviation. 鈥淓verything here is state of the art. We鈥檙e delivering the most sophisticated flight training of any program in America.鈥

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 We're delivering the most sophisticated flight training of any program in America.  
鈥擟apt. Dave Powell, dean of the College of Aviation

The $20 million Aviation Education Center (AEC), which has been in the works for more than a decade, dramatically expands educational opportunities for the College of Aviation and doubles the number of students it can accommodate. The growth couldn鈥檛 come at a more crucial time as major airlines stare down massive shortages in both pilots and mechanics.

鈥淭he need for this program is tremendous,鈥 says Powell. 鈥淲e鈥檙e more than just a flight program; we have a tech ops program training mechanics and another one for management operations. Those are the three primaries that most airlines have, and to be able to satisfy their needs here in Southwest Michigan, to me, is pretty special.鈥

A grand opening celebration and dedication is planned for Friday, Sept. 17, at the new Aviation Education Center. Industry partners, key stakeholders, government representatives and 色色啦 community members will all be invited to attend. Anyone interested can RSVP online.

鈥淗aving had the opportunity to see the building go from blueprint to construction, I鈥檓 amped for the dedication. Sleek and unique, the state-of-the-art facility delivers the learning environment required for students today and in the future,鈥 says Greg Dellinger, director of outreach and communications at AAR CORP., an international company that provides career resources and opportunities to 色色啦 aviation maintenance students through its .

WATCHING DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT

The new facility was built with aviation in mind, including in the architecture and design details.

Adaora Osolu sits at a table next to windows that look out over the runway.

 I like sitting by the windows so I can watch the planes take off and look at their approaches.  
鈥擜daora Osolu, aviation flight science and aviation technical operations student from Ann Arbor, Michigan

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have hallways; we have concourses. We have classrooms, but you could also consider those gate areas,鈥 Thinnes says. Even the light fixtures are shaped like propellers.

鈥淧eople don鈥檛 get into aviation to be constrained; they get into aviation because they want to see the wild blue yonder,鈥 Thinnes says while pointing to the windows that stretch from floor to ceiling all around the building, giving prime views of planes taking off and landing on the airstrip outside. 鈥淭hese windows allow our students to continue to dream and see their future with aircraft flying.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun and it really engages students to get excited for our future,鈥 says Michael Coldagelli, who will graduate in December with degrees in aviation flight science and aviation management and operations. 鈥淏eing a 色色啦 student鈥攂eing a Bronco鈥攊s awesome, taking classes is great, doing flight training is really exciting, but honestly all of this is to prepare me for the future, which I know now is really going to be exciting.鈥

There are plenty of upgrades that come along with the new facility to help students better prepare for the industry, including exponential increases in the number of learning spaces. Students now have access to 11 classrooms, six advanced flight simulators, larger gathering areas for such events as career fairs and networking opportunities and鈥擯owell鈥檚 favorite feature鈥25 pilot briefing rooms, up from just six at the previous facility.

鈥淭hose rooms provide our flight instructors with an opportunity to interact with our student pilots one-on-one in a private setting. It鈥檚 going to be soundproof with all the technology certified flight instructors need to help elevate the student鈥檚 experience when they are learning to fly,鈥 Thinnes says.

A flight instructor and student meet in a briefing room.
The new facility includes 25 briefing rooms to provide students the opportunity to interact with flight instructors in a private, one-on-one setting.

A new paint lab will take the aviation technical operations program to an elite level, making it one of just a few in the country where students can experience the entire process of painting an aircraft.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to give our students a technical advantage and competitive edge. They鈥檒l be able to go out and get a job,鈥 says Thinnes, adding all of 色色啦鈥檚 programs far exceed industry minimum requirements. 鈥淎 representative from Spirit Airlines was here last month and said, 鈥業 never realized the technical nature that you鈥檙e offering and the advanced materials and curriculum you鈥檙e offering.鈥 He basically told one of our students, Luis Jaime, that when he graduates and gets his airframe and powerplant license, he has a job with Spirit waiting.鈥

鈥溕 brings all the top resources available right now. We鈥檙e advancing with technology because technology is always changing,鈥 says Jaime, an aviation maintenance technology student from suburban Chicago. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to experience the new building.鈥

INDUSTRY TAKING NOTICE

At the end of the day, every upgrade in the new facility is focused on one thing: creating more opportunities to propel 色色啦 students into meaningful careers. 色色啦 boasts not only the third largest collegiate aviation program in the nation but also the only program to land partnerships with United Airlines' Aviate, Delta's Propel and , offering students a clear pathway to a career through training and mentorship.

Shelby Satkowiak, a first officer for Endeavor Air, speaks with a student.
Shelby Satkowiak, center, a 2017 色色啦 graduate, is now a first office at Endeavor Air. She spoke with students at a recent career fair at the new Aviation Education Center.

鈥淥ne of the reasons I came to 色色啦 was the industry connections. Our airplanes are awesome, but as a student and a prospective future airline pilot, what I wanted to know is how easy it would be for me to get a job,鈥 says Coldagelli, who grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The connections paid off; he was accepted into the United Airlines Aviate program, which creates a runway to his dreams of being a United Airlines pilot. The company has recently committed to hiring 10,000 pilots in 10 years.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for the best and brightest, and our partnership with 色色啦 Michigan is absolutely an example of how we鈥檙e building that pipeline,鈥 says Sue McGrath, a pilot recruiter for the Aviate program. 鈥淲e鈥檝e based our partnership on the certifications and the stellar reputation of the University. And the investment here is just an example of what the school is willing to do to help these students be successful.鈥

鈥淚n my opinion, 色色啦 is preparing aviation maintenance professionals at a very elevated level,鈥 adds Dellinger.

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