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Tag: aeronautics

Liberty University partners with Spirit in pilot pipeline program

Liberty University is partnering with Spirit Airlines in a pipeline program to land aeronautics graduates jobs as pilots amid a national shortage.

Spirit, a low-cost airline headquartered in Miramar, Florida, with presences at Richmond and Norfolk’s airports, announced the partnership Thursday. Liberty, which has an aeronautics school, is the 10th partner in the airline’s Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program.

“Liberty University offers a premier pilot training program designed to provide graduates with the skills to lead in the aviation field, and Spirit’s growth creates opportunities for those graduates to achieve their dreams with us,” Ryan Rodosta, Spirit Airlines’ senior director of flight operations and system chief pilot, said in a statement.

Liberty students pursuing an aviation degree can apply for the program after finishing their sophomore year and with a recommendation from a faculty member. If successful in Spirit’s interview process, they will receive a conditional offer of employment, mentorship and an electronic flight bag, which can help perform basic flight planning and offers digital documentation tools. After reaching federal minimum requirements for co-pilot certification, students must complete the Spirit-funded and approved airline transport pilot certification training program and jet transition course. Graduates who meet all the requirements will be offered a position as a first officer with the airline.

“This partnership is a major step in creating exceptional opportunities for our graduates, providing selected Liberty trained aviation professionals with a unique pathway directly to Spirit once they fulfill the necessary training and experience,” Rick Roof, dean of Liberty’s School of Aeronautics, said in a statement. “Spirit will gain access to pilots with exceptional technical skills and the character to be difference-makers in the aerospace industry, while Liberty Aeronautics graduates can become a member of the Spirit team where they will join a recognized leader in quality of life while flying some of the most advanced aircraft in the skies.”

Liberty did not immediately respond to requests from Virginia Business for more information.

The partnership comes as airlines face criticism over snarls that have caused travel delays across the country on several occasions in recent years, including from a national shortage of pilots that forced airlines to cut flights. An expected wave of pilot retirements was also exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which airlines offered early retirement and buyout packages in an effort to save money. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 16,800 openings for airline and commercial pilots annually during the next decade to replace those exiting the workforce, including retirements.

Averett students take flight at Danville airport

Times are changing at Danville Regional Airport.

Averett University became the airport’s fixed-base operator in July 2021, replacing General Aviation Inc., a family-owned business which served as the FBO for more than 70 years.

The city of Danville owns the airport and its fueling facility. The city’s chosen FBO pays the city for the privilege of providing services like fuel sales, towing and airplane maintenance and charging users for those services.

Danville City Council members had been debating whether to select a new operator since 2017. In November 2019, council members approved a lease agreement allowing General Aviation to serve as the airport’s FBO until
June 30, 2021, when the university would take over.

General Aviation could not be reached for comment.

“City Council considered all input and … recommended that Averett University assume that role with a year-and-a-half transition,” says Marc Adelman, Danville’s director of transportation.

So far, the changeover to Averett has been smooth, Adelman says. In particular, he credits Averett with hiring John Earl, who has more than three decades of airline industry experience, as FBO manager. “He literally rolls out a red carpet every time a pilot comes onto the ramp,” Adelman says.

While the airport doesn’t serve large commercial airlines, it averages 52 takeoffs and landings per day for everything from trainer aircraft to business jets, Earl says.

Operating as AU Aviation Services, Averett University pays the city $1,500 a month to lease space at the airport, as well as a fuel-flow-fee of eight cents per gallon of fuel.

The university’s aeronautics program is the leading consumer of the airport’s services, says Travis Williams, Averett’s chief flight instructor.

Averett has provided flight training since 1981. Currently, 105 students are enrolled in Averett’s aeronautics program and the university hopes to grow the program to 200 students by 2026.

The aviation program “is in high demand,” says Don Aungst, Averett’s vice president and chief financial and operating officer. “And we don’t think that demand is going to diminish at all.” (The U.S. Department of Labor predicts there will be 14,500 annual openings for airline and commercial pilots through 2030.)

By becoming the airport’s FBO, Averett can now offer its aviation business students real-world experience. Three Averett aeronautics students currently work for AU Aviation Services as line technicians.

“Our aviation management students now have the opportunity to learn about the industry hands-on,” Williams says.  

Leidos snags $292M FAA contract

Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor Leidos Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday that it was awarded a $292 million contract from the Federal Aviation Administration to design and develop a system to provide air traffic controllers with real-time access to essential weather, aeronautical and National Airspace System (NAS) information through a common display system.

Work on the project will be performed in Chesapeake, as well as in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Eagan, Minnesota.

“Our nation’s air traffic controllers keep the NAS safe, relying on the display of multiple data sources to perform their critical mission,” said Fran Hill, senior vice president of Leidos Transportation Solutions, in a statement. “Our job at Leidos is to help controllers do their work more efficiently. The new E-IDS will enable them to access standardized data, customize their displays and operate with two clicks or less.”

With 37,000 employees, Leidos reported more than $11 billion in revenue for 2019. The contractor ranks No. 311 on the Fortune 500 and has performed contract work for the FAA for more than 50 years.