Focus on Education: Texas Woman’s and NCTC have their eyes on the sky

Photo courtesy of Texas Woman’s University

Texas Woman’s University and North Central Texas College are each making important moves to raise their aviation programs to new heights of visibility.

The Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences at Texas Woman’s University, in partnership with US Aviation Academy, signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to provide Initial Pilot Training for prospective pilots. 

The Air Force agreement will help meet the growing demand for pilots in that military branch, and will focus on flight training for officers, a Texas Woman’s press release stated. Training will be similar to the existing aviation program Texas Woman’s launched this fall. 

“It is an excellent opportunity for these officers to develop initial flight skills with the added bonus of receiving FAA certification and ratings,” stated J. Clinton Grant, director of TWU’s flight program, in the release. “Hopefully, this will help prepare them for the next phase of training in the high-performance aircraft they will fly in the military. I look forward to seeing these young officers on the flight line with our TWU flight program students.”

Training for the Air Force program takes place at the Denton Enterprise Airport. It started Oct. 28. For its part, the US Aviation Academy will train pilots to earn their FAA Private Pilot Certificate as well as Instrument and Multi-Engine ratings. 

“The Air Force recognizes US Aviation’s ability to train pilots to a high level,” stated Mark Mattison, US Aviation’s director of military operations, in the release. “With demonstrated professionalism, our instructors train pilots to the point they earn important FAA certificates. The instructors and staff at US Aviation understand the impact we will have on the Air Force’s ability to train pilots. We take the responsibility seriously.”

By adopting the IPT program, the Air Force is seeking to increase the number of pilots while reducing the time it takes officers to transition to advanced military aircraft and receive their wings.

“This is yet another aviation program the university is bringing to Denton,” Grant said. “TWU’s aviation program is already charting a bold new flight plan that reroutes the future for women in aviation.”

Separately, NCTC announced a partnership with US Aviation to offer an FAA-approved Airframe & Powerplant maintenance training program at the US Aviation Academy’s Denton campus. The collaboration students to earn both an associate degree and FAA certification.

The program is designed to meet the growing demand for highly skilled aircraft maintenance technicians in the aviation industry, an NCTC press release stated. Through this partnership, students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, experienced instructors and a curriculum aligned with FAA standards. Graduates will earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology and be eligible to test for their FAA A&P certification, enabling them to work on both airframes and powerplants.

Students enrolling in the program will benefit from hands-on training in US Aviation Academy’s cutting-edge maintenance hangars in Denton, giving them direct experience with aircraft systems, diagnostics, and repair techniques, the press release stated. Students will receive classroom instruction, technical training, and practical experience in both airframe and powerplant systems.

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