Aeropro announced Friday that it is establishing an Aviation Center of Excellence at Craig Field in Selma, but what kind of programs will that bring?
Aeropro has been responding to a national need in aviation for more pilots and more airplane mechanics through its flight school at its Gulf Shores location. But it wants more space to grow the aviation school and maintenance arm and has leased a hangar at Craig Field.
“There’s a tremendous need for pilots. It could take 10 years to fill all ranks (at airlines),” Aeropro COO Robert Baird said. “We work with two (airlines) to train mechanics and 1,500 new pilots per yet to fill vacancies. It’s a huge industry.”
Craig Field will be home for their Aviation Center of Excellence that will have a Part 141 flight school and courses for Airframe & Powerplant aviation mechanics. Known as A&P in the industry, this is a two-year apprenticeship program that is FAA approved and certified.
Aeropro is partnering with a local college to teach that course, but that partner has not been announced yet, Baird said.
A disassembled plane has already been placed in the hangar at Craig for the class to reassemble and then fly it out of Selma when the class is completed, Craig Field Executive Director Jim Corrigan said.
Bringing a big training school to Craig Field is like coming full circle, Corrigan said. The airport started out training pilots as an Air Force base from World War II to 1977. Corrigan was one of the young fighter pilots who trained at Craig in the 70s.
“Now we’re back in the training business,” he said.
It is unclear how many students will be coming to Selma for the academy, but plans are to house them at a dorm that is being renovated at Craig. The school for air traffic controllers operated by Advanced ATC also needs dorm space.
Corrigan said another hanger is available to house a business like Aeropro and Advanced ATC.
“Now we have another hangar open and are looking for more business,” he said.
Aeropro also will be a certified Cirrus service center, so owners of that make of aircraft will be flying their planes to Selma for service and repairs.
Baird said Aeropro will move its military contracts to Selma, which includes training U.S. and foreign military pilots and teaching military mechanics. They will also offer aviation safety courses and classes on life support equipment.
Aeropro is also going to provide pilot education for cadets at Marion Military Institute. MMI has offered pilot courses for years internally but will shift education to Aeropro under contract and out of Vaiden Field in Marion.
“It will be a small Fort Rucker here,” Baird said, referring to the headquarters of Army aviation near Dothan.
More information is available at Myaeorpro.com.
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