From the cover
New program takes o at Texas Woman’s University
BY JONATHAN PERRIELLO
What to know
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Texas Woman's University
TWU selected Grant to start and head the program after he helped start the aviation ight program at Tarrant County College in 2012 and served as the dean of aviation, business and logistics. A private pilot himself, Grant also brings decades of knowledge to the position with an aviation technology degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and experience in aviation maintenance at Delta Air Lines. Since taking the position at TWU, Grant has secured an FAA certi cation for the school—which is required for colleges to train pilots—hired an associate director and chief instructor for the program and established a partnership with the US Aviation Academy, which operates out of the Denton Regional Airport, Grant said. Through the program, students can choose a bachelor’s in aviation sciences with two tracks: professional pilot training or aviation management, Grant said. The professional pilot track is targeted to students interested in airline piloting, which requires certi ed ight instructor training. The management track is intended to certify students as commercial pilots while teaching ight operation management skills rather than instructor training. “If students wanted to y in the corporate or
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which are male. The enrollment is just shy of the 25 student cap, which mirrors the limit at most ight schools, Grant said. TWU leases planes from the academy funded through program tuition and tracked through logged ight hours, Grant said. “I am thrilled to see … a program that not only o ers innovative pathways in aviation but also empowers women ... in this eld,” said Lori Walker, Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce president. “[We’re] proud to support initiatives that strengthen our local economy and inspire the next generation of professionals.”
private industry or work for law enforcement, they wouldn’t need to become instructors, so the management track is for them,” he said. Students will study aviation sciences, which lay the basic framework for pilot training, at the university with US Aviation Academy instructors leading the ight instruction. Students spend time at both TWU and the Denton Regional Airport over the course of the program and have access to any available plane in the academy’s 70-unit eet at the Denton airport, Grant said. The program launched with 24 students, two of
The impact
The context
Onward and upward
The university program can take longer to complete than a dedicated ight school since students do complex coursework alongside ight hours and continue training after gradu- ation while working as certi ed ight instruc- tors, Grant said. Students can earn around 300 ying hours over the course of their degree. “As opposed to just hitting on … what you need to pass the exam, we have a full-blown course in aerodynamics, meteorology, systems, advanced systems and navigation,” Grant said. Pilots must obtain an Airline Transport Pilot Certi cation to y commercially, which requires 1,500 ying hours. Pilots graduating from a four-year program can apply at 1,000 hours, said aviation freshman Danah Alramahi. “Building up those hours is what holds back a lot of people, and college programs can help ... overcome that barrier, “ Alramahi said. A degree can also give people options to branch out within the aviation eld, she said. Having a program nearby also bene ts local students, Alramahi, a Coppell resident, said.
The U.S. aviation industry has long had a gender disparity among pilots. Over the last decade, the number of certi ed women airline pilots has grown around 1%, per FAA data. TWU sta said they hope the program can help combat the disparity, Grant said. “Some women want to become pilots, but maybe they’re intimidated by the [gender] ratio,” said aviation freshman Sydney Greiner.
Aviation program sta are working on creating a seamless transfer pathway into TWU for TCC aviation students. TCC’s program also operates in partnership with the US Aviation Academy and will provide the largest funnel of students, Grant said. Eventually Grant hopes the university has its own ight center at the airport and TWU-owned aircraft while running 250 students through the program at any given time, he said.
Male Female Estimated airline pilots nationwide
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TWU freshman Danah Alramahi (right) receives one-on-one instruction.
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KAREN CHANEY COMMUNITY IMPACT
2019 2020 2021 2022 2018 SOURCE: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT 2016 2017
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FLOWER MOUND HIGHLAND VILLAGE ARGYLE EDITION
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