Program hosts information sessions for fall 2016 enrollment
FORT WORTH, Texas (May 23, 2016) – Tarrant County College graduated the first class from its Professional Pilot Program this week, helping meet growing demand in North Texas and beyond. Meanwhile, the College’s Aviation Department is hosting information sessions for prospective students in time for fall 2016 enrollment.
The two-year Professional Pilot Program allows students to earn Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications, licenses and ratings as well as transferable college credit. Students train at TCC’s Center for Excellence in Aviation, Transportation and Logistics (CEATL), located at Fort Worth’s Alliance Airport. At 163,500 square feet, CEATL is the largest aviation education facility in Texas.
The Aviation Department will hold orientations Tuesday, May 24, for those considering enrollment in the Professional Pilot Program. Individuals can attend an 8 a.m. session at the TCC Alliance Corporate Training Center (13600 Heritage Pkwy., Suite 100) or a 6 p.m. session at CEATL (2301 Horizon Dr.). While participants can pre-register by contacting joan.murali@tccd.edu, walk-ins are welcome.
TCC is the only institution of higher education in North Texas with professional pilot training. The program is offered in partnership with US Aviation Group and gives students a cost-competitive pathway to their career.
The College’s curriculum combines classroom learning with simulation training and in-flight practice. Students benefit from strong industry partnerships and instructors who have decades of experience in the air. Classes include Air Navigation, Aerodynamics, Aviation Meteorology, Aircraft Systems and Aviation Law, among others.
The first Professional Pilot class included 17 members, with each achieving an Associate of Applied Science or a certificate of completion. Graduates are going on to commercial pilot pipeline programs or careers as flight instructors, traffic pilots, dinner flight pilots and more.
Tarrant County is expected to have nearly 25 percent growth in employment of airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers between 2012 and 2022, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Employment of commercial pilots in Tarrant County is projected to increase by almost 20 percent in that time. The 2015 Pilot & Technician Outlook, an industry forecast produced by Boeing, states that an additional 558,000 new commercial airline pilots will be needed to fly the world’s fleet in the next 20 years.
TCC also offers programs in Avionics Technology, Airframe Maintenance and Advanced Composite Technology. For more information, visit the Aviation Department webpage.