Aviation Tech Programs Take Off at Victor Valley College
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It took years of planning and hard work‚ but Victor Valley College’s new aviation maintenance technology program is finally spreading its wings.
Graduates of the two-year program will fill a desperate need in the area for aviation mechanics who are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The beauty of this program is that employers out at the Southern California Logistics Airport can’t find enough certified airplane mechanics‚” says Nick Parisi‚ dean of career and technical education at Victor Valley College. The program will deliver ready-to-go workers to fill those jobs.
Victorville Aerospace LLC‚ for example‚ is a company that performs vital C-checks at Southern California Logistics Airport. It has had to turn away business – performing maintenance on jumbo jets – due to a lack of qualified avi ation mechanics.
VVC’s aviation maintenance technology program is expected to begin in late 2007‚ pending approval from the chancellor’s office and the FAA. If approval is not received in time‚ the program will launch in spring 2008.
All classes and labs will be at the Southern California Logistics Airport. No prerequisites are required‚ but officials recommend that students have basic understanding in math‚ physics and electronics. Mechanical ability also is helpful.
Students will be able to choose from three certificates – general‚ airframe and power plant. Content covers topics such as airframe inspection‚ aircraft landing-gear systems‚ fire-protection systems‚ hydraulic and pneumatic power systems‚ and ice- and rain-control systems. After completing the program‚ students will have the opportunity to take written‚ oral and hands-on tests to obtain FAA certification.
“There are all kinds of career opportunities available to students in the aviation industry‚” Parisi says. “You can work your career specializing in engines or go all the way up to the corporate management level.”
The aviation maintenance technology program was organized through a collaborative effort that included college‚ city‚ county and industry leaders. They pooled their efforts and resources into an organization called the Victor Valley Aviation Education Consortium to make this training and employment opportunity available in the High Desert.
“Everybody took a piece of the responsibility because no one entity could build this program on their own‚” Parisi says. “It was one of the best collaborative efforts I’ve ever seen.”
City‚ county and state officials even donated more than $700‚000 to renovate classrooms‚ create lab spaces and fully equip the labs according to FAA specifications.
VVC received a lot of interest and enthusiasm from prospective students long before the program was set to begin.
Early on‚ Parisi says‚ VVC already had a “four-page list of names of people who were interested in the program – both students and instructors.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Wes Aldridge
