Draft:Parkland College Institute of Aviation

The Parkland College Institute of Aviation is a public FAA Part 141-approved flight school operating out of Willard Airport in Savoy, Illinois, United States. The school is affiliated with Parkland College, a community college in Champaign, Illinois.[1]

Transfer of Ownership

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Parkland College's flight institute opened its doors to students in fall 2014[2] after the University of Illinois Institute of Aviation in Urbana, Illinois, which had been in operation since 1945,[3] closed its flight-training program.[4] Under a three-year agreement established in September 2013, the university transferred ownership of its institute to Parkland College for continued flight training; by fall 2018, the former U of I institute had become a permanent academic program at Parkland College.[5]

Operations and Academic Credentials

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Leasing most of its aircraft and airport facilities from the University of Illinois, Parkland College maintains a training fleet that includes 12 Piper Archers, four Piper Arrows, two twin-engine Piper Seminoles, two Cessna 152s, and one Xtreme Decathlon aircraft.[6]

Parkland College Institute of Aviation awards a two-year degree in Aviation as well as various levels of FAA-approved pilot certifications.[7] As an FAA Part 141-approved program, the institute trains students for the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) license.

A.S. Degree. The Institute of Aviation's Associate in Science in Aviation is a transferable associate degree through which students may enter a four-year college to complete their bachelor's degree. Parkland's institute maintains transfer agreements with Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Lewis University, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and Western Michigan University.[8]

Certifications. Along with its degree option, the institute offers flight courses for obtaining a private pilot license, instrument rating, commercial license, multi-engine rating, CFI, CFII, and multi-engine instructor (MEI, part 61). It also offers a basic and advanced certificate in unmanned aircraft systems.[9]

Course options at the Parkland College Institute of Aviation are listed in the Parkland College Catalog.

Enrollment and Scholarships

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The Parkland College Institute of Aviation enrolls approximately 100 students annually. Students from Parkland College and the University of Illinois who are interested in flight training may take courses from the institute even if they are pursuing another field of study.[10] Additionally, Parkland College offers student scholarships for flight training.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Explore".
  2. ^ Des Garennes, Christine. (September 18, 2013.) “Parkland OKs aviation agreement with UI,” https://www.news-gazette.com/news/parkland-oks-aviation-agreement-with-ui/article_e1a95156-1e92-5f7b-8fe7-38680136da7a.html. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Institute of Aviation Grants File, 1958-1985 | University of Illinois Archives https://archon.library.illinois.edu/archives/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=11641. Retrieved 2024-7-22.
  4. ^ Wood, Paul. (July 21, 2011.) “Trustees vote to close UI Institute of Aviation,” https://www.news-gazette.com/news/trustees-vote-to-close-ui-institute-of-aviation/article_2be4c2bc-3b67-5ad0-8697-cc3134b35f6b.html. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  5. ^ Kacich, Tom. (March 22, 2018.) Former UI Institute of Aviation now a permanent program at Parkland, https://www.news-gazette.com/news/former-ui-institute-of-aviation-now-a-permanent-program-at-parkland/article_7bbc0975-5f37-5d20-bcf8-f00df6d146e0.html. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "Facilities & Fleet".
  7. ^ "Academics".
  8. ^ "Partnerships".
  9. ^ "Academics".
  10. ^ "Why Fly?".
  11. ^ "Aviation-Specific Scholarships".