to become professional pilots, change careers, or pursue undergraduate education while training professionally,” notes Strom. This adaptability is particularly valuable as the commercial aviation sector continues recovering from pandemic disruptions. Boeing’s 2023 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects a need for 649,000 new pilots globally over the next 20 years, with North America alone requiring 128,000, making Saint Francis’s program a timely response to a critical industry challenge. HANDS-ON INNOVATION While the flight training program took off in 2017,Saint Francis University expanded its aviation education portfolio in 2022 with support from the Appalachian Regional Commission.“The grant was purely for the Aviation Maintenance Program,” Strom notes. This funding acknowledged the strategic importance of technical training in a region traditionally associated with manufacturing but increasingly diversifying into aviation-related industries. The program’s curriculum adheres to Federal Aviation 82 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 05, ISSUE 02
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