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K-State at Salina Aviation Progresses in 2008

Kansas State University aviation solidified its position as one of the elite university aviation programs in the world during the year 2008. “The faculty and staff of K-State at Salina Aviation continued to exemplify the very best professional standards in aviation education during 2008,” said Dennis Kuhlman, dean of K-State at Salina.

Aviation highlights for the year included:
• Addition of a Cessna 421B for airframe and powerplant degree learning
• Creation of the Applied Aviation Research Center
• Establishment of a UAV Program Office
• Implementation of a helicopter flight training program
• Launch of a new fast track regional airline pilot program
• Beginning of construction for a new $6 million Student Life Center
• Ordered a new composite technology Premier 1 light business jet

K-State at Salina, an elite top 5 aviation university, has a fleet of 50 learning aircraft and more Master Certified Flight Instructors than any other college or university in the country. The Salina campus is one of the fastest growing colleges within the K-State family and offers a well-rounded Big 12 university experience shared by 1,000 degree-seeking students. Another 2,000 students are served through various courses and advanced learning opportunities.

K-State at Salina awards family studies and human services, technology management, engineering technology, aircraft maintenance, and professional pilot degrees. K-State at Salina graduates have an outstanding placement rate in industry.

2008 Aviation Highlights

January
Eric Shappee, flight and ground instructor and associate professor of aviation at Kansas State University at Salina, has earned renewed Master Certified Flight Instructor accreditation from the National Association of Flight Instructors. In all, K-State at Salina has five faculty members who have earned this top designation, the most of any college or university in the nation, according to the National Association of Flight Instructors.

February
Assistant professor of aviation Raylene Alexander created Jet Ahead, a mentoring program for female airframe and powerplant students around the country. The main objective of the program is to connect students with an experienced mentor who can answer questions and help alleviate career concerns.

K-State at Salina created a new bridge program to put students on a fast track to becoming pilots with Mesaba Airlines. The partnership offers students who complete required courses an interview with the regional airline.

March
K-State at Salina formed a new Applied Aviation Research Center to advance aerospace technology through application of research in propulsion, airframe, avionics, and aviation training. The center is a cooperative venture of K-State, the Salina Airport Authority, and the Salina Chamber of Commerce.

Kansas State University at Salina received the “go-ahead” to start construction of the campus' new $5.9 million Student Life Center. The center, scheduled to open in July 2009, will provide a place for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Salina community to meet, develop leadership skills, maintain physical health, and promote academic achievement.

April
K-State at Salina’s Aviation Department was represented by Nathan Gorrell in the All Kansas Air Tour. It was one of the national aviation venues in which K-State was represented. This was made possible through a scholarship from the State of Kansas Department of Transportation's Aviation Division.

May
Kansas State University ordered a new Premier 1 light business jet for its aviation fleet. This jet is an all-new design with an all-composite fuselage and a swept aluminum wing design. It will be used in the university’s flight department and as a training airplane for Professional Pilot degree track students.

K-State at Salina’s new helicopter program trained 11 pilots in its first year using the university’s new Schweizer 300CBi. It is specifically developed for the commercial helicopter training market. The helicopter, which was made available through a generous donation, already has 350 flight hours on it and is used to train university flight students, law enforcement personnel, and private aviators.

June
Nick Green, a recent professional pilot graduate, received a SimuFlite Citation type rating scholarship from CAE SimuFlite, a Dallas-based aviation training corporation. The scholarship, worth around $15,000, leads to a 500 series Citation type rating.

July
Kirk Demuth became director of the Unmanned Aerial Systems Program office in Salina. He has a bachelor’s degree in technology management and an associate’s in professional pilot from K-State at Salina. This office is the first major initiative of K-State's Applied Aviation Research Center.

More than 20 students, faculty, and staff from Kansas State represented the university at the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture Oshkosh, a premier international aviation event. K-State's Cessna CitationJet spotlighted the university's aviation presence.

August
More than 40 high school students from inner-city neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., visited the Kansas State University campus at Salina to learn firsthand about powered flight. Several students from this camp enrolled at K-State at Salina.

Troy Brockway, associate professor of aviation at K-State at Salina, took a group of aviation students west to fly high in the Rockies. The class began with one day of ground school and was followed by four days of flying in Colorado to Gunnison, Leadville, Telluride, Aspen, Vail and Paonia.

October
Kansas State aviation students volunteered at Hawgsmoke 2008, a biennial worldwide A-10 bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery competition by the U.S. Air Force which was held in Salina. The A-10 Warthawg is the first Air Force aircraft designed for close air support of ground forces.

Dr. Charles Reagan was named to the Board of Directors of the National Business Aviation Association. Reagan is an associate to the president at Kansas State University and adjunct professor of the flight department. He is also a captain for the university's CitationJet, professor of philosophy, commuter airline pilot, charter pilot, and flight instructor who has 38 years of experience in aviation and education.

November
The K-State at Salina campus contributes more than $10 million in annual income and accounts for 245 total jobs, according to a study completed by Wichita State University's Center for Economic Development and Business Research. The university’s 170 direct jobs in Salina created 75 additional support positions throughout the region and K-State at Salina’s $6.7 million in direct payroll generated a total of more than $10 million in overall income for the Salina community.

December
The gift of a pressurized twin-engine Cessna 421B expands the growing fleet of learning aircraft at K-State. The airplane is being used primarily by the university in aviation maintenance educational programs as part of the degree track for airframe and powerplant mechanics.