Cincinnati State Aviation Maintenance Program Once Again Wheels Up At Harrison Campus

Cincinnati State re-started its Aviation Maintenance lab classes in mid-May so its spring and summer semester students could complete the hands-on learning and assessments required by the FAA.

(Harrison, Oh.) - After two-plus months of only offering online courses due to COVID-19, Cincinnati State has resumed in-person lab classes at its Harrison Campus, where the college offers its FAA-certified Aviation Maintenance Technology degree program.

"We've done an extensive amount of planning to ensure we're following CDC, state, and industry guidelines for safety related to COVID-19," said Jeffrey Wright, program chair for Cincinnati State's Aviation Maintenance Technology program.

"We're looking forward to welcoming new students for the Fall semester. This is a great career with excellent job prospects in our region."

While the number of passenger flights at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is currently down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CVG is seeing a surge in cargo flights. It is now the 8th largest cargo airport in North America, and will likely move up on that list after Amazon completes phase one of its massive, $1.5 billion Amazon Air Facility at CVG in 2021.

To keep their fleets of cargo planes running safely and on time, Amazon, DHL and other shippers at CVG need mechanics with the skills acquired by graduates of Cincinnati State’s Aviation Maintenance program—the ability to service, repair, and overhaul aircraft engines, airframes and other systems.

"This will be a huge opportunity for our students," Wright said. "Plus, we expect passenger traffic to recover well before new students graduate."

Cincinnati State re-started its Aviation Maintenance lab classes in mid-May so its spring and summer semester students could complete the hands-on learning and assessments required by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for certification as Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanics.

For in-person lab courses, students are now required to have temperature checks upon entering the building, are spaced out to ensure appropriate social distancing, and must wear cloth face masks plus plastic face shields.

"We are building in these new safety protocols not only to protect students, instructors and staff during lab classes, but also to prepare our students to be successful and safe as they enter their profession in this new normal," said Cincinnati State Provost Robbin Hoopes.

For Aviation Maintenance students, the Fall semester will include a mix of online and in-person courses, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions, especially for new students.

The college will also host a virtual career fair for Aviation Maintenance students in October with more than 20 employers from the aviation industry.

In addition, Cincinnati State is offering a short-term certificate program for individuals interested in learning how to legally build and fly drones.

"We want everyone to succeed," Wright said.