Federal Aviation Administration approves Kirkwood Community College’s new aviation program
Students can enroll in program with classes starting this fall
CEDAR RAPIDS — The Federal Aviation Administration has approved Kirkwood Community College’s new Aviation Maintenance Technology program, allowing it to become a certified aviation maintenance school — marking a step needed to enroll students this fall.
Kirkwood announced last September it would partner with Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids to launch a new Aviation Maintenance Technology program to address an area of need in the workforce and expand opportunities for people looking to break into the aviation industry.
Classes can begin this fall now that Kirkwood has secured this FAA certification, in conjunction with approval from the Iowa Department of Education, according to a news release.
“We’re very excited that we just received FAA approval for our new program,” Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg said in a statement. “Without it we would not have been able to move forward, even if we had met all other requirements. Now that we have it, the final steps are being taken and we can start to address this major industry and workforce need. With air travel demands now at pre-pandemic levels, the sooner we can make an impact, the better.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that overall employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is estimated to grow 11 percent from 2020 to 2030, with more than 14,000 openings for these positions expected each year.
Given this level of demand locally and nationwide, Kirkwood officials have said they anticipate this program could attract students from around the U.S. or even the globe.
unding comes from a $800,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and about $200,000 from local sources. Private partners included Cirrus Aircraft, Collins Aerospace, Ken Brown, Elliott Aviation, Heartland Express’ Michael Gerdin, the Linn County Board of Supervisors, Duane Smith of TrueNorth Cos. and John Smith of CRST.
With this funding, an existing aircraft hangar at the airport is being renovated into classroom space and a workshop and will offer access to airport facilities. Renovations are underway and slated to be finished in time for the spring 2024 semester.
Once complete, the facility will include lab and classroom space with updated building infrastructure such as HVAC, restrooms and other contemporary features.
With construction anticipated to run through the remainder of 2023, the program will begin by holding classes at the Kirkwood Continuing Education and Training Center, 101 50th Ave. SW, located north of the college’s main campus in southwest Cedar Rapids. Another hangar located adjacent to the one now under construction will be temporarily used as well.
Aviation instructor Nathan Bellinger said as facility space and personnel allow, officials would like to eventually ramp up to 48 students enrolled at once. So far, he said the 19 enrolled students are mainly from Iowa. Current program capacity allows for 24 students. The program takes about five semesters to complete.
The application process for this certification started in late 2021. In addition to the necessary paperwork, the FAA conducted an on-site inspection of Kirkwood’s equipment and facilities, including the hangar at the airport. The FAA also determined that the program curriculum aligned with its Airman Certification Standards, which the agency uses measure performance for certifications or ratings.
“This is not your average program,” Sundberg said. “A lot of different pieces needed to fall into place in order to make it possible. … I am extremely proud to see this finally happening, and I can’t wait to see our graduates make a huge difference in the aviation industry.
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