Campus Connection November 2018 

SkyWest Airlines hosts TVCC aviation students

By Abby Lee

TVCC Aviation's program is quickly making connections with industry partners in the region.

On Saturday, Nov. 10, TVCC aviation students and instructors took a field trip to SkyWest Airlines hub at the Boise Airport. After a safety briefing in the SkyWest Hangar, seven SkyWest pilots led the students in small groups through a tour of the impressive hangar, which included a chance to climb aboard two immaculate Embraer ERJ-175 aircraft that had just been flown in from the manufacturer in Brazil.

Jeff Norris, a flight instructor with TVCC’s program coordinated the tour and reports how impressed students were with the hands-on experience.  “Doug, a SkyWest First Officer, brought us around the aircraft answering our questions and giving us a rare and up-close glimpse at the ERJ-175,” Norris said. “We sat in the cockpit and got to ask, ‘what's this’ while sitting at the controls with an AC power unit running up the avionics.”

Each small group got to sit up front and check out the special features of the aircraft including the engines which had been opened up providing a rare glimpse of the airplanes.

“By the end of the tour I had already felt a growing kinship between our students and the pilots,” Norris said. “In fact, one student mentioned that he felt a career as regional airline pilot feels more attainable now.”

TVCC's aviation program is unique because students train in airplane-towed gliders, which provides a great foundation for learning how to safely and proficiently maneuver an aircraft. In addition, the new TVCC Chukar Aero Club provides additional flying opportunities for degree-seeking students as well as community members who just want to brush up on flight skills. For more information about learning to fly, check out TVCC’s Aviation Program here

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