Shaky take-off: Rochester college aviation program

ROCHESTER, Minn. – In its first five years the aviation program at Rochester Community and Technical College has graduated only a trickle of pilots, the Rochester Post Bulletin reported. Five have graduated from the two-year program. The college’s academic vice president, Michelle Pyfferoen, blamed lackluster enrollment on miscalculations from the start. These included, Pyfferoen said,  relying wholly on part-time faculty and housing the program inside an academic department whose chair already was overloaded wearing several hats. Mow, she said, a full-time coordinator, Amy Labus-Olson, hs been  hired  to run the program. “We probably would have been better served to have that position off the bat to help shorten the learning curve,” Pyfferoen told ghe Post Bulletin. Problems showed early. The first 2019 students numbered only 11. The hope had been a cohort of 24. Even so, the college has stuck with the program and will continue to do so. In fact, Pyfferoen saod, a multi-engine component has been added. Also, she said, there are exploratory talks about new classes in aircraft mechanics. The college and Great Planes ,a flight school at he Rochester airport re have launched  new marketing . About 50 prospective students tended a recent open house. The program, being a pathway to four-year degree programs, has inherent competitive advantages, Pyfferoen said. These include costs –roughly $110,000. That compares favorably with the University of North Dakota, a national leader in commercial aviation pilot training and which enrolls 1,300 students. The four-year UND program costs $137,000 to $156,000. Too, Rochester students can be in the air their first year, which is unheard of in typical four-yearv progams, Pyfferoen said. Shealso sees hope in the continuing global shortage of airline and mechanics.