Officials expected to participate in the ceremony include Gov. Jim Justice; Appalachian Regional Commission Co-Chair Gayle Conelly Manchin; Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin and members of the Kanawha County Commission, among others, including Marshall University President Jerome A. Gilbert and Executive Aviation Specialist Bill Noe, and Yeager Airport CEO and Director Nick Keller.
The university has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to start a Part 141 pilot school. The school will help meet the nation’s projected significant need for commercial pilots over the next 20 years. Its ground and flight courses will lead to a series of FAA certifications and will prepare graduates to become commercial pilots of single and multi-engine aircraft.
The flight school is set to open for the fall 2021 semester, which begins Monday, Aug. 23. Students will earn a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Commercial Pilot – Fixed Wing. The ground and flight courses also will lead to a series of FAA certifications, preparing graduates to become commercial pilots of single and multi-engine aircraft. When in full operation, the Bill Noe Flight School is expected to enroll more than 200 students and produce some 50 commercial pilots annually.
Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP in advance by e-mailing ucomm@marshall.edu by Tuesday, Aug. 3.
For more information about the flight school, visit www.marshall.edu/aviation.
The Commercial Pilot – Fixed Wing program is not eligible for Veterans Affairs benefits at this time.