Program Will Meet Requirements For Students To Take The FAA Exam For A&P

A new airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic program being developed at Southern Oklahoma Technology Center in Ardmore, OK, serves to increase a skills-based workforce for such leading area employers as King Aerospace.

King Aerospace held a luncheon on June 29 for program organizers as part of its public-private sector collaboration. Roy Lischinsky, vice president of operations at King Aerospace Commercial Corporation, will serve on SouthernTech's advisory board. The program will meet requirements for students to take the FAA exam needed to earn certification as an A&P mechanic. This certificate authorizes the holder to approve aircraft that have undergone inspection or maintenance for return to service.

"We are excited to start the process of forming an advisory committee and to have Roy Lischinsky from King Aerospace graciously serve in this capacity," says Dr. Eric Ward, recently named superintendent of SouthernTech. "The advisory committee will help us educate and train students to work in the aerospace industry. As with all our programs, we are interested in the expertise of those working in the field as they can provide invaluable insight into classroom layout, curriculum, and regulations.  They also provide a network of potential employers for our students."

The new program builds off of the success of the school's auto-mechanic program. Program graduates will provide a pipeline of hard-to-find talent. SouthernTech received a $4 million grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) CARES Act to create the program, its first for the aviation industry. The grant is the largest SouthernTech has ever been awarded. Grant funding will be used to build a 18,775-square-foot training facility with a shop area, classrooms and lab spaces that enable hands-on training with real equipment and aircraft. Details and curriculum are still being finalized, but it is likely that the program will take one year from start to finish.

"Graduates will be in high demand for aviation careers and other fields that require a high degree of mechanical knowledge," says Lischinsky.

The school opened in 1966 as one of the first rural career and technology centers in the state. It has served more than 11,000 students with an average enrollment of around 145. The new A&P program is expected to graduate 16 students a year. SouthernTech serves both secondary and post-secondary students from seven Southern Oklahoma counties. Students earn industry-based credentials for high-skill, high-wage, high-demand careers year with an average of 90% effectively placed in quality jobs.

King Aerospace's AS9110C-certified maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Ardmore is an authorized FAA and EASA Repair Station. It specializes in Boeing Business Jets (BBJs), but also supports Gulfstream, Falcon, Global Express and Learjet aircraft. It offers full avionics, structures, interiors, maintenance and paint for corporate aircraft, and depot-related services for its sister company, King Aerospace Inc., which serves government and military customers. Its Ardmore campus includes 200,000 square feet of hangar space, a 9,000x150-foot paved runway, and a fixed-base operation.

FMI: www.KingAerospace.com, www.SOTECH.edu