As the need for pilot training increases globally, efforts to bring more international students to Battle Creek are in the works at Western Michigan University's College of Aviation, reports the Battle Creek Enquirer.
The school, which opened in 2001, is one of hundreds of U.S. aviation schools that compete for students and attracting more foreign students is expected to take some time, according to Capt. Dave Powell, a former United Airlines pilot who is dean of the aviation college at 237 N. Helmer Road. WMU’s program has more than 700 students and about 200 mostly part-time staff members.
The college is preparing to sign an agreement within the next 30 to 60 days that will bring about 40 to 50 students annually from the Dominican Republic to the area to be trained for aviation careers starting in 2013.
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In another year, the university also may attempt to take a similar proactive advantage of a burgeoning need for pilots in Asian countries, Powell said. Asian and Middle Eastern airlines have signed orders recently for hundreds of new airplanes and now face the challenge of finding enough pilots to fly them.
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Source: Battle Creek Enquirer
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