BRIDGEPORT — From humble beginnings in Mingo County in southern West Virginia, Tyler Lucas always dreamed of becoming a pilot.
The son of a coal miner and a nurse, Lucas received his private pilot’s license as a junior at Tug Valley High School.
Then, in 2013, upon completing high school, he moved north and began his studies at Fairmont State. He graduated in December 2017 with his aviation instrument, commercial aviation and flight instructor certifications, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in aviation administration.
“I’m thankful to Fairmont State because this program was my only opportunity for aviation in this state,” Lucas said. “For a West Virginian, this is gold, if you will, because this industry is booming right now, and there’s no reason that people from this state should have to go somewhere else to get training and spend way more than is necessary.”
Right now, the aviation industry needs more people like Lucas, especially amidst a nationwide shortage of airline and commercial pilots.
“For anybody that has ever had a passion for flying or sees this as their career, there’s never been a better time in history that’s more lucrative for that,” Fairmont State Chief Pilot and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Joel Kirk said.
The Boeing Pilot Outlook said that in order to meet current market demand, North America will require 117,000 new pilots over the next 20 years.
Fairmont State is doing its best to help fill that void.
On Thursday morning, at the Robert C. Byrd Aerospace Education Center, in Bridgeport, Fairmont State’s Aviation Technology program unveiled the newest addition to its fleet of planes, a 2017 Cessna 172S Skyhawk.
University president Dr. Mirta M. Martin and Donald E. Trisel, Dean of the College of Science and Technology, were both in attendance and delivered brief remarks about how the university’s aviation program grew and prospered.
“Fairmont State recognized the nationwide shortage of pilots and created an academic program that trains pilots, aviation administrators and aviation maintenance managers at a fraction of the cost of other flight schools,” Martin said.
Fairmont State is the only Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified aviation program in the state.
“With [this program], I think we have a gold mine; we don’t necessarily provide jobs in this department, we allow kids to fulfill their dreams,” Kirk said. “Flying is a passion. The job is a byproduct.”
According to Lucas, the Skyhawk plane is a top-of-the-line training plane for prospective pilots and has a single-flight range of a little more than 500 miles. The cabin of the plane can seat four passengers, and overall, the plane has a maximum take-off load of 2,550 pounds. Since the plane itself weighs 1,700 pounds, that leaves around 800 pounds for fuel, people and baggage.
“It’s perfect for a trainer,” Lucas said. “You can definitely get 2-3 people in it, and some fuel, and have a good time for sure.”
So far, Lucas has logged about 30 flight hours in the Skyhawk plane since it was purchased in December.
Currently, Lucas is in his third month as a flight instructor in the program. He plans to stay at least until December of this year in order to give back to the school that gave him so much.
“With the industry booming like it is, it’s hard to keep a focused mind on one thing because you just see all these opportunities blossoming up,” Lucas said.
After that, Lucas hopes that he can continue to remain in north-central West Virginia with his wife and fly for a corporation or as a commercial airline pilot.
