dbeard@dominionpost.com
FAIRMONT – Fairmont State University’s aviation program got a $2 million boost on Thursday as Gov. Jim Justice came to FSU’s Feaster Center to preside over a check-presentation ceremony.
Justice – with Babydog, of course – took to the basketball court floor, joined by FSU leaders, local legislators and other dignitaries before the tip-off of the Falcons’ game against the Carlow University Celtics.
The giant check represented a $2 million grant from the state Economic Development Authority to expand FSU’s Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration program.
Perched on his stool, with Babydog seated in a chair at his side, Justice acknowledged the context of the presentation. “It doesn’t have a whole lot to do with basketball,” he said. “But it has a whole lot to do with employment and life and goodness in this great state.”
Board of Governors chair Jennifer Kinty accepted the check on FSU’s behalf. And FSU Athletics Director Greg Bamberger gave Justice a signed souvenir basketball.
FSU Chief of Staff Brian Selmeski met with members of the press afterward to explain the significance of the grant. He thanked Justice and all the elected officials who helped make it possible.
The program, he said, was the first FAA-approved flight program in the state. It integrates academic coursework with extensive flight training to produce Graduates are professional pilots who support West Virginia’s burgeoning aviation industry.
The money will help FSU buy two new airplane engines and three new instrument-trainer aircraft, he said. The program currently serves 50-70 students and the additional aircraft will allow them to expand to 100. “It will be a significant upgrade.”
The upgrades won’t happen overnight, he said. Once they receive the funds, they can put in purchase requests. But there are significant backlogs for engines and engine rebuilds, and a tight market for used aircraft. There’s a two- to three-year wait for new Cessna G1000 planes.
“So it might take a while for all these pieces to come into place, but once they are, we’ll be able to significantly expand our program.”
FSU has 100% placement out of the program, Selmeski said, and the students move into lucrative careers as FAA certified pilots.
“It’s also giving back to the state.” It drives jobs In the state. “This is not just about education; it’s about economic development.”
Selmeski credited local officials for advocating for these funds for several years. He thanked EDA Director Kris Warner – who attended the ceremony – for getting the funds through as a loan, and Justice for converting it to a grant.
“To be able to grow our program, to grow our student population, and ultimately to serve the state of West Virginia, it’s just a fantastic day,” he said.
