Calhoun Community College opens aviation maintenance technology hangar, launches program

Calhoun Community College opened its new Aviation Maintenance Technology program Tuesday, expanding the college’s technical training offerings and giving students a new pathway into aviation careers in North Alabama.

The college held a ribbon cutting at its new aviation maintenance hangar near Pryor Field Regional Airport in Tanner. The Federal Aviation Administration formally presented Calhoun with certification recognizing the program as an approved aviation maintenance training facility.

“This is an exciting day for Calhoun Community College and for the entire North Alabama region,” Calhoun President Jimmy Hodges said. “We are proud to launch an Aviation Maintenance Technology program that gives our students the opportunity to learn in a hands-on environment and prepare for careers in an industry that is growing.”

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said an aviation program at Calhoun has been discussed for years, in part because of the college’s proximity to Pryor Field.

“Today, we’re able to make that vision a reality with an FAA-certified program,” Orr said. “This is not the finish line; it’s the beginning of great things to come.”

The program will provide students with practical instruction using aircraft, tools, equipment and systems they are likely to encounter in the workplace.

Aviation Technology Instructor Adam Crow said the focus will be on preparing students for the daily work of aviation maintenance.

“Our students aren’t just sitting in a classroom learning about aircraft, they’re going to be working with the tools, equipment, and systems that aviation maintenance professionals use every day,” Crow said.

Classes began Wednesday.

The program was developed with support from aviation and workforce partners in the region. Representatives from the Alabama Community College System, FAA, Pryor Field and Huntsville International Airport attended Tuesday’s ceremony along with state and local officials.

Gillette Samms, director of aviation programs for the Alabama Community College System, said partnerships with employers were central to developing the program.

“Calhoun started with a vision, and it was a bold vision that they turned into action,” Samms said. “They worked hard to create a program in partnership with business and industry.”

For Matthew Upton, a member of the program’s inaugural class, the path to aviation maintenance began with uncertainty about what career to pursue.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Upton said. “I did a search using ChatGPT, and aircraft mechanic came up.”

That search led him to Calhoun’s program.

“The more I learned about it, the more I realized this was the perfect career for my personality and the kind of work I wanted to do,” he said.