Aviation
Academy
Marion Regional
Career Center
Course Offerings
Aviation
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The aviation program at Marion Regional Career Center has partnered with the Marion Regional Airport and the Jim McKinney Science and Aerospace Foundation to provide students with on field aviation experiences. Classes are held inside a hangar which the Board of Aviation Control has leased to Marion Community Schools. The 100 ft x 100 ft hangar includes a classroom and the main hangar where airplanes are worked on by our aviation mechanics students.
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The McKinney Foundation has secured the donation of an aircraft to be used for instruction in the aviation mechanics class and is working towards acquiring an airplane to be used for flight instruction in the aviation flight class.
Introduction to Aerospace Engineering
1st Year Students
The year one course in the aviation program is “Introduction to Aerospace Engineering”. The curriculum is written by the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and is designed to be taken by freshmen. The curriculum covers the history of flight from its early beginnings through the space program and has students contemplate aviation in the future. Career exploration and employability skills are also taught and student reflection on their own skills is built into the course. A multitude of hands-on activities from designing and building aircraft and rockets to fabricating a containment system which will withstand a vacuum bring the principles of the engineer design process to life in this classroom experience.
Introduction to Flight and Aircraft Systems
2nd Year Students
Year two is a course designed by AOPA titled “Introduction to Flight and Aircraft Systems”. Whether a pilot or a mechanic, students will further grasp and solidify how airplanes fly and what skills are necessary to fly, repair and maintain an aircraft. Reciprocating engines, turbo props and jet engine propulsion will be investigated and hands-on activities will provide a platform to understand the inner workings of thrust is provided by these devices. Control surfaces, hydraulics and electrical systems will be an integral part of student learning in this course.
Aviation / Flight Operations Track
3rd / 4th Year Students
In the aviation flight/aviation operations track. Students will learn the content related to the private pilot written exam, one component of obtaining a private pilot’s license. Students will have access to flight time with a certified flight instructor. In the alternating year, students will explore the operations of airports including runway design, federal regulations, and airline operations.
Aviation Mechanics I / II Track
3rd / 4th Year Students
This two-year sequence has students actively engaged in airplane maintenance, repair, and federal regulations relating to making an airplane airworthy. Students disassemble engines, make critical measurements on airplanes, and gain an extensive knowledge base of what is involved in receiving a Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) certificate in aircraft air frame and power plant maintenance and repair.
