Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Wimer Dam fish salvage yields nada natives ... Possible links between dead Oregon man, missing women investigated ... Cemetery tour highlights drifters, saloon keepers ... Since You Asked: Wimer Dam fish salvage yields nada natives ... Possible links between dead Oregon man, missing women investigated ... Cemetery tour highlights drifters, saloon keepers ... KLAMATH COMMUNITY COLLEGE College aviation program takes flight in Klamath Falls Veterans with passion for flying take advantage of free training Comment By Holly Dillemuth (Klamath Falls) Herald & News MailTribune.com By Holly Dillemuth (Klamath Falls) Herald & News Posted Mar. 4, 2015 at 2:00 AM By Holly Dillemuth (Klamath Falls) Herald & News Posted Mar. 4, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News KLAMATH FALLS — Justin Walker was watching as a new aviation science program at Klamath Community College was taking shape in 2014. An interest in flight and a suggestion by his father-in-law, a pilot, brought Walker to KCC to enroll in the new program that officially got off the ground in October. "I kind of saw it being built from the ground up," Walker said Friday. Walker is one of 10 students enrolled in the aviation science program at KCC, who are in the midst of training since the program officially started in fall 2014. Walker, 23, recently obtained his private pilot's license, and said he wants to eventually fly search and rescue helicopters. Walker and other students fly to surrounding areas, including Chiloquin, Butte Valley and Tulelake, from the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport. "The best way to describe it is, you're kind of free," Walker said of the flight experience. "You can essentially go wherever you want." Walker, a non-veteran, obtained a private loan to help pay for the program. "I spent two years trying to fly and essentially not having the money for it," Walker said. "If you want it badly enough, you can find a way to make it happen." And for those with a passion for flight, Nigel Cooper, director for Precision Aviation, based out of Newburg, assures he is trying to help develop a training program set apart from the rest. "I was brought in to get the program off the ground," said Cooper, who previously served in the New Zealand military. "It's been growing at a faster rate than we would have imagined since then." Details still need to be worked out, but Cooper said the program would like to find those within the aviation industry willing to help ease the financial burden for students who are not veterans. "There's some great prospects out there that don't have the financial backing to do it," Cooper said. Seven of the KCC students are veterans, who receive training at no cost. "About two-thirds of the program are veterans across the board," Cooper said. Rick Flowers is one of them, and served more than 30 years in the security forces in the U.S. Air Force. "The cool thing about this is they teach you to do something incredibly fun," Flowers said. Cooper wants to make sure his students have everything they need to succeed in the aviation industry. But he also expects the best from his students and treats the program as a "two-year job interview" from day one, as some students could be hired by Precision Aviation as instructors. Cooper said he can tell from the start if students have the passion for flying and the dedication to see it through when they take the online courses component of the program. "You want to keep that passion alive in that student because that's how they're going to pass," Cooper said. Students go through a multiple certification processes to obtain an associate of aviation science degree, with 18 online courses. Cooper said you won't find a "cookie cutting" or bare-minimum style of training at Precision's program through KCC or Newburg. He emphasized the program as one that embraces state-of-the-art technology, and stresses risk management and pre-flight planning. The program also will be one of the first in the nation, according to Cooper, to use the Guimbal Cabri helicopter for training. "I'm trying to distinguish our program from any of the other flight schools out there," Cooper said. "We are trying to generate a program that is better than the rest. Yes, they understand the basics, but in the modern aviation world, you've got to move with the times. That's why we're trying to distinguish ourselves." By Holly Dillemuth (Klamath Falls) Herald & News MailTribune.com By Holly Dillemuth (Klamath Falls) Herald & News Posted Mar. 4, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501