Pilotsmith, a professional flight school, said it has formed a partnership with Purdue Global, an online arm of Purdue University designed to serve working adults, to train flight students and address demand for aviation professionals projected over the next 20 years.
Beginning May 23, students accepted into the Purdue Global professional flight degree program will complete their Bachelor of Science degree courses online through Purdue Global while completing flight training at Pilotsmith.
“Pilotsmith is very excited to join Purdue Global in this partnership. Providing more educational options for students is always a winning formula,” said Trent VandenHeuvel, vice president of Pilotsmith.
Students who complete all five flight certifications and ratings, which include private pilot certification, instrument rating, commercial pilot certification, certified flight instructor and multi-engine flight rating, will receive 45 college credits from Purdue Global toward their bachelor’s degree in professional flight. This is equivalent to one year of college credits.
Students who have college credits from previous schools can also receive additional transfer credits, which saves money and allows them to graduate sooner.
“We are pleased to join forces with an established flight training center like Pilotsmith to bolster our popular professional flight program,” said Sara Sander, Purdue Global’s vice president and interim dean of the school of aviation. “The benefits to our students training under Pilotsmith are the significant cost savings and speed to obtaining the five flight certificates and ratings required within our professional flight program. Students can realistically accelerate their path to the airlines by one or two years.”
Pilotsmith and Purdue said the partnership is designed “to get students flying immediately, shortening the timeline to [becoming a] professional pilot to meet this demand.”
