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Piper Colt donated to the Aviation Techniques – Aircraft Maintenance program

Piper Colt December 2014 Donation

Aviation Professor/Coordinator, Bruce Dwyer receiving the keys from Shawn McBride

The Aviation Techniques – Aircraft Maintenance program received the donation of a Piper Colt over the Christmas break from Keith Beardsley, a Real Estate Agent from Metcalfe, Ontario.
Both Keith and his wife Bev are former teachers and are proud to be able to help further the education of future Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. Keith and Bev are both Century 21 Agents and live in the Village of Metcalfe Ontario just south of Ottawa. Their Piper Colt has been in the family for the past five years and was kept hangared at the Smith Falls Airport. It was ferried December 30 over to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum at the Rockliffe Airport where it will become a full time training aid for Algonquin College students. The attached picture shows Aviation Professor/Coordinator, Bruce Dwyer receiving the keys from the ferry Pilot Shawn McBride who is also a professor at Algonquin and a member of the Algonquin College Board of Governors. Shawn was familiar with flying this type of aircraft as he owns a Piper Tri-Pacer and gladly volunteered to fly the plane to Rockliffe.
On behalf of Algonquin College and all of our Aircraft Maintenance Students a hearty thank you to Mr. Beardsley for his kind generosity in donating this aircraft.

Algonquin College Aviation Programs Take Flight With Donation from Pratt & Whitney

An aircraft engine donated by Pratt & Whitney Canada to Algonquin College’s Aviation programs will mean hundreds of Algonquin students – current and future – are that much closer to acquiring their Transport Canada Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) license. The engine was donated at an event on campus this morning.

“We are proud of the strong connections we have with industry, which give our students access to the best possible hands-on training with the latest equipment,” says Chris Janzen, Dean, Faculty of Technology and Trades at Algonquin College. “Pratt & Whitney’s donation demonstrates how Algonquin is working together with industry to form relationships that maximize our students’ applied learning opportunities, and we want to thank them for their support of our students.”

“We are delighted to be donating this PT6A-41 engine to Algonquin College as part of our commitment to support schools that are training the next generation of engine technicians,” says Richard Bertrand, Vice President, Government Relations, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “This engine is a member of our iconic PT6 engine family, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and has helped to change the face of modern aviation. It will give students concrete experience with a real engine and will be an excellent teaching tool.”

Algonquin College has over 60 students enrolled in its General Arts and Sciences – Aviation Management diploma program, and 40 enrolled in the Aviation Techniques – Aircraft Maintenance certificate program. The donation could help the program expand in preparation for market demand. A study by Boeing shows the aviation industry will need to supply approximately one million new commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians between now and 2032 to support the growth of the industry.

Aviation programs at Algonquin College are delivered in collaboration with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Currently, students in the Aircraft Maintenance program attend their first year in Ottawa and can take a second year at Centennial College in Scarborough, which provides an 18-month experience credit towards their Transport Canada AME license.

For more information, please contact:

Phil Gaudreau
Communications Officer, Algonquin College
613-220-7796
Email: gaudrep@algonquincollege.com

$2000 Bursary from Flight Training International

Algonquin College Aviation Management Professor, Bruce Dwyer

Algonquin College Aviation Management Professor, Bruce Dwyer, receives a cheque for $2,000 as a continuation flying bursary for two Algonquin students that competed for this
year’s Top Amateur Pilot Award, the Webster Trophy. A third Algonquin student, Takahashi Hirose, was named as Canada’s Top Amateur Pilot. As a result of Algonquin having the winning competitor, Flight Safety International has provided two of his classmates with $1,000 each as competitors. Kody Clement and Ben Shaw-Wood are both in their final stages of flight training and will soon be graduated as Commercial Pilots. Many thanks to Flight Safety, this is an awesome runner up prize, you shoud see what the winner gets….

Algonquin Student Pilot wins Top Pilot Award in National Competition

On Sat Aug 24, the Webster Memorial Trophy competition concluded with an awards banquet in Winnipeg, MB. Aviation Management student Takashi Hirose had just competed in the week-long competition with 8 other regional finalists in a series of aircraft tests, exercises, and written exams to demonstrate their knowledge and skill. Congratulations to Takashi who was named “Canada’s Top Amateur Pilot”. For more info on the Webster Memorial Trophy competition, click this link.