This content was published: January 11, 2008. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Aviation Science program teams up with Horizon Air
Photos and story by James Hill
Portland Community College and Horizon Air have agreed to a direct-hire partnership for the college’s Aviation Science program.
This agreement gives graduates of the program a preferred interview status to help make the first step into the airline industry easier. Students meeting minimum grade-point average standards, flight experience and who have received the recommendation of faculty in the program will qualify under this new agreement. The students then would be eligible to be interviewed for positions at Horizon Air as first officers.
“We are really pleased and honored to have our program recognized by an airline like Horizon, and look forward to seeing our students take advantage of it during this time of tremendous pilot hiring,” said Larry Altree, department chair of the Aviation Science program, based at the Rock Creek Campus (17705 N.W. Springville Road).
Some details of the agreement are still being finalized, but Altree said any student could take part at any time. “It mirrors agreements they already have with a couple other colleges like the University of North Dakota and Central Washington,” said Altree. “At this point, if we get a graduate who wants to take advantage of this we could move ahead with it as is.”
PCC’s Aviation Science program provides hands-on pilot training so students can start flying right away. Serving the greater Portland area, the program gives students the opportunity to earn a commercial airplane pilot certificate or a commercial helicopter pilot certificate while also earning an associate of applied science degree in Aviation Science. The program offers in-flight training and the opportunity to achieve in-depth specialization. In addition, PCC’s affiliation with Hillsboro Aviation, an accredited Federal Aviation Administration certified flight school, offers students world-class training.
Portland Community College’s Aviation Science program is designed to help students earn both a college degree and the FAA pilot certificates necessary to get started as a professional airplane or helicopter pilot. They hold classes on both the east and west side of the Portland Metro area.
For more information about this opportunity, call (503) 614-7256, or visit the Web site at www.pcc.edu/fly.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »