THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 1, 1994 TAG: 9410010284
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
With military downsizing reducing the future supply of aircraft mechanics, a new school is being organized to teach aviation skills to as many as 1,000 women, minorities and laid off defense workers.
Hampton University and Hughes Aircraft Co. said a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Air Force will help set up the Hampton University-Hughes Training Inc. Aeroscience Institute.
Hughes vice president Timothy Moe said a school is needed because the number of pilots and mechanics in the armed forces will dwindle.
Moreover, the current state of training for pilots and mechanics hasn't kept pace with technological changes, he said. ``We need a new range of skills,'' he said.
The institute will combine Hughes' technological knowledge with Hampton University's present aviation programs, said university President William R. Harvey.
The old terminal building at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport will be renovated to house the school.
The first class of 200 will learn aircraft maintenance next year. A student who completes the required 2,800 hours of training will earn an associate's degree.
Harvey said he expects the institute to have as many as 1,000 students and a budget of between $25 million and $30 million by 1999. Students will study aircraft maintenance, management, safety and meteorology. They will train to be pilots, he said.
The $3.75 million Air Force grant will cover the institute's first year, Harvey said. The Defense Department, Hughes Aircraft and local government agencies also could help finance the school, said Anthony DeLuca, director of the Air Force's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business.
The institute will beam classes by satellite to urban high schools in Washington, Cleveland, and Oakland, Calif., chosen by Hughes because they offer aviation courses. Two more schools will be selected. by CNB