EMU Students Fly Cross-Country For Aviation Course

One of the few places that rivals Michigan's natural display of fall colors is Maine.
 
Eight Eastern Michigan University students got to compare the two state's fall colors in the same day as they fly cross-country as part of their training at Eagle Flight Center.

"One of instructors is from Maine and we had never gone there before," said Alex Bloye, chief flight instructor for the center. "We're calling it our "Fall Color Tour."

Bloye said the eight students and four instructors took four Cessna Skyhawks from the Eagle Flight Center Sept. 24 for their six-hour trip.

"They will be learning to fly in different environments," Bloye said last week. "They also will be flying over Canada as part of the flight. These trips prove valuable because they get real-world experience. They get experience with different airspace and they continue to work toward their instrument rating."

Bloye said that each student pilot has to have 80-120 hours of flight time and that the instructors have 800-2,100 hours of flight time.

Each student must have a private pilot's license and be enrolled in the commercial or instrument training course.

The trip will land in Bar Harbour, Maine before returning to Willow Run Airport.

The Eastern Michigan University Aviation Program offers bachelor's degree programs in aviation flight technology and aviation management. Training and ground instruction courses are based at the nation's first Cessna Collegiate Center, the Eagle Flight Center, located at historic Willow Run Airport (KYIP). EMU Aviation offers both FAA Part 61 and FAA Part 141 certified flight training programs at the Eagle Flight Center.

For additional information, go to http://extended.emich.edu/aviation/index.aspx.

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