Aviation High School Program
Ivy Tech is proud to offer our Aviation Maintenance Technology program to local area high school students interested in a career in this exciting industry. The Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Ivy Tech is a FAR Part 147 School certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to teach its students the skill sets to perform maintenance, inspection and repair of civilian aircraft. The college program is broken into two concentrations, one dealing with airframe systems and the other with powerplant (engine) systems. It is recommended that for maximum marketability a student take both concentrations for career placement.
This high school portion of the program includes the classes needed to obtain the Federal Aviation Administration’s Powerplant certification. High school students who complete the classes for the powerplant program can return as adults to complete the Airframe license classes. With some general education credits obtained after high school graduation the student is eligible for an Associates of Applied Science in Aviation Maintenance Technology, Powerplant. By attending and exceling at the program classes starting their junior year the student is also eligible to take the General and Powerplant portions of the FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant license.
The student can either take the program classes through arrangement with area career centers such as Anthis, vocational programs and directly through select area high schools. The costs for the program tuition and license testing are often covered by the career center or applicable high school. The high school classes are broken into half day session taken at the Ivy Tech Smith Field campus. The first year classes are in the afternoon and while usually taken in the junior year can still be taken as a senior if the student wishes to join the program at that time. This first year includes a summer session that runs the month of June. This is required to get the full time requirement for the FAA curriculum. The second year is schedule in the mornings. Both sessions follow the FWCS calendar.
Areas of learning include:
- Materials and processes in aviation
- Basic electrical systems
- Chart and graph reading
- Reciprocating engine systems
- Turbine Engine systems
- Engine ignition systems
Areas of employment opportunities include:
- General aviation mechanic-
- Airline mechanic
- Corporate mechanic
- Helicopter mechanic
- Military contract mechanic-
- Aircraft manufacture and parts production-
- Aircraft restoration and repair facilities technician