The National Science Foundation has awarded Pennsylvania College of Technology and four other institutions a two-year grant of $499,950 to establish a National Center for Aircraft Technician Training (NCATT) in support of the aviation industry.
NCATT project headquarters will be at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, under the direction of Floyd Curtis, division chair of TCC Aeronautical Training. Each of the partner institutions -- Penn College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, San Jose State University and Weatherford College -- will offer technical expertise, staff and administrative support to accomplish the center's objectives.
Thomas D. Inman, associate professor of avionics at Penn College, will chair the Web resources component of the August 2005-July 2007 project.
"In the future, aviation technicians will carry an NCATT certificate of training along with their (airframe and power plant) license," Inman explained. "I am glad that Penn College is able to play a large role in this important project."
Under the proposal, TCC and its partners will establish:
-- An industry standard for training and certifying aircraft-electronic technicians;
-- A curriculum that supports national standards;
-- An industry-developed-and-recognized certification program for aircraft-electronic technicians; and
-- Accreditation for institutions meeting the established standards.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunities this project will present to the aviation industry through the support of the National Science Foundation," Curtis said. "This is the first step in a long-overdue certification of aircraft-electronic technicians. Aircraft electronics is the most dynamic aspect of the aviation industry, with technology advancing almost daily. The highly trained technicians need to be recognized for the knowledge and skills they have acquired."
Industry stakeholders benefiting from this project include airlines, manufacturers, professional aviation and electronics associations, labor organizations and the U.S. military.
For more information about aviation or other academic programs offered at the School of Transportation Technology at Penn College, call (570) 327-4516, send e-mail to transportation@pct.edu or visit http://www.pct.edu/schools/tt/