New Aviation Maintenance Technology Program at Ivy Tech

FORT WAYNE, IN - Ivy Tech Community College Northeast will begin offering Aviation Maintenance Technology this fall. This is a new program for the College, but not for Fort Wayne. Ivy Tech is partnering with Fort Wayne Community Schools’ Anthis Career Center to continue the existing program for local high school juniors and seniors, formerly run by the Pittsburg Institute of Aeronautics, as well as expand the opportunity for others within the community. The new program will provide training to meet the FAA certification criteria for aircraft mechanics.
High school juniors and seniors who pursue the certification will spend half of their school day at their local high school and the other half of the day at Ivy Tech’s new hangar and aviation classroom building located at Smith Field Airport. Morning and afternoon sessions will be offered to these students with a special evening tract for adult learners. Students can potentially graduate high school and, at the same time, receive their certification as an aircraft mechanic.
Ivy Tech hired Bill Terhune as the program chair for Aviation Maintenance Technology. He brings to the program many years of experience the field. He holds both an FAA Mechanics Certificate with an airframe and powerplant rating and an Inspection Authorization Certificate. He is a single-engine pilot and was an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner for ten years. He has seven years of experience teaching mechanics in an FAA Part 147 school.
Ivy Tech’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program will prepare individuals for a host of different jobs including those at airlines, in corporate or general aviation, at manufacturers or aircraft vendors and those within the general aviation field. Terhune states, “Aircraft mechanics are highly-skilled, high precision workers, and that trait alone makes them a top-choice in various fields outside of aviation as well. They are often chosen for positions where quality control is an issue, such as working on NASCAR or other racing teams.”
The certification is only a portion of the entire program. The total package allows students to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology from Ivy Tech. The program is regulated by the FAA and is very limited in space. For more information or to enroll, contact Bill Terhune at (260) 481-2257.
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with over 100,000 students enrolled this spring. Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.