Adam Hennen is learning to fly in a new Cirrus SR20.
It's one of four planes purchased by Lake Superior College for its advanced aviation program.
"It's amazing," the 18-year-old Ghent, Minn., native said about his Cirrus flight time. "The computer system is so detailed, and you have information on every airport that's updated every five minutes."
Hennen is one of 24 advanced aviation students this year, double last year's count. The college spent about $500,000 on the planes, with half coming from a $250,000 gift from Monaco Air Duluth's Monaco Family Charitable Trust. The three other planes are used Cessnas -- two Cessna 172s and a Cessna 182 RG, all 1980s vintage. Two of the Cessnas are for flying, and one is for the maintenance program.
The Cessnas came with Monaco's flight school, which LSC purchased earlier this year and now runs as part of its continuing education program. The college's regular aviation program began in 2001, after it was transferred from Vermilion Community College.
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Nothing beats having their own planes, said Matt Ferrari, director of the Center for Advanced Aviation at LSC.
"Everything is done in-house," he said. "It gives the college control over the schedule and gives students direct access to their own planes."
LSC is the only college in the area with such a program. It's housed -- or hangared -- at Duluth International Airport at the base of the control tower. Offerings include professional pilot training and private pilot certification, along with aviation maintenance. LSC has also partnered with Northern Helicopters of Hibbing to offer rotor mini-wing helicopter training, and instruction in flying amphibious sea planes and tailwheel aircrafts. The program has six instructors with more than 50,000 hours of flight time combined.
Ferrari is a former check airman for Champion Air. Another instructor did the same for Northwest Airlines.
Duluth's aviation industry will benefit from what the college is doing, said Don Monaco, owner of Monaco Air, the Duluth International Airport fixed base operator that provides fuel and aircraft maintenance to LSC's aircraft. He said the college is uniquely positioned to attract students looking for pilot training different from what's offered at four-year universities.
"It allows people to get into the industry ... at a much lower cost and much more rapidly," he said. By working with Monaco Air, the school is "doing something that's bold and innovative that isn't being done at other airports. There's clearly a market for it."
