Not standing still

Its aviation program was started in 1989, and LCCC’s airport site—in a massive steel hangar built to house Bethlehem Steel’s flight department at Lehigh Valley International Airport in nearby Allentown—was dedicated in 1993. (The former headquarters of the long-gone steel giant, not far from the airport in downtown Bethlehem, is on the extended centerline for Runway 31.)

LCCC’s aviation program offers two associate’s degrees. The professional pilot degree incorporates the private and commercial certificates, instrument rating, and flight instructor certificate. The school has articulation agreements in place with four-year aviation programs, for students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree, and is working to forge new ones. An aviation science degree combines business and management coursework with a private pilot certificate.

Since the program’s inception, the college contracted with local flight schools to provide the flight training. But a change in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rules meant that beginning in August 2016, contracted training for the private pilot certificate would not be eligible for reimbursement; students would have to enroll with a private ticket. That was not acceptable to a college where 37 percent of students enrolled in aviation classes are veterans, so it decided to bring flight training in-house, and started its own Part 141 flight school.

“That was huge for us,” said Dr. Tom Meyer, vice president of academic services and student development. “This is a veteran-friendly institution, and we have a lot of veterans who take advantage of the program. It wasn’t really a tough decision—[veterans] would have had to pay out of pocket, or pick another program. And we know there’s going to be continued demand.”

Few aviation degree programs are available in the area, Meyer noted. “We’re looking to see what other opportunities there are,” including aircraft maintenance, unmanned aircraft, and dual enrollment partnerships with area high schools. A primary objective is to choose programs that provide occupational opportunities for students, he added.

The college hired Aram Basmadjian as its chief flight instructor, and creating a flight school became his responsibility. Aircraft were leased, flight instructors were hired, and training course outlines had to be written and obtain FAA approval. Basmadjian created flight operations and standardization manuals, and implemented scheduling, billing, and curriculum tracking systems. Deadlines for various VA approvals also had to be met. “The FAA was really great to work with,” said Basmadjian, an ATP and former airline captain who had never set up a Part 141 flight school before. “Our local FSDO was very helpful, very accommodating, and a pleasure to work with.” Basmadjian also obtained FAA approval for LCCC to certify its graduates for the restricted airline transport pilot certificate with only 1,250 flight hours.

LCCC’s fleet includes five Cessna 152s and three Piper Cherokee 140s; a Mooney and a Beech Duchess are available for complex and multiengine work. Two simulators owned by the college—a Frasca 141 and a full-motion Redbird FMX—had been out of service; Basmadjian repaired them and incorporated them into the curriculum.

About the same time, Mark Reimann came on board as the aviation program’s staff instructor. He and a few adjunct instructors teach all ground schools and classes. The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate worked as a flight instructor before taking a job as a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent. He went on to spend 20 years in DEA’s aviation program, including 12 years as a line pilot in the United States and South America, flying airplanes as well as helicopters. “I bring a different kind of experience that the corporate or [Part] 121 pilot,” he laughed.

Reimann is responsible for curriculum development. Last summer he updated three of the program’s six courses, changing objectives and adding content, with the goal of adding articulation agreements with more four-year schools. What’s the benefit of a two-year program? “You can get up to CFI, then teach and build time as you continue your studies. For students that are highly motivated, this is accessible to them,” Reimann said.

“We’ve come a long way,” he added, noting the program’s Part 141 approval and a pilot pathway agreement with regional airline ExpressJet. Students in the college’s professional pilot program are interviewed after completing the instrument rating and can receive a conditional offer of employment from the airline. “That’s important to show [students and their parents] that there’s a path,” he said. “It’s a win/win for the aviation program.”

"I think the school is doing something really beautiful with job placement. It really gives us all hope."  —Jeludy CamachoStudent Jeludy Camacho likes the ExpressJet pathway agreement. “I think the school is doing something really beautiful with job placement. It really gives us all hope,” she said.

Camacho joined the National Guard to improve her job chances as a woman in aviation. She hopes to transfer to airport control tower operations, and is using military benefits for her tuition and some of her flight training. “I love it. Even when I do badly, my instructor will give me a chance to do it right, and I feel awesome,” she said. “At the end of the line, I know that I will fly commercially for an airline.”

Shane Brett, 20, is finishing his private certificate. He began flying helicopters in New Jersey during high school, but the cost was a challenge. Then a military pilot suggested the LCCC program. Brett had started fixed-wing flight training at a nontowered airport, but struggled with radio communications. “It sounds funny, but I was halfway to my private pilot and didn’t know what to say to ground at a towered airport.”

Now he’s overcome his mic fright, and gives some of the credit to the college’s scheduling system—students are scheduled for three flights each week, and the system automatically reschedules them each week at the same times. “That makes it a lot easier to stay on track,” said Brett, who previously had to schedule each lesson.

LCCC flight instructor Bob Sacco retired after 21 years as a Bethlehem police officer, took a security job at the airport, and reconnected with aviation. “I walked through the door for a commercial ground school—I just wanted to be a better pilot,” said Sacco. “The next thing I knew, I was a student.” The first-semester flight instructor is one of several CFIs who came up through the program.

The ability to teach at the college made earning his CFI an easy decision. “Sitting in the classroom as a 50-year-old student, I knew I could do this,” he said. “The college is accustomed to adult students. They have been very supportive.”

Dominik Mystkowski, 19, never pursued his interest in aviation until his mother suggested it as a possible career. So he researched the industry and its job prospects. “I realized it would be one of the best fits,” he said. LCCC’s ground schools suit his learning style. “I always found it easier to be in a classroom learning environment, than outside doing it alone,” Mystkowski said. He found student loans to be more readily available through the college.

There’s no question his LCCC experience is expanding his horizons. “What I find interesting is that throughout the week, I always find different opportunities where aircraft can be used,” Mystkowski said. “There are so many opportunities in aviation, I don’t think I’ll ever be bored.”