Image from USU’s Aviation Technology program.
LOGAN – Utah State University’s Aviation Technology program is hosting an Aviation Career Conference this week, including a 1 p.m. event Thursday in the Taggart Student Center when Horizon Airlines will announce a partnership with USU, the school agreeing to provide pilots for the airline.
Horizon is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.
USU flight students will be awarded $12,500 stipends to help them through the school’s fixed-wing pilot program.
Mike Logan, marketing director for the Aviation Technology program, said representatives of Horizon Airlines will be on hand to explain details of the partnership.
“That stipend can actually be used while the student is still attending USU,” Logan said, “which is phenomenal and that will help them out with fuel for their aircraft, and other needs such as supplies, headsets, and anything that pilots could need as part of their training.”
Logan said it could be a process of several days before recipients of the stipends will be announced.
“That actually is not known at the moment; it depends on the student, and also Horizon, and any agreements that they sign,” he explained. “It could be as soon as Thursday afternoon — if students actually sign on with Horizon at that time — or it could be coming down in a week or two.”
USU Aviation Technology graduates about 100 students a year. Enrollment includes close to 380 fixed-wing students, about 20 in the helicopter program and 100 training in aircraft maintenance in addition to those training in the operation of unmanned aerial systems, or drones.