Wright State aviation students celebrate milestone at Dayton Air Show

Wright State University honored 28 aviation students who have earned their first FAA pilot certification with a ceremonial wing pinning and presentation of a flight jacket, name patch and earned level of wings. This milestone achievement recognizes completion of the rigorous first year of collegiate flight training and took place at the Dayton Air Show.

Incoming students were invited to attend, offering both inspiration and a chance to connect with peers in the same program, as well as gain a better understanding of the rigors of flight training.

‘I’m excited to meet some of the first-year students who just received their licenses,” said Kate Hardesty, an incoming first-year student who is planning to major in aviation science and technology.

In just two years, students with little or no prior aviation experience can become paid professional instructors training the next class of Wright State students and on their way to help address the nation’s pilot shortage.

Wright State students in the Aviation Science and Technology Program receive hands-on flight training at First Flight Aviation, an educational training facility at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Miamisburg.

“Our job is to be one of the best in the nation,” said Mick Phillips, Wright State’s chief flight instructor.

“We are named after the Wright brothers, we have an airplane on our logo, we cannot be an average school,” said Phillips.

Students who were recognized have successfully earned a Federal Aviation Administration pilot certification through the aviation program. To do so, students must complete a ground course and then be endorsed by their instructor to take the FAA Knowledge Exam.

After passing the exam, students continue to complete their remaining training requirements — including flight training hours, specific maneuvers and ground instruction — and take the FAA check ride with an FAA-designated pilot examiner. Achieving all of this is just the first step in a four-year program to attain their Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science and Technology.

The Dayton Air Show, which took place on June 13–14 at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, highlights the human and technological advancements in aviation, bringing together industry leaders, aviation enthusiasts and the public. The event also celebrates the region’s enduring aviation legacy, tracing its roots to the pioneering work of the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio — the heart of the National Aviation Heritage Area.

Stephens Spofford watched the professional acrobatic pilots perform and hopes to do something similar in the future.

“I’d really like to do this someday,” said Spofford. “Maybe have Wright State aviation acrobatics or something this cool, it’s a wild thought.”