Chattahoochee Tech announces September groundbreaking for Aviation Academy

Chattahoochee Technical College has announced the date for a groundbreaking event for the college’s Aviation Training Academy to be constructed at Paulding’s airport.
The groundbreaking event is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, at 570 Airport Parkway in Dallas, according to a press release issued by the school and the public is invited to attend. The project is estimated to take about 18 months to construct. The Aviation Training Academy aka Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) School will prepare students for high-demand careers to repair, service, and maintain airframe components and power plant systems and components.
Airframe and Powerplant mechanics repair, service and maintain parts of an aircraft that include the engines, landing gear, brakes, and air-conditioning systems.
“We are so appreciative of the Governor’s and General Assembly’s commitment to our mission of strengthening both individuals and businesses through workforce training,” said Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb as quoted in the press release. “The Chattahoochee Tech Aviation Training Academy will support that mission by helping us train more aviation maintenance professionals at a time when the state is experiencing a tremendous need for more of them.”
The school is expected to draw students from around the state and the region to train for what are said to be well-paying jobs in a field in which there is a high demand, particularly as Baby Boomers are reaching retirement.
Georgia had advanced to the No. 1 spot in 2020 in Pricewaterhouse’s (PwC) annual rankings on Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness. “Georgia’s $57.5 billion aerospace industry is an important economic driver for our state,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, as quoted in a Sept. 2020 online article posted at www.georgia.org.
Specific programs planned for this facility include Aviation Maintenance Technician-Powerplant and Aircraft Structural Technology. A program will also be offered in Aircraft Structural Upholstery and Trim.
State funds were approved in 2018 to locate an aviation academy at the airport, but the original site chosen aside from the airport’s terminal building didn’t pass muster with the FAA, who suggested another spot be considered.
The site was then moved from its original designation and has since been replaced by the Museum of Flight’s (MOF) plan to build its hangar in that location. That project is still in its fundraising phase.
Chattahoochee Tech’s A&P School will be the largest project within the county underway after the recent completion of the Richland Creek Reservoir and the Sheriff’s office and Detention Center. PCAA has taken additional steps in recent months to upgrade airport infrastructure in support of both the school and the PCAA’s own 5- year strategic plan.
In the same timeframe, airport expansion plans include the addition of more aircraft hangars, while the Museum of Flight hopes to move forward with its plan to construct its own hangar in which to house the operational portion of its inventory.