Flight EdOhio State Flight Education serves over 100 students per semester with the support of nearly 30 instructors and 20 aircraft. Ohio State is fortunate to be one of the few collegiate aviation programs in the Midwest that operates in an FAA air traffic controlled environment, providing students with invaluable experience interacting with air traffic control.
History of Flight Education at Ohio State
1917 First SquadronFlight instruction at The Ohio State University has been around nearly as long as flight itself. Less than 14 years after the first flight, World War I created the need for qualified military pilots. In spring 1917, the War Department established Schools of Military Aeronautics at six universities, including The Ohio State University, to teach cadets aircraft construction and maintenance, and flight.
In 1952, lab fees and ground school for a private pilot
Ohio State once again entered the flight instruction arena in 1939 after years of dormancy, when it was one of the universities that took part in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. This program, sponsored by the C
ivil Aeronautics Administration, was started for the purpose of fostering private flying.
While these early programs were
1950s era Cessna 170 flies over Ohio State Airport
taught for the university by private flight schools, including Lane Aviation, Ohio State began offering its own flight instruction in 1945. By 1956, school enrollment was at capacity with 29 students and the fleet consisted of four Cessna 140s and four Navions.
New Aviation Education Center to be completed in 2019
Looking toward the future, Ohio State Flight Education is excited to move into the Austin E. Knowlton Executive Terminal and Aviation Education Center, slated to be open in January 2019. This new facility will offer state-of-the-art teaching space, a new simulation lab, and classroom space to serve both large and small audiences.
Austin E. Knowlton Executive Terminal and Aviation Education Center
