UND Announces Plans for a Phased Restart of Flight Training

Nearly two months after the coronavirus pandemic grounded UND’s flight training program and shut down the university, students will soon be able to fly the skies once again.

As the UND launches its summer classes, UND Interim President Joshua Wynne and incoming President Andy Armacost announced on Wednesday, May 20, a phased plan to resume student flight training.

Flight training, one of the campus’ most well-known programs, has been paused since March 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to ensure the safety and well being of student pilots.

The restart plan calls for some students to resume flight training as early as Tuesday, May 26, the university said in a news release Wednesday evening. The university said that, because of the “phased-nature” of the restart, UND Aerospace urges students not to return to campus until notified by UND Flight Operations of their targeted start date.

It will be the first time students are back on campus since the university moved to online learning in mid-March.

Even with the restart, state directives concerning individuals traveling to North Dakota from other countries remain unchanged, the release said. Individuals returning from another country are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, upon arrival. Additionally, individuals coming from another state, though not required, are also encouraged to self-quarantine for two weeks.

“The decision to restart flight training came after a lot of hard work and dedication by university administrators, staff and faculty on how to operate safely during this unprecedented time,” UND Aerospace Dean Paul Lindseth said in a statement.

The restart plan includes increased precautions and safety measures, such as:

Rearranged dispatch scheduling at the Grand Forks airport and Ryan Hall to accommodate social distancing.

Required completion of COVID-19 screening forms and temperature checks when entering UND Flight Operations or Ryan Hall.

Mandatory use of masks in aircraft and public areas at UND Flight Operations.

Increased sanitation procedures for aircraft, other training areas and public spaces.

UND Aerospace also conducted a safety risk assessment regarding its restart plan, per the FAA’s Safety Management System. The university said these mitigation techniques were developed based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Dakota Department of Health and with constant consultation with numerous other flight schools across the country.

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