Dec. 06--A new partnership between Kansas State University at Salina and a private helicopter flight school could attract dozens of new students to Salina.
K-State's professional pilot program has included helicopter training for several years but "as an add-on to our fixed-wing instruction," said Kurt Barnhart, head of the aviation department.
Starting in January, Arizona-based Universal Helicopters will partner with KSU-Salina to offer full-time helicopter training, allowing students to earn all of their ratings and certifications in helicopters.
As part of the partnership, Universal is providing KSU-Salina with three helicopters and flight instructors, Barnhart said.
Barnhart said he expects to have 30 to 40 students in the program within a couple of years and that most of them will be students who wouldn't have come to the school's fixed-wing program.
"Helicopter people are focused on that, that's what they want to do," Barnhart said.
Barnhart said KSU-Salina approached Universal about adding helicopter training here because "they have a reputation as being the best" and because of the company's experience with other college flight programs.
Barnhart said helicopter training is "different enough (from fixed-wing training) that it can present some challenges."
Universal has similar programs at Dodge City Community College and at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. Salina will be the fifth location for Universal to partner with a collegiate flight program.
"They've been working with other universities and they're used to doing this," Barnhart said. "They do this one thing, and they do it very well. They focus on it, and the equipment they fly is the industry standard. UHI has no unemployed graduates."
KSU-Salina students will begin flying the new helicopters -- two Robinson R22 Beta IIs and one Robinson R44 Raven II -- when the spring semester begins in January.
Copyright 2011 - The Salina Journal, Kan.
