Pictured from left: William Szymialowicz, FedEx senior manager, Central Region and Canada; Paul Duvall, FedEx manager, Cleveland District; Jim Smith, Marshall AMT program director; Leeann Lemon, senior manager of business operations, Marshall University Aviation; Nancy Ritter, director of Bill Noe Flight School.
FedEx has donated a commercial aircraft engine to a new aviation maintenance training program in West Virginia to help future technicians prepare for the MRO industry.
The GE CF6 engine from a retired McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was gifted to Marshall University’s Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program, where it will be used to provide hands-on training to students working toward FAA powerplant certifications.
Based at Huntington Tri-State Airport (HTS), the Marshall University AMT program started its first classes in August 2022. The program is a joint effort between Marshall University and Mountwest Community and Technical College, aiming to provide aviation education opportunities in a previously underserved area of the state.
Credit: Marshall University
According to Jim Smith, director of Marshall’s AMT program, the new engine will bring a “wow factor” that gives students an advantage in their training. “Donations like the CF6 allow our students to have hands-on experience working on large transport category aircraft systems. The CF6 is one of the most common large transport category engines in the world and will be what most of our students will work on when they enter the industry,” he says.
HTS serves as a hub for FedEx’s heavy air freight service, and several other commercial carriers such as Allegiant and American Airlines also operate at the airport. “Because FedEx has such a large presence with their daily aircraft operations, we knew it was vital to partner together to provide a talented workforce for the industry,” says Smith. “When we were developing the program, FedEx asked what they could do to help our program and they generously offered this engine.”
Smith notes that the partnership provides Marshall’s AMT program with materials it might not have been able to acquire otherwise. The school has also received support from industry, including nearly $900,000 in training equipment from Avotek purchased with an economic development agency grant and a donation from the Embraer Foundation that was used to provide tools for students.
“As Marshall University Aviation continues to grow at the Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia locations, there are amazing opportunities for partnership and collaboration with many companies,” says Smith, adding that the school is working to develop opportunities with airlines, MROs, and corporate aviation and military specialists.
The AMT program’s enrollment is expected to grow to more than 50 students for the upcoming fall semester, and Smith says he expects the program to enroll 150-200 students or more as it continues to develop. “We are hitting our stride at a wonderful time in the industry. The need for technicians and pilots is so great that we can develop the best possible opportunities for our students,” he says.
Marshall’s AMT program is also developing additional training opportunities, such as rotorcraft maintenance training and a stand-alone certificate program for aircraft painting using virtual systems.
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