Page 7 - MGATODAY-Spring2018_lr
P. 7
specialists, and other jobs at Robins Air Force political science major did the now 30-year-old
Base. Citing “a critical hiring need,” the DHA consider an aviation career for himself. After
has been put in place to fill a “severe shortage researching flight schools up and down the
in qualified candidates,” according to the base’s Eastern Seaboard, Hambrice settled on Middle
website. Under the DHA rules, candidates can Georgia State’s School of Aviation. He expects to
be fast-tracked into jobs by bypassing the usual graduate this fall with a B.S. in Aviation Science
competitive rating-and-ranking rules that govern and Management with a track in flight.
federal hiring. “It’s a great school,” Hambrice says. “The
“Our students are highly qualified to fill many facilities, the aircraft fleet, the instructors – all
of these positions,” says Kehayes. high quality. We have the benefit of in-house
Of course, an aircraft is most at home when maintenance for all the aircraft. It’s got a good
it’s in the air, and for that, you need a pilot. track record for safety, and it’s affordable. I’m
Fortunately for Georgia’s aerospace industry, happy with my choice.”
MGA teaches Georgians how to do that as well. Hambrice is on track to become a certified
flight instructor for MGA, which is a common
GETTING INTO THE COCKPIT step among the School of Aviation’s flight majors.
Like Cook and Giddens, Daniel Hambrice After he builds up flight hours, Hambrice hopes
grew up around aviation. to move on to a pilot’s job with a regional airline.
Both his mother and father, based in His long-range goal is to become a pilot for one of
Washington, D.C., worked for the now-defunct the major airlines.
Eastern Airlines – she as a gate agent, he as an “Every pilot I meet says it’s a great time to get
operations manager. As a child, Hambrice spent a into the industry,” Hambrice says. “The airlines
lot of time at what is now Ronald Reagan have a mandatory retirement age that will affect a
Washington National Airport. big group of pilots over the next few years. There
“My parents had flight benefits because they are fewer pilots coming to the airlines from the
worked for Eastern, so I basically grew up flying,” military. So there should be a lot of openings.”
Hambrice says. Commercial aviation, however, isn’t the only
But it was only after he spent some time at career path open to MGA flight students. MGA is
two different universities as an unenthusiastic currently developing an agricultural aviation
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
A windy day in Eastman doesn’t keep MGA flight student Harrison A Thrush 510G aircraft like the above may soon be helping MGA pi-
Brown out of the cockpit. In one of the school’s realistic simulators, lots find their way into another fast-growing segment of the aviation
he battles an (imaginary) rainstorm as he tries to keep his (imaginary) industry – agricultural aviation. A new agricultural aviation program is
Piper Archer on the correct path back to the runway. Simulator time currently under development, which will help train students on aerial
is a valuable asset for these students – they can practice their pilotage application and other aspects of the growing field. MARYANN BATES
skills even when an early spring windstorm makes taking to the skies
in a real light aircraft into a very dicey proposition. MARYANN BATES
Spring 2018 MGA TODAY 7
