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Stewarding Resources

Aviation Strategic Plan

Middle Georgia State University is one of the keys to enhancing the $60 billion and growing
aerospace industry in the state. One major success in 2017 was an expansion of our aviation
programs beyond the Heart of Georgia Regional Airport on our Eastman Campus, through a
three-year Strategic Plan for Aviation. With Dodge County as its hub, we have acted on that
plan as follows:

• The Georgia legislature provided $4.2M in FY2017 and $2.8M in FY2018 for purchase
of new aircraft, simulators and other equipment;

• We expanded our flight program to Bibb County, becoming the Fixed-Base Operator
for the Macon Downtown Airport in 2016 and growing enrollment to nearly
50 students in Macon by Fall 2017;

• To improve utilization of our residential facilities in Bleckley County, more than 80
Aviation students are residing in Cochran and attending classes at our hub in
Eastman, with daily shuttle service between the campuses;

• We are working on leasing space at Cook County Airport in Adel for
expansion into south Georgia as early as January 2018; and

• We are in discussions with Delta Airlines regarding a possible
expansion into the Atlanta area.

Overall, we have seen a 15.4 percent increase in aviation students in Fall 2017 over Fall 2016.
And as we grow, the School of Aviation has taken several steps to increase a ordability for
students and value to taxpayers, such as course redesigns to lower textbook costs and
e ciency-driven decisions on procuring flight equipment.
Our commitment to remaining the sole four-year public provider of aviation education in
Georgia is one of the ways Middle Georgia State is delivering on its value of stewardship.