Quality People, Quality Pilots: Walla Walla University’s Aviation Program
Photo credit: Seth Jurgensen
Walla Walla University (WWU) is celebrating over 50 years of aviation training, and as part of his attendance at the Securing the Supply Chain conference, Executive Director Jason Petrait sat down with WWU faculty and staff to learn more about this high-quality aviation program in the southeast corner of Washington State.
WWU offers a variety of degree options to future flyers, including its B.S. in aviation management and B.S. and associates degrees in aviation technology. Faculty and staff say their focus is on making the best pilots they can, and that students have a role in where they are placed. The college aims to give students a variety of experiences so they can go on to the airlines, corporate flying, cargo, military, med-evac, or mission-focused services.
The needs of industry are an essential driver of the program, and Walla Walla University has a strong partnership with Horizon Airlines, with recruiters visiting class multiple times a year. The college also employs students as instructors as they are working toward their minimum 1500 hours. Because Walla Walla University students often flight instruct while in school to build flight time and offset costs, they tend to graduate with more flight hours than graduates from other schools. With over 200 days of clear sky and another 100+ of flyable weather, students know they’ll get in the air regularly.
Director of Aviation Philip Glendrange came to the college from Compass Airlines. Before that, he spent four years in Papua New Guinea, flying as part of Adventist Aviation Services. Glendrange shared the challenges of flying in Papua New Guinea, with unlit runways, lack of fuel at airports and other infrastructure challenges. At Walla Walla University, “it’s great to work with students, seeing how much a student matures and changes over four years,” said Glendrange. “They go from zero time to flight instructors.”
The program can admit up to 50 students, and Glendrange expects a large incoming first-year class this fall. Like many aviation programs in Washington, marketing is an increasing focus, with the university promoting that the program is Veterans Administration-approved.
The aviation management degree earns students their pilot’s license and a business minor, giving students a background in business to fall back on. The big discussion point at flight schools right now is whether a four-year degree is needed in aviation. Walla Walla University argues that the skill of flying an aircraft is not transferable, but talent in business is. “Our pilots come out more well-rounded and are better communicators,” said Glendrange. “Your core classes get you your first job, and your general studies get you later jobs.” WWU also offers a 1-credit Introduction to flight class unavailable to aviation majors to spur interest among other students.
Stan Holm, lead A&P mechanic, is the program’s resident historian. “We started as a flying club back in the ’60s with a faculty member as sponsor,” said Holm. The aviation training program began with two airplanes at Martin Field outside Walla Walla. Now with eight aircraft, the college runs the program out of a hangar at Walla Walla Regional Airport.
Faculty are connected to Washington’s community and technical colleges, with Holm earning his diesel mechanic certificate and A&P license through South Seattle College, and Flight Training Manager Darryl Penney working as a former aviation faculty member at Clover Park Technical College. When Holm returned from Vietnam, he used GI Bill benefits to enter school, looking for the fastest way to a license and employability. Much like students today, he focused on credentials, licensing and gaining employment as quickly as possible.
The program prides itself on catering to all students’ needs by including a class on mission service, offering internships, and during students’ senior year, fostering industry connections, with successful students being quickly hired. Like we see for successful A&P completers, the hire rate is at or near 100%. “I’ve never seen it like this in 40 years,” said Holm.
Nearly a decade ago, the college brought its maintenance in-house as a money-saving measure. As one of the most expensive training programs for private universities or community colleges, the focus is always on cost savings. Walla Walla University staff do their own maintenance to keep costs down, including building engines. The University owns its fuel tank, and staff leverage long-standing relationships to buy fuel directly from distributors. They have also increased focus on quality control and record-keeping to manage costs and save money with a set fleet, with the commonality of aircraft leading to parts savings, including starters and alternators that are all the same.
With dedicated instructors, invested students, decades of history and robust infrastructure, Walla Walla University is set to continue providing pilots for mission work, airline work, corporate work, or wherever their wings take them.