Thursday, September 21, 2017
By Sean Barron
VIENNA
Tyler Slabaugh plans to follow in his father’s footsteps – and that includes landing a similar career in aeronautics.
“I grew up around it; it’s always been an interest,” the Niles man said. “I’ve been flying since I was a baby, so it’s in my blood.”
For about 30 years, Slabaugh’s father has worked for Delta Airlines, and one of the younger Slabaugh’s primary ambitions is to be an aircraft mechanic for the company.
That’s the driving force behind his decision to enroll in a 16-month, four-semester course at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics’ Youngstown Campus on Youngstown-Kingsville Road (state Route 193).
He also was among the students, elected officials and others who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning at the PIA campus to celebrate a $1.3 million two-story expansion to the facility.
The project, which took slightly more than a year to complete, includes three state-of-the-art classrooms for learning hands-on electronics, welding, blueprint schematics and wiring, a student-resource center with a computer lab, administrative offices and conference rooms, noted Lori Fine, the local campus’s admissions representative.
“Those who use this building will find it to be very conducive to sharing learning opportunities, gathering both inside and outside of the classroom and taking advantage of the practical, hands-on training that is the heart of PIA,” said Suzanne Markle, the nonprofit organization’s president and chief executive officer.
Further underscoring the project’s importance is the growing demand in the aeronautics field for those with such skills, explained Joseph DeRamo, campus director. To that end, an estimated 118,000 aviation-maintenance technicians will be needed in the U.S. by 2035, he noted.
The 16-month course also prepares students for the airframe and powerplant test, administered by the Federal Aviation Administration, which contains written and hands-on portions, DeRamo continued.
“They have to show from the exam that they know how to work on a plane,” he said, noting the local campus is in the beginning of a partnership with Delta Airlines to bring additional training to students and staff.
Also determined to show that and more is Caitlin Betz of Painsville, whose interest in aviation dates to her childhood.
“I loved to learn to fly as a kid … and I like to work with my hands,” Betz said, adding she’s learning many of the intricacies of electricity, landing gear, lighting and instrumentation related to working on planes.
Making additional remarks were John Moliterno, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, which runs the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, and Trumbull County Commissioner Frank S. Fuda.
PIA also has campuses in Pittsburgh, Hagerstown, Md., and Myrtle Beach, S.C.