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School of Aviation

College of Justice, Safety & Military Science

School of Aviation

College of Justice, Safety & Military Science

Reach New Heights with a Career in the Aerospace Industry

EKU has been training aviation professionals since 1983 and is home to Kentucky’s only FAA-approved university flight program. The department boasts a 100% job placement rate, state of the art facilities, hands on learning opportunities, and experienced, highly trained faculty. The department offers the bachelor of science in aviation degree, which has concentrations in professional flight, aerospace management, and aerospace technology.

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School of Aviation Degrees & Certificates

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Why Study Aviation?

The aerospace industry offers a variety of rewarding opportunities for individuals interested in working with innovative, complex technical projects and cutting-edge technology. In addition to the aviation core, students are required to take supporting courses in mathematics, statistics, physics, and business management. Graduates of the program are professionally prepared for all facets of the aerospace industry to include piloting, flight instruction, aviation management, and aerospace technology.

Located just 15 minutes south of campus, the Central Kentucky Regional Airport is the home of EKU’s flight training operations. Since 2011, EKU has also served as the airport’s Fixed Base Operator (FBO), which provides students with a variety of advantages over other programs including reduced operating costs, dedicated facilities, and employment opportunities.

The airport features a 5,000 ft. runway, medium intensity lighting system, ample parking areas, and dedicated fuel services, and onsite aircraft maintenance.

EKU Aviation is located in the Ralph W. Whalin Technology Complex which includes approximately 100,000 square feet of classroom and laboratory space as well as the program’s flight emulator labs. The facilities are located in the central portion of campus, close to the library, classroom buildings and dormitories.

Our robust fleet of training aircraft includes 30 Cessna single engine aircraft (including 172-P, 172-N, 172-M, 172-R, 172-S, and 172-S G1000) and 3 Piper Seminole multi-engine aircraft.

Schedule time with the Alsim MC200 Flight Simulator – capable of up to 15 different aircraft types as well as a small jet or the Professional Flight Controls DCX MAX with glass cockpit capability. The simulators, which are an actual model of an airplane cockpit, replicate different types of airplanes allowing students to gain flight hours and get comfortable with flying before leaving the ground. Get your Instrument Recurrency or brush up for your Instrument Proficient Check (IPC).

Welcome to a new reality! EKU is home to one of the largest and most advanced virtual reality (VR) flight simulation labs in the United States. VR offers new opportunities to enhance teaching and learning as students can be taught in an immersive, hands-on experience. The VR experience in our simulators accurately represents the cockpit and in-flight experience of our Cessna 172 aircraft, giving students a significant advantage as they transition from the classroom to the airplane.

Our lab contains 12 advanced simulators, each consisting of an adjustable racing-style seat, a full array of flight controls and switches, a 42-inch ultra-high-definition TV, a high-end Alienware gaming computer, and an HTC VIVE Pro VR headset. Combined with Gleim Aviation’s X-Plane 11 Flight Training Course and the full capabilities of X-Plane 11 Flight Simulator, our simulators can take you anywhere in the world while providing superior flight training.

In addition to our VR capability, some of our simulators have been equipped with Garmin GPS simulators that replicate the hardware and functions of the Garmin GPSs installed in our EKU aircraft. We currently have two Garmin GNS 430/530 simulators and three Garmin G1000 simulators in use. These simulators allow students to devote additional time into learning the functions of the Garmin GPS’s before stepping into the cockpit.

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Sky’s the Limit with EKU’s Innovative UAS Program

Controller in hand, the drone lifts off the ground and rises steadily and effortlessly into the sky. Under the operator’s control, it soars through the landscape transmitting valuable data and […]

Contact Information

School of Aviation

521 Lancaster Avenue
Whalin 307
Richmond, KY 40475

859-622-1014
aviation@eku.edu

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