Aerospace

The FAA has granted Special Funds to 23 colleges in the United States to improve aviation education.

WASHINGTON— Twenty-three schools will receive $10 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help attract and train students for careers as pilots and aviation maintenance technicians.

Twelve of the schools will receive $5 million from the FAA’s Aircraft Pilots Aviation Workforce Development Grants program. The schools can use the funding to create and deliver curriculums designed to prepare students to become pilots, aerospace engineers or drone operators.

Grant recipients include:

AOPA Foundation Institute, Frederick, Md.: $498,100
Black Pilots of America, Seattle, Wash.: $500,000
Broward College, Pembroke Pines, Fla.: $500,000
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.: $345,711
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona, Fla.: $484,803
Kentucky Office of Employment & Training, Frankfort, Ky.: $500,000
Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, Inc, Mount Royal, N.J.: $171,231.80
School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Penn.: $197,180
Sling Flying Club, LLC, Torrance, Calif.: $499,865
Tuskegee Museum, Detroit, Mich.: $500,000
University of Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie West, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands: $499,301
William Jessup University, Rocklin, Calif.: $303,808.20

The other $5 million will go to 11 schools as part of the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development program. These grants will help build back the pipeline of maintenance professionals; approximately 20,000 fewer people are working in the aircraft maintenance sector than before the pandemic.

Grant recipients include:

Aviation Technical Services Inc., Everett, Wash.: $459,206.29
Cape Cod Community College, Plymouth, Mass.: $463,304
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati, Ohio: $423,594
F & E Aviation Maintenance, Miami Springs, Fla.: $500,000
Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, Ill.: $500,000
Nashua Community College, Nashua, N.H.: $456,051
Pearl River Community College, Poplarville, Miss.: $500,000
San Luis Obispo County Community College District, San Luis Obispo, Calif.: $484,299
Tarrant County College District, Fort Worth, Texas: $282,345.71
Technical Education Services Inc, Norfolk, Va.: $431,200
The Fulton Leadership Academy, East Point, Ga.: $500,000

Recipients can use the funding to establish new educational programs; provide scholarships or apprenticeships; conduct outreach about careers in the aviation maintenance industry; and support educational opportunities related to aviation maintenance in economically disadvantaged areas.

Aerospace

Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences Expands Columbus Plant by 50,000 Sqft

Credit:Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, has launched a significant expansion of its manufacturing facility near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi.

This ambitious project will add 50,000 square feet of new space, renovate 40,000 square feet of the existing facility, and introduce advanced automation equipment, robotics, and non-destructive inspection technologies. mcas boeing enhancements will support the growing demand for Aurora’s aerospace systems business.

Since its establishment, Aurora Mississippi has specialized in the production of advanced composite components and assemblies for both military and commercial aircraft. The company first opened in 2005 at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in Starkville before relocating to its current site in Columbus two years later.

Initially occupying 21,000 square feet, the facility has since grown to encompass over 120,000 square feet, featuring cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as automated fiber placement. Aurora’s latest expansion is a strategic investment aimed at increasing production capacity for composite components like boeing titanium used in executive jets and the MQ-25TM Stingray composite skins, a key project for its parent company, Boeing.

Additionally, the facility will produce components for NASA’s X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator aircraft, further diversifying its portfolio. Currently employing around 100 full-time staff in Mississippi, Aurora plans to hire more than 60 additional team members by the end of 2025.

Aurora’s expansion project underscores its commitment to Mississippi’s growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing sector. The company maintains strong partnerships with Mississippi State University (MSU) and East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), contributing to research, higher education, and workforce development in advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, Aurora actively supports local K-12 STEM education through summer camps and collaborates with high school vocational education programs. The expansion and renovation project will be carried out in phases over the next two years, with completion expected by 2026. This development marks a significant milestone in Aurora’s ongoing growth and its role in advancing aerospace manufacturing in Mississippi.