There is a flight training school right over at Lake in the Hills Airport, where Blue Skies Flying Service has been operating for years. That's only six miles from MCC.
Instead, MCC has struck some kind of deal with a training school in West Chicago, which uses DuPage County Airport (28 miles south of MCC),
But the bigger issue for me is, why is MCC competing with private enterprise? Flight schools must be dying on the vine these days, with disposable income of many people down considerably. A local flight school offers the same training ("education") at the same price, yet MCC has decided to compete for those dollars. And it is doing so with an out-of-county business.
So, to me, it looks like Blue Skies Flying Service is a County taxpayer and supporting MCC, but MCC is spending money to compete with it.
Next thing we'll know ... MCC will be wanting to build a landing strip right on campus. No, wait; not enough room there. So they'll have to grab adjacent land by eminent domain. Heads up, folks!
I loved flying. When I was getting my private pilot license, I lived in Denver, and I'd drive to the airport early, before sunrise. I'd pre-flight the plane and take off before the tower opened, and then I'd land after the 6:00AM tower opening. After getting my private, I acquired my commercial pilot's license and instrument rating.
One New Year's morning I was invited to fly a 737. OK, so it was a simulator... It was the real deal. After the first time around the pattern, the trainer turned it over to me. Getting that 90 minutes' flight time was a truly memorable experience!
3 comments:
This is not the only college in the chicago area that does this. Prairie State College in Chicago Heights has a similiar program with the actual flight tome provided by a local flight school contracted with the college. Like you said flight schools may be in financial trouble on their own these days but when students can earn college credit and learn this skill more will take advantage. A winning situation for them and the flight schools. Also Lewis University in Lockport has a complete aviation program, maintainence and flight. They even have ther own airport.
Thanks, Mike. A partnership between a county college and a local business is commendable.
In the case of MCC, the flight training is an Adult Education (non-credit) offering for approximately the same cost as at a school. In this case, MCC is competing with an in-county business.
Well stated Gus. I believe the emphasis is "“MCC IS COMPETING WITH AN IN-COUNTY BUSINESS" You have to spell it out in CAPITAL LETTERS!!
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