Delaware Technical and Community College celebrated the dedication of their new Theodore C. Freeman Powerplant Education Building today at the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown.
The facility will allow the college to expand its existing airframe aviation maintenance program to include the engine – or powerplant - component.
Combined with the current curriculum the new program will help graduates earn their Federal Aviation Administration certification in the two main areas of aviation maintenance. Delaware Tech president Orlando George says the additional component will better prepare them for careers and fulfilling a need in Delaware's aviation industry.
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“A lot of Delawareans may think ‘Delaware has an aviation industry?’ We sure do," George insisted. "And there are good paying jobs that are going begging because people don’t have the skills and competencies to qualify. This is going to change all that.”
Funding for the construction of the 1.4 million dollar space came from private donations as well as public sources, such as the state's Infrastructure Fund, which was established several years ago by the General Assembly. Additional private and public funds helped equip the 90,000 square foot building with the latest technology to give students the opportunity for hands-on learning.
DEDO Director Alan Levin said the project was an ideal candidate to receive money from the $55 million Infrastructure Fund, which spent $47 million on various other projects around the state before the remainder was used to balance the state's budget in 2013.
Although nothing remains in the fund today, Levin feels the investments like this one have an ongoing impact.
"What is infrastructure?" Levin asked. "Is infrastructure just bricks and mortar, or is it people? To me, I think it's people and in addition to that, having the right people being trained with the skills that are necessary today. So, that's more important than having bridges and everything else, because you need, first of all, the people talent."
One of those people, Evan Clark, is a 2012 graduate of the Delaware Tech's airframe program, and is waiting for the FAA to certify the new powerplant curriculum so he can begin training for the additional license. Clark said the additional license will better his chances of finding employment in his field.
"It definitely opens up a lot more opportunities," he said. "When you go out to employers, they like to see both. They want to see that you have all types of training."
Speaking to aviation maintenance students, college faculty and administrators, members of the public, as well as members of the General Assembly, Governor Jack Markell (D-Delaware) used the opportunity to tout his infrastructure plan and the gas tax hike he's proposing to pay for it. He cited work to lengthen the Sussex Airport’s runway by additional 500 feet as an example. He says that allows the airport to accommodate larger aircraft, creating new jobs in aviation maintenance and other related fields at the facility.
But, Markell said, making those improvements requires the revenue to do so, leaving the state with some tough choices.
“It would be nice if we could make these investments for free, but it doesn’t work that way," he said. "So we have to come up with the money. Other states have shown that they’ve got the will. In our case the gas tax has not been increased since 1995 and we need to keep up with the times.”
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The new building was named after aerospace pilot, aeronautical engineer and Delaware-native Theodore Freeman. Freeman was selected by NASA as one of 14 astronauts to take part in Projects Gemini and Apollo. However, his life was tragically cut short.
While making up routine flight hours in October of1964, a snow goose smashed the canopy of his T-38A Talon jet and plexiglass debris wound up in both engines, causing failure. Instead of ejecting - and his plane likely crashing into homes - he maneuvered away from populated areas and was too low by the time he ejected and his parachute did not fully deploy.
Had he survived, Freeman would have likely joined his fellow astronauts in eventually landing an aircraft on the surface of the moon.