"Your dreams to become a pilot can begin at Hesston College. As you improve your piloting skills, you will find your people and decision-making skills strengthening. This personal touch to the fulfillment of your aviation dream comes within a Christ-centered community." |
Aviation as Mission
Each year the Hesston College Aviation Program plans an event to bring alumni and students together to better understand God's call on our lives and how that call translates to our careers in aviation. Several of our graduates return to our hangar at the Newton City-County Airport to share about their professional and spiritual journeys and how they live their faith through their work. In recent years speakers have included Roger Yoder, a captain with American Airlines; Kurt Neuenschwander, chief pilot for AirServ International; and John Reimer, a demonstration pilot for Cessna.
Larks Rally
The Larks Rally is an annual flight skills competition among Hesston College Aviation students. Past events include Spot Landing, Flour Bag Drop, and Cross-Country Planning/Flight.
Mountain Flying
Hesston's Mountain Flying course is an extended cross-country flight into the Colorado Rockies which offers students important experience in high altitude operations and familiarity with high altitude airports. The sights and flights are breath taking.
ATOP
For those who are interested in a career in the airlines, this training is a must.
The Airline Training Orientation Program is an introduction to the Boeing 737, which includes flight in a full motion simulator in the airline training environment. A high altitude endorsement and advanced systems training are included.
 (L to R) Zach Hurst ’08, Dylan Gingerich ’08 and Jordan Bartel, current aviation student and Bethel College student. |
 Oliver Kropf ’08 and Natalie Bartal, current aviation "community" student. |
CAMI
The FAA’s Civil AeroMedical Institute in Oklahoma City offers a FREE physiological training in an altitude chamber and spatial disorientation simulator. A second day of training includes surv ival in arctic, desert and water situations.
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First Solos 2009-2010:
| DATE | STUDENT | AIRCRAFT | RUNWAY | INSTRUCTOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/25/2009 | Solomon Rudy | N959HC - CE-172 | 17 |
Amy Birdsell |
| 11/07/2009 | Spencer Hill | N968HC - CE-172 | 17 |
Oliver Kropf |
| 11/18/2009 | Laith Hasan | N959HC - CE-172 | 35 |
Oliver Kropf |
| 01/27/2010 | Rudea Lupton | N968HC - CE-172 | 17 |
Amy Birdsell |
| 02/03/2010 | Tom Pursch | N968HC - CE-172 | 17 |
Mike Moore |
Checkrides 2009-2010:
| DATE | STUDENT | COURSE/TEST | INSTRUCTOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/02/2009 | Ben Rohrer | Multi Engine | Travis Pickerill |
| 07/02/2009 | Adam Dalke | Multi Engine | Amy Birdsell |
| 07/11/2009 | Ben Jantzi | Commercial Pilot | Oliver Kropf |
| 08/13/2009 | Sheldon Goerzen | Flight Instructor Instrument | Travis Pickerill |
| 08/13/2009 | Natalie Bartal | Instrument Rating | Amy Birdsell |
| 08/13/2009 | Ben Jantzi | Multi Engine | Travis Pickerill |
| 08/19/2009 | Daniel Kornfeld | Instrument Rating | Oliver Kropf |
| 09/15/2009 | Sheldon Goerzen | Multi Engine | Travis Pickerill |
| 10/18/2009 | Toby Schrag | Instrument Rating | Jason Dietzel |
| 10/24/2009 | Doug Osborn | Advanced Multi | Dan Miller |
| 11/22/2009 | Ken Slaughter | Instrument Rating | Jason Dietzel |
| 12/16/2009 | Solomon Rudy | Private Pilot | Amy Birdsell |
| 12/17/2009 | Tarik Kheshgi | Private Pilot | Jason Dietzel |
| 02/12/2010 | Dennis Scarberry | Multi Engine | Dan Miller |
| 05/4/2010 | Natalie Bartal | Commercial Pilot | Dan Miller |
Airplane Wash and Department BBQ
Students connect informally with instructors while beating the August heat by washing airplanes after the first week of classes.
 from top: Ben Jantzi ’09 (obscured), Ben Rohrer ’08, Luke Aeschliman ’08, Grant Baker ’07, Jesse Lenker ’05, Kris Miller ’08 (by the prop) |
 Natalie Bartal (current student) and Oliver Kropf ’08 |
Student Aviation Advisory Board
Student Aviation Advisory Board (SAAB) is the student-led community that leads activities and generates ideas.
Fly Larks Week
During Fly Larks Week, your first week as an aviation student at Hesston College, you’ll find yourself in a plane’s cockpit. We’re serious about training pilots, and we don’t waste any time helping students earn one or more of the certificates we offer!
 Jason Dietzel ’04 with student pilot, Esteban Ramirez (who is not currently training). |
 (sitting) Devin Lloyd - freshman, (middle) Oliver Kropf ’08, (right) Laith Hasan - freshman at Bethel. |
The sky is the limit
More than 700 pilots have trained at Hesston College, and today many of our alumni fly or work for America West, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest, TWA, United and US Airways. Others are with national and regional airlines like Allegheny, Air Midwest, American Eagle, Atlantic Southeast, Horizon, Mesaba, Sky West and World Airways. Our Hesston College Alumni fly for dozens of corporate and charter companies, serve with Mission Aviation Fellowship and other humanitarian organizations, and work as air traffic controllers or in aircraft maintenance and avionics. They are flight instructors at major universities and schools of aviation, do aerial application, work as FAA inspectors, and serve with Medivac.
Hesston is just 30 minutes north of Wichita, the air capital of the world. Unique weather patterns make Kansas one of the best places to learn to fly. Students also travel west for training in mountain conditions.
Hesston’s courses are designed to set you soaring into an aviation career. After two years at Hesston, you will have had the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences degree in Aviation and completed at least 60 college credit hours. Many of our graduates start out as flight instructors. Mission work, corporate aviation, aircraft charter, and air freight are other possibilities. You can also use your Hesston degree as the foundation of a bachelor's degree in business, aviation management, aero-nautical technology or other specialties. Cooperating programs with four-year institutions offer ideal opportunities for Hesston graduates to complete their bachelor's degrees.
