Aviation team members place at 2023 NIFA aviation competition

Hesston College’s aviation team made a strong showing at the 2023 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) for Region VI held in St. Louis, Mo. The seven-member Hesston College aviation team, led by senior and team captain Matthew Manickam, delivered a standout performance in four critical events. Notably, Joshua Fleming […]

photo - President Joseph A. Manickam hands the new archer airplane keys to Mike Baker, director of the School of Aviation, accompanied by Caleb Loss, vice president of finance, and a representative of Tomahawk Aero Services.

Aviation program adds new aircraft to its fleet

Just in time for the start of the new academic year, Hesston College School of Aviation added another aircraft to its fleet. The Piper PA-28-181 Archer II becomes the fourth in the program’s fleet and satisfies the program’s current demands while allowing consideration for future student enrollment expansion, according to Mike Baker, director of Hesston […]

Hesston College School of Aviation

Aviation students make first in-person appearance, perform well in regional competition

Students from Hesston College’s School of Aviation traveled to Mankato, Minnesota on Tuesday, Oct. 19, to participate in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region VI SAFECON competition. The three-member team, including Tobias Yoder ’23, Joshua Fleming ’24 and Matthew Manickam ’24, placed highest in the flight simulation event. Sophomore Joshua Fleming ranked highest overall […]

landing a plane at dusk, Newton City-County Airport

College’s School of Aviation invited to join prestigious intercollegiate organization

Hesston College’s School of Aviation has been invited to join the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA). Membership in NIFA offers Hesston College aviation students invaluable opportunities to compete and network with students from some of the largest and most prestigious collegiate flight programs in the United States. According to the NIFA website, the organization was […]

a Piper Archer II from the Hesston College fleet

Hesston College Aviation granted approval for satellite pilot school

Aspiring pilots in northern Indiana will have a new way to jumpstart their flight training beginning in August 2020. Hesston College Aviation in Hesston, Kansas, was granted FAA approval to establish a satellite pilot school at the Goshen Municipal Airport. The satellite location will be operated in a direct partnership venture with New Horizons Aviation, […]

Austin Troyer and Jaden Lais

Aviation program boosts opportunities and enrollment with addition of bachelor’s degree

The skies over south central Kansas are abuzz with the excitement and energy of student pilots in flight as Hesston College settles into its newest bachelor degree program in aviation-professional pilot. In the inaugural year of the expanded program, Hesston College Aviation is flying with 47 students, an increase of nine from the spring 2019 […]

Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche

Now Boarding: Vision 2025

First it was a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Now it’s aviation. And that’s not where the growth stops. Early in 2019, Hesston College administrators began unveiling a growth plan that gives the Hesston College of the future some distinct differences from the Hesston College of the last 110 years. Namely, four-year bachelor degree programs in […]

Hesston College plane in flight

Hesston College Aviation and MEDA to partner for learning event

A joint event with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) and Hesston College Aviation, on June 4 will provide an opportunity for those with interest in international economic development or the aviation industry to learn more about opportunities within south central Kansas. Hesston College Aviation will host the MEDA Kansas Network Hub for its quarterly gathering […]

Aviation professor Amy Birdsell leads Aviation Safety class. The aviation program received approval to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree program, which will begin in August 2019.

Aviation approved for bachelor’s degree program

Hesston College has been granted approval by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the college’s accrediting agency, for a bachelor’s degree program in aviation-professional pilot. The college plans to launch the program for the 2019-20 year. The bachelor’s degree in aviation will be the second baccalaureate program for Hesston College, joining the Bachelor of Science in […]

Hesston College Aviation student, Gracie Hochstetler (Leesburg, Ind.), goes through pre-flight checks on one of the college’s planes. Hesston College Aviation recently entered into a partnership with passenger airline company SkyWest Airlines that will give Hesston graduates connections and a more streamlined and efficient pathway to transition into a flying career.

Aviation program finalizes first industry partnership

In an effort to provide a variety of continuing education and career opportunities to students, Hesston College Aviation recently established a partnership with SkyWest Airlines, a passenger airline company that operates in partnership with Delta Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. As an official SkyWest Airlines Partner School, students from Hesston’s aviation program […]

Mike Baker

Hesston College Aviation prepares to welcome new program director

Hesston College Vice President of Academics, Brent Yoder, has announced Mike Baker, Andover, Kan., as the new director of aviation. His first day will be July 9. Baker comes to Hesston from the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – Wichita Flight Standards District Office (US DOT/FAA – FSDO) where he has served as […]

Alex Hunter, Aviation - Air Traffic Control

Air traffic control with a side of ham radio: A recipe for success

Someday in the not too distant future, Alex Hunter ’18 plans to be sitting in a radar control room, directing airplane traffic between its starting point and ending destination. Before Hunter had even earned his Hesston College degree in Aviation – Air Traffic Control (ATC) on May 13, he’d already moved part way through the […]

Jordan Stoltzfus, Hesston College sophomore aviation student

A dramatic landing gives student pilot a unique perspective

January 19, 2015, is a day that will forever live in the mind of Jordan Stoltzfus, a sophomore aviation student at Hesston College. On that day, Stoltzfus survived total engine failure of an airplane, followed by an emergency landing, and lived to tell about it–an experience that not many pilots, seasoned veterans or otherwise, would […]

Hesston College announces new position for Aviation

Hesston College Vice President of Academics Sandra Zerger announced the appointment of Richard Binkley to the new position of Aviation Operations Manager. Binkley will serve the college’s aviation department through financial planning and management, fleet management, curriculum oversight and classroom and flight instruction. He began his role February 11. “We added this new role in […]