UMES Airplane repair program recieves new plane, as program ramps up for Spring 2024 launch
SALISBURY, Md. – Wicomico County Officials are praising the arrival of a plane that will be a key part of the Airline Maintenance Technician program slated to begin in the spring 2024 semester in partnership with UMES.
The program was funded by a $3.3 million grant from the Rural Maryland Economic Development Fund (State of Maryland) to establish an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) program at SBY Airport, with the plane, a King Air B99, costing $399,000
The AMT program will start with 25 students and can scale to 75 students, and “the idea is to provide great careers for students and fill an existing and long-term need for the airlines, we can also grow the entire aviation and aeronautical sector for years to come,” said Salisbury Wicomico Economic Development Director David Ryan.
Salisbury Airport Director Tony Rudy says, currently Piedmont Airlines, currently has to outsource heavy maintenance efforts to other facilities, as there is a lack of workforce for the repairs to be done in-house at their Salisbury headquarters, something the AMT program is hoping to change.
“Piedmont is actually kind of in a small crisis right now with the amount of mechanics they have to work on their aircraft. So some of that work they farmed out to other places, such as their heavy maintenance program,” he said adding the program aims to get a starting class of 25 students FAA certified within 12 months.
Rudy says the plane will play a direct role in the student’s education, as they learn how to disassemble and repair virtually all parts of the plane.
“They’d be looking at, you know, you look at the engines, the skin of the aircraft, the wheels, the brakes, the hydraulic systems, navigation everything,” he said.
Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano tells 47ABC she has been pushing for the program since she began her term, and will continue to ask the Moore Administration for more state dollars to increase educators, and eventually give the program a new home, as it is set to be launched from Piedmont hanger that they have given to the county for the program.
“The goal is to give that back and have a dedicated site, and educators and of course state dollars are paramount in that,” Giordano said adding she believes the program will be an easy sell to an administration looking to be very selective on new spending following reports of stalled state revenues.
” Two weeks ago I met with the Budget Secretary, so she was she’s very aware of how important this project is, that it is a top priority,” Giordano said adding “Piedmont has offered to I think they’ve guaranteed jobs to the first 75. So that’ll be three cohorts.”
Giordano tells 47ABC that UMES has approved the curriculum, and is awaiting approval from USM.
