A Boeing 727 retired from the FedEx Corp. fleet has become most recent addition to the aircraft to be used to train pilots in Western Michigan University’s
College of Aviation.
The aircraft was flown in and landed at WMU's W.K. Kellogg Airport facility where it was presented to the school in a formal ceremony. Officials from Fed Ex and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals were on hand for the event. OBAP has been a partner with the College of Aviation since 1998.
The Boeing 727-200 freighter will offer a chance for hands-on experience for the pilots in training. For 20 years, it had been in service, transporting packages throughout the United States.
The air freighter is one of more than 47 of its Boeing 727 aircraft to be donated by FedEx to various organizations for educational purposes since 2000.
The donation of the aircraft by FedEx is one way the company supports education endeavors, "reflecting the community spirit shared by all FedEx employees in the communities where we live and work," says David Sutton, managing director of aircraft acquisition and sales for FedEx.
Nearly 700 students are enrolled in the College of Aviation’s three programs -- aviation aviation maintenance technology, aviation science and administration, and aviation flight science.
The college's mission is to prepare leaders who are sought after by the aerospace industry and to engage in meaningful research that advances the knowledge base. Founded in 1939, the college has operated since 1997 from the W.K. Kellogg Airfield in Battle Creek.
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave
Source: Cheryl Roland, Western Michigan University
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.