Chattahoochee Technical College hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in September in Paulding County to mark the beginning of construction for the college’s $35-million Aviation Training Academy.
Community leaders gathered with Chattahoochee Tech staff and faculty at a site near the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport. The three-story, 55,000-square-foot facility planned for this location will provide space for up to 200 students who will train in aviation mechanics and maintenance. It will include a 12,000-square-foot hangar along with instructional labs, classrooms, and a technical library. This facility also will include an administrative wing to provide for an FAA testing lab and college faculty offices.
Specific programs of study planned for the Aviation Training Academy include Aviation Maintenance Technician-Powerplant and Aircraft Structural Technology. Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics repair, service and maintain parts of an aircraft that include the engine, landing gear, brakes and air-conditioning systems. A program of study also will be offered at the new facility in Aircraft Structural Upholstery and Trim.
“There is a soaring industry demand for more aviation maintenance professionals,” said Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb. “The Aviation Training Academy will allow us to respond to that workforce need and provide students with real-world, practical training for successful careers in this field. We are so appreciative of the Governor’s and General Assembly’s commitment to our mission of strengthening both individuals and businesses through workforce training.”
The Chattahoochee Tech Aviation Training Academy project was announced in 2018, with the $24-million project programming and design work beginning in 2021. Croft & Associates, a Georgia-based national architecture, design and engineering firm, created the design for the Chattahoochee Tech Aviation Training Academy. Construction for this new facility is anticipated to be completed in approximately 13 to 15 months.
