CONWAY, Ark. — A new partnership in Conway is hoping to take students to new heights.
The University of Central Arkansas Aviation Academy launches in Spring 2024, training students in various flight programs.
"I'm in my seventh year here at UCA and in Arkansas," UCA President Houston Davis said. "I don't think I've been stopped about something more than this."
That partnership connects UCA, the City of Conway, and the Conway Regional Airport. Starting next year, students will train in commercial and private licenses and instrument ratings.
"President Davis talked about partnerships, and that's true," Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry said. "That's what makes Conway the great city that it is."
Students who complete the training will enter a field desperately looking for pilots.
"The demand is absolutely there. We know thousands and thousands are needed," Davis said. "We're going to do what we can to start working the puzzle... move toward being able to fill that void."
Anyone over 17 is welcome to enroll, whether they're a student at UCA or not. Grants and financial aid will be available, and military veterans can use their GI Bill.
Flying planes isn't cheap, but the goal is to make learning to fly cheaper.
"We know that families in Arkansas struggle," Davis said. "What can we do to make certain that we structure ground school, the private structure, and then the commercial licensure to keep costs as absolutely low as possible."
According to Brad Teague with UCA, the program will cost roughly $300 per hour, and with 35-40 hours of flight training needed, you're looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $10,000.
For more information on the program, click here.