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Pima honors 62 Aviation Technology Program completers on April 14

Jessica Cox, first armless pilot in aviation history, is keynote speaker

Tucson, AZ – Jessica Cox, founder and CEO of Jessica Cox Motivational Services, will be the keynote speaker at the Aviation Technology Program Completion Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. April 14 in the new hangar at the Aviation Technology Center.

What: Aviation Technology Program Completion Ceremony 
When:  5:30 p.m. April 14, 2023. 
Where: Hangar 2, Pima Community College Aviation Technology Center, 7211 S. Park Ave.
Details: 62 students completing degrees or certificates in Aviation Technology; pima.edu/aviation

Tucson native Cox is best known for becoming the first armless pilot in aviation history. Pima’s program helped her ready an RV-10 fuselage simulator for her The Impossible Airplane project promotion in the 2023 Tucson Rodeo Parade, for which she was Grand Marshal. When complete, it will be the first exclusively foot-controlled airplane in history.

Isaac Thompson will be the Student Speaker at the ceremony, honoring 62 students.

Pima’s Aviation Technology Program is one of the most respected and dynamic in the country, and is the only maintenance and repair training facility in the Southwest that specializes in large commercial jets. Due to the facility’s recent expansion, the program is poised to expand to meet the skyrocketing job growth in Southern Arizona’s aviation industry.

The program’s Airframe and Powerplant courses are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and run year-round. It is one of a handful of programs where students conduct hands-on learning on commercial transport aircraft.

Pima offers an Aviation Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree, as well as certificates in Aircraft Airframe Mechanics, Aircraft General Mechanics, Aircraft Powerplant Mechanics, Aircraft Structural Repair, Avionics Technician and Nondestructive Testing. It also offers an Airframe and Powerplant Exam Prep Course for veteran military aircraft mechanics to take their FAA exams.

In October 2022, Pima celebrated the completion of a $15 million expansion of the Aviation Technology Center, adding a second hangar and state-of-the-art classrooms. This expansion will double the number of new graduates every year, filling openings that would otherwise potentially go unfilled, earning an average of $52,000 per year, and generating payroll revenue to the statewide economy.


CONTACT:

Libby Howell, APR, Executive Director
Media, Government and Community Relations
520-549-9093, ehowell1@pima.edu
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