Purdue Global student is taking his aviation career to new heights

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Global student Adrian Mullins has dreamed of flying airplanes since childhood, when his family would spend time traveling between their home in Georgia and his parents’ home country of England.

“My interest in aviation started when we would take all of these flights back and forth,” Mullins said. “And whenever you get on a plane, you always look in the cockpit and think, ‘Wow. How do the pilots know how to work all of those buttons and switches?’ In addition, my mom was a flight attendant, and my dad designed airplane engines, so I was intrigued from an early age.”

Other hobbies, such as building model airplanes and flying remote-controlled planes, deepened Mullins’ fascination with aviation. Still, he wasn’t sure he could achieve his dream of being a pilot, so he pursued other interests and jobs like fixing and painting cars, which would eventually lead him toward the aviation industry.

“I did some auto collision and paint work on vehicles in and right out of high school, as well as worked in some body shops before landing a job with a major manufacturing company, which led to painting planes and working in the machine shop of a major airline for the last 13 years,” Mullins said.

During this time Mullins began to realize his dream of flying planes, and not just working on them, could become a reality. This led him to begin flight training at Superior Flight School in Kennesaw, Georgia, where he is working toward his goal of becoming a corporate or commercial airline pilot.

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Discovering Purdue Global

Mullins first discovered Purdue Global when he saw posters advertising the opportunity to earn a degree while building flight hours at Superior Flight School, leading him to inquire about the program.

“I learned that the flight certificates count as part of the degree and that my prior technical college credits transfer over as well, which gives you a good head start on a bachelor’s degree,” Mullins said.

Currently enrolled in Purdue Global’s School of Aviation, Mullins is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in professional flight while working full time in the airline’s machine shop. Despite the challenges of balancing work, flight school and his personal life, Mullins is determined to make his dreams of flying a reality.

“If it wasn’t for Purdue Global, I don’t think I could do this,” Mullins said. “The flexibility of online classes has allowed me to balance work and school while I continue my flight training.”

Purdue Global’s School of Aviation is a collaboration with Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. The partnership, which was announced in 2019, combines the quality of Purdue’s legendary aviation program and aviation history with Purdue Global’s flexibility and affordability.

Courses are developed and taught by professors who have spent their careers in the aviation industry and researched industry safety standards. This is something that Mullins has appreciated, ultimately enhancing his learning experience.

“I’ve noticed that all of the professors are either actively in the industry as pilots or in the training departments or own a flight school, so they’re all extremely knowledgeable on the subjects, which is a great benefit to students,” Mullins said.

Mullins has also appreciated the accessibility of the professors, which he finds helpful when he and his classmates have questions about coursework.

“Many of the professors, for instance, create group chats for everyone in the class during the term,” Mullins said. “That way, if anyone has a question, the whole class sees the question as well as the response from the professor, which is beneficial to us all.”

Because of the support of Purdue Global’s flexible online program, a multitude of flight partner options, and credits for prior learning and experience, Mullins’ journey has been one he would recommend to anyone interested in pursuing a career in aviation.

“My time at Purdue Global has been great. It’s very flexible for somebody who works full time and attends flight school, or somebody who has a family or can’t attend a traditional college,” he said.

Mullins, who owns his own plane — a Cessna 150 — is also considering obtaining an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic certification, which Mullins said many of his colleagues have pursued.

“I don’t have my A&P license yet, but I’ve done more work on my plane than flying it,” Mullins said. “I’ve been working on the plane for the past year, and it’s a great hands-on way to build more experience.”

Mullins remains optimistic about his future as a pilot.

“My goal after completing the degree with Purdue Global is to finish building the 1,500 hours required to become an airline pilot and then transition from maintenance to the flight deck.”

While Mullins’ future goals are still taking shape, he is committed to clearing the runway to success.

“I’m focused on my goal,” Mullins said. “I’m hoping to either fly for a regional airline or, eventually, a major carrier. I want to do what I’ve always dreamed of — being in the cockpit.”

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.