Purdue University Global expands professional flight degree program with New Orleans Aerial Tours & Flight Training partnership

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University Global continues to make its popular professional flight program more easily accessible to students by partnering with regional flight schools. The latest joint venture is with New Orleans Aerial Tours & Flight Training (NOAT&FT).

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“As we continue to grow our popular professional flight program, we aspire to find qualified partners throughout the country in order to better serve our students and keep their costs in check,” said Sara Sander, Purdue Global vice president and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the School of Education. “New Orleans Aerial Tours & Flight Training provides another attractive option and comes with an impressive track record. We are pleased to join forces with them.”

Purdue Global also has regional flight training partnerships with Sterling Flight Training in Jacksonville, Florida, and Cincinnati-based Lunken Flight Training Center.

“New Orleans Aerial Tours & Flight Training has been working hard to find the right partner for a degree program, and we are thrilled to be affiliated with Purdue Global,” owner Krystal Hukmani said. “With the diverse airspace in New Orleans and the great weather that allows us to fly almost every day of the year, NOAT&FT and Purdue Global are perfect partners for a career in aviation to take off.”

Purdue Global’s professional flight degree program is a collaboration between Purdue Global and Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology – announced in 2019. It combines the quality of Purdue’s legendary aviation program spanning more than six decades with the flexibility and affordability that Purdue Global offers.

Students accepted into the program, with a private pilot certificate, will complete their Bachelor of Science degree courses online through Purdue Global, which includes aviation and general education classes, while completing professional flight training at one of the Purdue Global affiliate training centers across the country. During flight training, students will working to earn certificates and ratings in instrument, commercial, multi-engine and certified flight instructor.

New Orleans Aerial Tours & Flight Training has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for in-house examining authority for its instrument course and is awaiting approval on in-house private pilot examining authority.

“There are various career paths, including positions in commercial airlines, corporate flight departments, charter services, freight companies and more,” Hukmani said. “NOAT&FT offers training from private pilot to professional pilot, and we are eager to help students navigate the right path to their dream job in the air.”

As students progress in their flight training to becoming certified flight instructors, they will have the foundation necessary to serve as flight instructors and accrue additional flight experience required by airlines and corporate flight departments to get hired as professional pilots. Upon reaching certified flight instructor status, students enrolled in the program can begin working full time teaching others and earn compensation for their work, which can help with education costs and living expenses.

Purdue’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, one of six departments and schools in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, is recognized worldwide as a leader in aviation education and provides its expertise in curriculum development, faculty hiring and accreditation by the Aviation Accreditation Board International.

As U.S. airline pilots approach the federally mandated retirement age of 65, the industry faces a shortage of pilots. Reports forecast a need for more than 800,000 pilots over the next 20 years, and airlines are already finding it hard to fill open positions. This partnership is designed to get students flying immediately, shortening the timeline to professional pilot in order to meet this demand.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

About NOAT&FT

New Orleans Aerial Tours & Flight Training (NOAT&FT) was founded in 2003 and has been operating from the New Orleans Lakefront Airport since then. NOAT&FT has been recognized for its professional, highly structured flight training programs. Just 12 miles east of New Orleans International, it’s a great airspace to learn in. Approvals from the FAA, Veterans Affairs and SEVIS allow students from all around the world to study at NOAT&FT. The instructors are fully licensed, knowledgeable professionals, continually learning at high levels to ensure the effectiveness of teaching, with close attention to the students’ individual learning needs. At NOAT&FT, “your success is our success!” For more information, visit flynola.com. 

Media Contact: Tom Schott, 765-427-1721, tschott@purdue.edu

Sources: Sara Sander

Krystal Hukmani