C OM MU NI T Y
N EW HE IG HT S
Moore Norman Celebrates the Opening of New Aviation Program
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ith the theme song from the movie “Top Gun” playing in the background, dignitaries and others gathered in an airplane hangar on the campus of Moore Norman Technology Center to celebrate the opening of its aviation maintenance center training program. The hands-on training program, offered at the center’s Franklin Road campus, provides students with a direct path to a career in aviation and aerospace, Oklahoma’s second largest and fastest growing industry. Glen Cosper, president of the MNTC board, was among those who spoke at the Sept. 25 ribbon cutting ceremony. He thanked current and former board members for their contributions to the program and compared it to a “Tom Brady 90-yard touchdown drive late in the game.” “You don’t know how long it will take, you don’t know how it will happen, you don’t know how many players will be involved,” he said. “But you do know we will score, and our fans will be happy with the outcome.” MNTC teamed with industry partners and state and local leaders to develop the training program in response to the region’s growing demand for workers who are certified by the Federal Aviation Administra-
26 | November 2023
tion in airframe and powerplant mechanics. Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, worked closely with Cosper and Lee Dow, the center’s director of aerospace and technology, to get the program off the ground two years ago. Rosino said the aerospace and aviation industry contributes approximately $44 billion annually to Oklahoma’s economy. Cleveland County, meanwhile, is home to more than 28 related companies, including 19 in Norman. “One of my biggest concerns, as a south Oklahoma City representative, was Will Rogers (Airport) is right here, Tinker (Air Force Base) is right here, we have Max Westheimer, and Moore Norman had no aviation program,” he said. “I just couldn’t understand that.” Rosino recognized the program’s inaugural class, which started with 17 students in August and will take 18 months to complete. “Those students are the future of aerospace and aviation in the state of Oklahoma, and it’s starting right here in Moore Norman,” he said. Students will learn how to conduct pre-flight inspections, perform routine aircraft maintenance, and repair airframe and powerplant (engine) components,
