Fairways For The Airways

Instructor Mike Smith

he also obtained his pilot’s license, which led him to fly commercial aircraft like air taxis and sky banners.

After leaving the Air Force in 1977, Smith enrolled at PIA Pittsburgh, which was the only PIA campus at the time. He also became a flight instructor for Vee Neal Aviation, which enabled him to give flying lessons to several of his classmates and even his PIA instructors.

In 1979, Smith graduated from PIA with his A&P certification and returned to Myrtle Beach, where he worked for over 30 years as a technician for a variety of regional companies, including Canal Wood, Sands Investment Group, and AVX. In most cases, Smith’s employers were looking for a pilot-mechanic. “The A&P has gotten me every job I’ve ever had,” said Smith. “A lot of guys could fly those planes, but they couldn’t fix them. I could.”

Smith joined the PIA Myrtle Beach faculty in 2012 after seeing a newspaper ad announcing the new campus. Since then he’s taught hundreds of students, but he says the most important lessons aren’t always the ones in the books.

“As a PIA instructor, you also want to pass on the tribal knowledge, the things they don’t always teach in school,” says Smith. “How to remove a screw that’s frozen without breaking it. That’s something you’re not gonna find in the manual. But it’s the kind of knowledge we can teach because we’ve been there, and we know it firsthand. That's the difference." 

PIA Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser 9•23•22

FAIRWAYS AIRWAYS FOR THE

The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics held its annual fundraising event September 23, 2022. The golf outing, held at Butler's Golf Course, raised more approximately $10,000 in support of the PIA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

"This event holds a very special place in my heart, and I love seeing all of the hard work come to fruition," says Andrea Smith, Records & Compliance Coordinator at PIA, who chairs the event "Fairways for the Airways wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support we receive from our sponsors and, of course, our amazing volunteers. They believe in what we do and step up to make sure this event is a success! I am grateful for the opportunity to plan this event and to help raise money for PIA’s Memorial Scholarship Fund."

PIA would like to thank the event sponsors who contributed to the education of future aviation technicians, and everyone involved with planning and executing this event. We look forward to seeing you in 2023 for the next event! 

SAVE THE DATE 

PIA plans to hold the next Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser Event on September 22, 2023. Interested participants should reach out to Andrea Smith at asmith@pia.edu to get more information on the event.