Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program has expanded its hands-on training resources with the donation of a Cessna 401A aircraft.
The aircraft was donated by a private individual from Dalton and marks the fourth 400-series Cessna airplane now owned by GNTC. According to program director and instructor Zac Fager, the aircraft will be used across all areas of instruction within the Aviation Maintenance Technology program.
“GNTC could not train tomorrow’s workforce without the support of our community partners,” said GNTC President Dr. Heidi Popham. “We are grateful for this generous gift, which will help prepare students to become the skilled professionals needed by the aviation industry.”
Fager said the aircraft had been housed in a hangar at the Dalton Municipal Airport before being relocated to GNTC’s Aviation Training Center, where it was reassembled.
“I previously worked at the Dalton Municipal Airport and had expressed interest to the airport manager in securing aircraft donations for the program,” Fager said. “A few weeks later, an individual contacted me about donating his aircraft.”
The donation comes at a critical time, Fager noted, as the program continues to need additional aircraft for student training.
“In aviation maintenance training, students are continually disassembling, inspecting, repairing, or replacing aircraft components,” Fager said. “Having additional aircraft allows us to provide high-quality instruction and ensures our graduates gain the Airframe and Powerplant experience necessary to be workforce-ready.”