Purdue and the United States Space Force are collaborating to introduce high school students to careers in aviation and space. Students will spend a week on campus this summer to gain practical experience in Purdue Polytechnic’s four major aviation fields, including management, engineering technology, unmanned systems, and flight. The School of Aviation and Transportation Technology is collaborating with other Purdue offices on the inaugural program.

The 2023 edition of Purdue Aviation Day will feature presentations by a Navy test pilot and United Airlines captain, both of whom are Purdue alums, plus a demonstration by the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights, a world-renowned team of skilled parachuters. Commercial and military aircraft will also be on display. The free, family-friendly event takes place Saturday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Purdue University Airport.

Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to participate in the Airport Cooperative Research Program’s University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs. Students from Purdue have placed first, second and/or third in one or more competition categories every year since 2014.

Students in Purdue Polytechnic’s aviation technology-related majors won first- and third-place awards at the Transportation Research Board’s annual University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs.

Purdue Aviation Day will be held April 9, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Purdue University Airport. The event, which is free and open to the public, offers families the opportunity to explore aircraft from different eras, hear guest speakers and view exhibits from the aviation industry. No tickets or registration are required.

General aviation pilots will be welcome to fly their aircraft to the event and attend a “fly-in breakfast” from 9 to 11 a.m. Pilots flying in are asked to register in advance; see the link in the article.

The annual aviation celebration is planned and executed exclusively by student leaders within the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology in Purdue’s Polytechnic Institute.

John H. Mott, associate professor of aviation and transportation technology, has been named the new head of Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology.

Qilei Zhang, graduate research assistant in Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, is developing a data-driven approach to accurately quantify operations estimates for general aviation airports. His research could help airports that do not have air traffic controllers develop better ways to control noise and emissions.

Dawit Lemma, founder and CEO of Krimson Aviation and a 2002 graduate from Purdue’s aeronautical engineering technology and flight technology programs, launched the $100,000 Krimson Aviation Scholarship and the Krimson Business Opportunity Program Scholarship for students from minority groups under-represented in aviation.

Purdue’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology has created the Purdue University National Aviation Symposium – Emerging Critical Shortages of Pilots and Maintenance Technicians, a three-day symposium in the fall of 2022 to identify and mitigate challenges to creating a sufficient pool of qualified pilots and technicians. The symposium will feature Stephen Dickson, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Purdue Polytechnic’s Caroline Marete was selected by the nonprofit Eno Center for Transportation as the recipient of the 2021 Thomas J. O’Bryant Fellowship.