We Fly Planes with Greg

Transcript

Next, we’re heading to the Orlando Melbourne International Airport, home to FIT Aviation. Florida Tech’s very own flight training facility. Just a short drive from campus, this is where students like Greg Dunn, a junior majoring in aeronautical science with flight, become pilots. Greg is going to talk to us about flying planes here at Florida Tech. Greg, you’re on, take it away.

Hey guys, one thing that sets Florida Tech apart from other colleges, is that we have our own flight school. Florida Tech is home to one of the most respected collegiate aviation programs in the country. As long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. And as you can probably hear, I do have a Jamaican accent. Which means me leaving my small island, and finding that one college that would have made my dreams a reality. That was Florida Tech.

Here we are, at Emil Buehler Center For Aviation Training & Research, which is located about 10 minutes away from the Florida Tech campus, at Orlando Melbourne International Airport. This facility is home to FIT Aviation, also known as Florida Tech’s flight land. As a flight student, my day starts off with me waking up approximately an hour and a half before my flight, and heading to the flight land. I then get checked in at this bird, and my instructor is usually coming out to get the lesson started. This is usually around 5:30 in the morning. So my takeoffs are two hours of course, into the sunrise. This is a breathtaking scene.

Florida Tech has their students to dive head first into their majors. This was extremely important to me, as one of my biggest fears was having to wait over a year to fly. This was not the case at Florida Tech. Soon after arriving on campus, I remember getting a text message from my instructor saying, I had my first fight in the preceding days. Being able to fly so quickly, made me know that Florida Tech had my best interest at heart.

Learning to fly here in Melbourne, Florida is amazing. Not only do we get to take advantage of over 300 days of pristine weather, but we do get one of the best approaches in the world. We fly over the land, fly over sea, we even fly over campus. We have a variety of top of the line, single and multi-engine Piper training aircraft, and an award-winning maintenance department known for excellence in safety and service.

Another thing that I really appreciate, is that Florida Tech are not only here for the students, but they’re here for the community. The team here at FIT Aviation has done everything from flying hurricane relief supplies to The Bahamas, to helping our locals who transport our endangered animal from Texas to here. Florida Tech students are part of something bigger than themselves. In my experience, Florida Tech’s flight land is a tight-knit community of really caring aviators, who want to see the community grow. I urge anyone who has the slightest dreams of becoming a pilot, to take a look at Florida Tech’s program. I can promise you, you won’t regret it. That’s it for me, back to you, Alex.

Greg, I love how you have always wanted to fly planes, and are now making that dream a reality right here at Florida Tech. That was fun, great job. Cheers, Greg.