After attracting nearly $6 billion in new investment since 2020, Alabama’s rural counties are becoming a go-to location for companies involved in activities that include solar panel manufacturing, aluminum auto parts and graphite processing.
And don’t forget flight training.
In fact, two rural Alabama communities are hosting new aviation academies.
As part of a project announced in March 2024, Republic Airways and its Leadership in Flight Training (LIFT) Academy are developing an advanced flight training program in Macon County that will prepare the next generation of aspiring pilots on the airfield where the famed Tuskegee Airman learned to fly.
Meanwhile, in Selma, Virginia-based Resicum International is basing an aviation training academy at Craig Field, the former U.S. Air Force base where over 10,000 U.S. and British pilots received flight training during World II.
“Alabama’s dynamic aerospace sector possesses capabilities in just about every segment of on the industry, positioning it for growth in activities such as flight training and much more,” said Angela Till, Deputy Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, who is on a recruiting mission to this week’s Farnborough International Airshow 2024.
The projects tap into Alabama’s rich heritage in aviation training, dating back to 1910, when the pioneering Wright Brothers opened their first civilian flight training program in Montgomery.
Fort Novosel (formerly Rucker), located in rural Southeast Alabama, has been the primary training center for all U.S. Army aviators for decades. The base is also home to the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, the aviation branch’s headquarters and its training and development center.
“Aerospace and aviation are key industries for Alabama’s economy, and the contributions of the state’s rural communities are vital to their success,” said Brenda Tuck, Rural Development Manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“It’s a great match, and we’re going to see more and more of it.”
Lifting Tuskegee
In Tuskegee, LIFT is teaming with Tuskegee University and the City of Tuskegee to base the training center at storied Moton Field, where the Tuskegee Airmen received flight training.
The partnership between LIFT and Tuskegee University is designed to recruit and educate future African American pilots with first-rate classroom and flight instruction.
“We are on the grounds where the Tuskegee Airmen made history,” Tuskegee Mayor Tony Haygood said. “And we’re on the way to make new history.”
As part of the project, LIFT will create 35 full-time aviation-related jobs in Tuskegee over a three-year period, with an average annual salary of nearly $75,000. In addition, 57 certified flight instructors will be involved in the program at Moton Field.
The project calls for a capital investment of $27 million for aircraft.
“Alabama has a long history of providing critical flight training for military aviators, and historic Moton Field is the perfect location for a training center for a new generation of commercial pilots,” Governor Kay Ivey said when the project was announced.
“The LIFT Academy is an ideal way to build on the legacy of the Tuskegee Airman by creating solid career opportunities for tomorrow’s pilots.”
Tuskegee’s new program will offer a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Science (pilot track) with a general education core and aviation-science related courses in aerodynamics, aircraft structures, aircraft propulsion and more.
A second component of the program is flight training where students will be able to take the appropriate FAA certification for private and commercial pilot certificates
Returning flight
Craig Field’s long runway, large parking apron and excellent hangar facility made it a perfect match for Resicum’s project, announced in Selma in early 2023.
Resicum’s aviation training academy is aimed future industry professionals from around the world. Instruction includes Resicum’s successful A&P Test Preparation Course, along with avionics training, flight training (fixed and rotor wing) and certificate courses for aviation maintenance skill-building.
“The location is ideal for our company’s expansion, and we look forward to ongoing growth of our aviation operations in this storied place.” Resicum CEO Jeanine Ziervogel said when the project was announced.
Built by the U.S. Army Air Force in 1940 to accommodate a growing number of flight trainees, Craig Field graduated its first class of pilots just seven months before the U.S. entry into World War II. It became Craig Air Force Base in 1947 and trained pilots who served in the Korean War, the Cold War and Vietnam.
It became Selma’s civilian airport after being decommissioned in 1977.
In addition, Craig Field recently became home to a groundbreaking new remote tower facility and Air Traffic Control Training Academy, which are enhancing the complex’s flight safety and training opportunities.
Remote tower technologies allow air traffic controllers to perform all the functions of a traditional control tower from a different location through the extensive use of cameras, real-time video and other advances.
Georgia-based Advanced ATC is leading that project.
