Wright State University to Honor 28 Aviation Students with Wing Pinning Ceremony at Dayton Air Show

Ohio, USA – Wright State University's Aviation Science and Technology Program honored 28 aviation students with a ceremonial wing pinning at the Dayton Air Show, recognising their completion of first FAA pilot certification — the initial milestone in the university's four-year collegiate aviation pathway.

• The ceremony was held at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia during the June 13-14 Dayton Air Show, presenting students with a flight jacket, name patch, and wings corresponding to their earned FAA certification level, marking successful completion of the first year of the program.
• To earn the certification, students completed a ground course, passed the FAA Knowledge Exam, accumulated required flight hours, completed specific maneuvers and ground instruction, and passed an FAA check ride with a designated pilot examiner.
• Incoming students were also invited to attend the ceremony, providing peer connection and early exposure to the program's progression milestones and the commitment required by collegiate flight training.
• Wright State aviation students received hands-on flight training at First Flight Aviation, an educational training facility based at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Miamisburg, Ohio.
• The four-year program is designed to take students with little or no prior aviation experience to paid professional flight instructor status within two years, contributing to the domestic CFI pipeline and addressing the broader US pilot shortage.
• Completion of all program requirements leads to a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science and Technology, with graduates needing to accumulate 1,500 additional flight hours for airline transport pilot eligibility.

Statements

• "Aviation is remarkable, wondrous and contagious, but it's a lot of work. Air shows can make it look so easy and effortless, but these students are right in the middle of the grind. Seeing firsthand that hard work pays off is something to celebrate and gives them extra motivation to keep going until the next milestone — becoming a certified flight instructor," said Diane Vitas, Director of the Aviation Science and Technology Program at Wright State University.
• "Dayton International hosting their own air show makes it a great place to recognize the next generation of professional pilots, who are investing in their future through Wright State and our aviation program," said Diane Vitas, Director of the Aviation Science and Technology Program at Wright State University.

Source: Wright State University