NATA Industry Excellence Award Recipients Continued from page 31 Airport Executive Partnership Award: William T. Hutto, Jr., A.A.E., Ph.D. Bill Hutto, Airport and Aviation Center Director at Auburn University Regional Airport since 2001, helped the university celebrate the 75th anniversary of its manned flight training program in 2016—a perfect occasion for a look back on that history and even bet- ter cause for his team to look forward to the future. “In June, we’re breaking ground on Phase 1 of a proj- ect that will replace a structure built in 1950 and will include a 23,000-square foot facility with a flight dis- patch area, weather evaluation and planning rooms, a simulation bay with three flight simulators, and three large classrooms so that we’ll be able to teach all of our classes in this one facility,” Hutto said. “It will be a $15 million-dollar project all said and done, and ide- ally it will help position us well for our next 75 years. We’ve done quite a bit of work already in recent years, and have many more improvements in the works.” Interest in the program has skyrocketed, with 156 stu- dents currently enrolled in its Bachelor of Science degree programs in Professional Flight Management and Aviation Management through Auburn University’s Ramond J. Harbert College of Business. The airport, located just three miles from the main university campus, is owned by the university. Professional Flight Management stu- dents complete ground and flight courses and complete Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certification, and Multi-Engine Ratings, with options to complete Certified Flight Instructor, Certified Flight Instructor with Instrument Rating, and Multi-Engine Instructor. “The way our student population is growing, we may have to move to Phase 2 soon,” Hutto said. “We’ve been working to do our part in solving the national pilot short- age through active recruiting, a new marketing outreach program, a new aviation summer camp for high school students hosted by the university, and a student ambas- sador program that sends some of our students out to high schools, air shows and flying events, and career expos. We’ve also developed a career pipeline program with Express Jet, Jet Blue, and Envoy to guarantee our students interviews to help with job prospects after gradu- ation. So far so good: our student numbers have nearly doubled since we started some of these initiatives.” Many improvements have been made to support avia- tion interests in the last several years, including the addi- tion of a glideslope antenna and approach lighting system, a new general aviation terminal, new taxiways, new air- field lighting, the development of two areas on the air- port designed for general aviation activities, and the like. Since 2004, over $40M in construction has occurred or is in process with additional improvements planned. The airport, university and its students are close to Hutto’s heart: he earned his BS in Aviation Management 32 Aviation Business Journal | 2nd Quarter 2017
