Muhlenberg County Airport unveils new hangar for aviation training

GREENVILLE, Ky. (WEHT) — Muhlenberg County airport officials and Governor Andy Beshear cut the ribbon on a new hangar today. Students in the aviation program at Madisonville Community College will get hands-on experience that is not available at any other college in Kentucky.

Governor Andy Beshear says a new hangar ensures children never have to leave home to chase their dreams, even if they're as big as aviation.

The Muhlenberg County Airport is now home to Kentucky's only college aviation training for helicopter pilots. With a new 10,000 square foot hangar, MCC will use the facility to store planes and hope to eventually introduce an aviation mechanics program.

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The county's previous Economic Director says it all started with a phone call from the previous President of the Madisonville-Hopkins County's Economic Development Corporation...7 years ago.

"There's been a lot of meetings, a lot of grants written, a lot of time spent getting here. We actually have trouble keeping instructors in our program, because when they get a certain amount of flight hours they can qualify to fly for FedEx or UPS or a regional airline. They get snatched up pretty quick," says Gary Jones, Retired Muhlenberg County Economic Director.

Over 80 pilots have racked up around 3000 flight hours since the aviation program began in 2021.

This will be the first class to use the hangar, and Governor Andy Beshear says he hopes it will keep more pilots in Kentucky.

"We think about the tornadoes that came through in December of 2021...Six months later, the flooding in July of 2022. It was helicopter pilots that were ultimately pulling people from the water, and saving them. We had 1,500 saves during the first 48 hours and our helicopter pilots were the brave heroes that made it happen," says Governor Beshear.

They'll create and fill more pilot jobs and even hire graduates of the institution.

Since the aviation program kicked off at MCC, officials say they've seen an increase in businesses moving to the area. They say the development will help expand the fleet. Next, Jones says they'll focus on getting the next program off the ground. "...get all the parties to the table to certify that mechanic program, get the curriculum written for them and get it started," says Jones.