YSU to Take Over Operation of Flight School

VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Youngstown State University will take over operation of the flight school launched earlier this year at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.

The announcement by YSU President Bill Johnson and representatives of the Western Reserve Port Authority came Wednesday morning during WRPA’s regularly scheduled meeting, which was held at the regional airport. 

“We have banners going out that will talk about the first flying penguins being YSU students,” said Anthony Trevena, WRPA executive director.

“We’ve already got our insurance worked out, and it’s my understanding that everything is lined up,” Johnson, who called into the meeting, said. “Unless there’s something that’s happened in the last 24 hours that I don’t know, we definitely plan to continue that flight school.”

The port authority partnered with Eastern Gateway Community College to launch the airport-based flight school, which offers private pilot license certification and which is about six weeks into its first cohort of eight students, according to Trevena. The school’s fate became uncertain following the news last month that Eastern Gateway would pause enrollment. 

“We were very concerned for a period of time about how we would keep these students,” he added.

“It’s very exciting,” said Joseph Maxin, an attorney and pilot who was introduced Wednesday as the port authority’s new director of compliance. “Eastern Gateway was a great partner. It’s unfortunate that they seem to have things on pause, but we want to move forward.”

Details are being worked out, but YSU will handle the administrative side of the program, said Maxin, who also is a lead instructor with the flight school and a past chairman of the port authority’s board of directors.

The private pilot license is “the first step to a lot of launching points for a career,” said Mike Hillman, president of FBO Jets, the airport’s fixed-base operator. In addition to a career as a pilot, options include air traffic control or the military.

Students could simultaneously take for-credit courses toward a degree at YSU while getting the pilot’s license or moving on from the local program upon completion into Kent State University’s aviation program.  

“At this point, airlines are offering $50,000 to $100,000 signing bonuses for qualified individuals, and the demand is great,” Hillman said.

Trevena also promised future announcements about how the program might expand.

In other business, the port authority board approved donating approximately three acres of property located at the corner of Gypsy Lane and Goleta Avenue to the city of Youngstown, contingent upon approvals by the port authority’s legal counsel, Youngstown City Council and the city’s board of control.

Additionally, the board approved selling five acres of property on Motor Inn Drive in Girard to Master Realty LLC for $35,000 plus closing costs, contingent upon legal counsel approval, and purchasing the Reeves Building, 295 W. Market St., Warren, for $525,000. 

The Reeves Building is a public health hazard and is under a demolition decree, Trevena said.

“The Port Authority doing what port authorities do. We are eligible for grants that other private entities are not,” he said. “We’re stepping up into the position of acquiring that building, and then applying for grants to help with its remediation and future.” 

Board members also were shown video of dynamic compaction work being done on a 40-acre section of the Trumbull County property that consumer products company Kimberly-Clark Corp. purchased in December for a proposed manufacturing plant. 

“It takes months to do this,” Trevena said. “Are they working out there? Absolutely But it’s going to be a long time before you see a shovel.”

Pictured at top: From left are Joe Maxin, Anthony Trevena, Rich Edwards, Ed Muransky and Mike Hillman.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.