Chaffey College Adds Cessna Aircraft to Aviation Program

The newest addition to the aviation program required street closures, heavy equipment for transportation and teamwork across the Chaffey College community to ensure its arrival.

It’s a 1972 Cessna 414, acquired to meet new FAA certification requirements for students.

“What this Cessna aircraft is going to do is it’s going to open new horizons for our students as they train to become the next generation of skilled aviation professionals,” said Dean Yolanda Friday.

Students, faculty and staff gathered in the aviation labs Nov. 6 to celebrate.

The aircraft, purchased for $240,000, replaces the previous Cessna students had been using in the lab since at least the 1980s when Professor of Aviation Maintenance Technology Jack Little was a student.

The plane was completely disassembled, transported and then reassembled in the lab during the summer. It is one of several ways the program has expanded in the last year, including the addition of night classes.

“There is a demand of AMT technicians in the industry and we wanted to help support the industry by providing more AMTs,” Little said.

The plane has turbo-charged engines, pressurization, an ice-protection system and electric landing gear, among its other features, providing students with training they didn’t have access to before.

Friday thanked to departments across the campus community, including grants, purchasing, maintenance and operations, police and more to make the acquisition of the plane possible.

“This Cessa is much more than an aircraft. It’s a symbol of teamwork, opportunity and Chaffey College’s ongoing investment in student success,” Friday said.