The History of the Department of Aviation Technology
In the 1940s the Aeronautical Engineering
school developed a 4-year non-engineering program in Air Transportation.
This program with options in flight, maintenance, and management
utilized the university owned airport and aircraft as a laboratory.
Included in these resources was Purdue Aeronautics Corporation,
which operated the airport and a fleet of DC-3 aircraft.
By the 1950s the engineering school determined that the Air
Transportation program was not consistent with their future
goals. The management portion of the program was absorbed
into the then developing School of Management. The flight
and maintenance options were in effect terminated. In
order to make use of the available resources flight and maintenance-training
programs were established in the Division of Technical Institutes
(DTI). This was the beginning of what is now known as
the Department of Aviation Technology.
Departmental Organization
A two-year program in Aviation Maintenance
Technology (AMT) was created in 1954 followed by Professional
Pilot Technology (PPT) in 1956. The emphasis of the
AMT program was providing the student eligibility for the
Civil Aeronautics Administration Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
certification. The PPT program utilized Purdue Aeronautics
CorporationÕs (PAC) DC-3 aircraft and required the students
to have a commercial pilot certificate prior to entering the
program. Initially, both programs heavily utilized PAC
equipment and facilities for laboratories. Although
located on the West Lafayette campus the program was not considered
a part of the standard university. Academic subjects
were taught in special courses and aviation students paid
extra fees.
Specialized course and laboratory development
and integration into the University mainstream were major
goals of the late 1950s. By 1960 all academic subjects
were being taught within the regular university course structure.
Beginning in 1961 aviation students paid only the standard
university tuition and fees. A third program, Aviation
Electronics Technology (AET), was initiated with the fall
of 1961. Students graduating in the spring of 1962 were
the first to receive associate degrees. Three significant
events occurred in 1964; the development of the School of
Technology, the development of an ab-initio flight training
program, and the conversion of the existing flight option
into a BS degree program.
The School of Technology was formed as an
organizational structure for the various two-year associate
degree programs including aviation technology. Also
included in the school were the departments of Industrial
Education and Industrial Supervision, both 4-year Bachelor
of Science degree granting programs. The creation of
the School of Technology enhanced the concept of the 2+2 curricula
at a time when an increasing number of students were seeking
a BS degree. Also of major significance was the designation
of the aviation unit as a department of a school. This
structure continues today and has allowed the continual growth
and development of the Department of Aviation Technology.
Significant events include:
- The demise of Purdue Aeronautics Corporation and its
sequel, Purdue Airlines, Inc., during the early 1970s, forcing
the development of additional courses and laboratories.
- A second BS degree option for aviation maintenance students
initiated in 1977.
- The aviation electronics program terminated as an associate
degree program in the late 1970s. Most content and
resources relocated as advanced coursework in the aviation
maintenance BS degree option.
- Development of the Aviation Administration (AAT) program
during the mid-1980s.
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) changed to Aeronautical
Technology (AOT) to better reflect mission of program.
- Expansion of Aviation Technology coursework to the Indianapolis
Statewide Technology site during the early 1990s.
- Development of industrial partnerships.
- Renaming of Aviation Administration (AAT) to Aviation
Management (AM) in 2003.
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