Two jets find new life at NC community college

JAMESTOWN, N.C. — Sky Aviation Holdings has donated two aircraft valued at more than $350,000 to Guilford Technical Community College.

The aircraft, a 1984 Diamond IA A073SA jet with fully functioning engines and avionics and the fuselage of Diamond jet with a fully working avionics package, are decommissioned and cannot be used in flight.

The two planes will used in GTCC’s Aviation Systems Technology Program, which provides students the knowledge and skills to qualify for an aircraft mechanic’s certificate with airframe and/or powerplant ratings.

“This is a remarkable gift from Sky Aviation. It will give our students a better hands-on experience in their aviation education,” said Dr. Anthony Clarke, president of GTCC. “We are extremely grateful for this donation that will be vitally important to our aviation students and help them become better prepared for the workforce.”

Sky Aviation Holdings, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, sells luxury and corporate private jets. It opened an affiliate company, Sky Aircraft Maintenance, at the Davidson County Airport (KEXX) in Lexington, N.C., in fall 2020. The maintenance operation specializes in Beechjet, Learjet, and Hawker Aircraft with service to jet engines and aircraft interior completions.

According to Tom Conlan, president of Sky Aviation Holdings, the company has developed a strong relationship with GTCC since establishing its facility at KEXX.

“We have had the pleasure of having up to seven students from the GTCC A&P and avionics school working with our management team, receiving on the job training, working on jet aircraft,” he said.

“We are firm believers in technical schools, providing training that allows students to graduate with specific skill sets that the aviation industry needs. We also passionately believe that this collaboration is beneficial as much to the students as it is to our company. In addition, we believe that the local communities involved also receive a tremendous benefit by keeping bright, ambitious, hardworking young people to continue to reside in the surrounding towns they grew up in.”