LeTourneau Signs Agreement with American Eagle for Pilot Pipeline
Posted/updated on: October 30, 2013 at 2:32 am
LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University and American Eagle Airlines signed an agreement Monday, Oct. 28, to provide a direct pathway for selected LETU flight students to find employment with American Eagle Airlines after graduation. LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford and American Eagle Captain Richard King signed the letter of agreement that states that LETU and AEA will collaborate “to facilitate a steady supply of airline qualified pilots through specific recruitment, screening, selection, training, and placement strategies for pilots to be employed by AEA,” which is known as the Pilot Pipeline Program.
“This historic agreement we signed today will facilitate a pipeline for qualified LeTourneau University pilots who graduate from our flight program here to transition seamlessly into a career as an airline pilot and fly as first officers for American Eagle Airlines,” said LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford. “LETU’s aviation program is built on excellence and on great partnerships. Today we celebrate this new partnership with the airline that serves our own great community. It is a testament to the quality of the pilots our school produces.”
Requirements for students to be eligible for inclusion in the pipeline program include the following: Students must be at least a sophomore enrolled in LETU’s professional aviation pilot program with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA and minimum 3.0 GPA in their cumulative aviation courses. They must hold at least an instrument rating and sign a release form authorizing AEA to review his or her academic, aeronautical and other university and FAA records. They must complete their commercial, instrument, multi-engine certificates and ratings at LETU and complete LETU’s Advanced Airtransport Pilot Curriculum.
Students also must be U.S. citizens or possess the legal right to work in the U.S. including the right to travel to and from the cities American Eagle serves. They must also successfully complete a list of tests and panel interviews. The student will be monitored by AEA and LETU for attendance, traffic violations, FAA actions, flight training records and criminal records. Upon the successful completion of the student phase, they will be given a conditional offer of employment for a Pipeline Instructor position with American Eagle.
