Take to the skies with a hands-on, affordable aviation education program. Ozarks Technical Community College, Premier Flight Center and the Springfield-Branson National Airport partnered together to provide this unique learning experience for students soar into high-demand and high-paying jobs.
Aviation Associate’s Degree
Learn the basic and advanced skills required to pursue a commercial pilot license in this immersive program. Gain industry knowledge with ground school classes taught by OTC instructors at the OTC Springfield Campus. Then, take to the skies with Premier Flight Center LLC. Trained Premier pilots will help get you off the ground with one-on-one flight lessons at an innovative facility, located at the former Springfield-Branson National Airport terminal, 5000 W. Kearney St., Suite 110.
During one-on-one flight labs, Aviation students fly during daylight hours, two hours per day, three days per week for 16 weeks. Classes include Airline Operations, Aviation Weather, Air Traffic Control System, Commercial Pilot Flight Lab and more. View the course sequence. Upon completion, students receive an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Flight technology and will have a private pilot’s license, instrument rating and a commercial pilot’s license.
Soar Into a Bachelor’s Degree at Drury or Missouri State
If you’re looking to fly for an airline, OTC Aviation students have a direct route to a required bachelor’s degree. Thanks to partnerships with both Drury and Missouri State, graduates of OTC’s aviation program will be able to transfer seamlessly into Missouri State’s general studies bachelor’s degree program or into two different programs at Drury University. Students wishing to fly for a major airline need a four-year degree, one you can earn while also logging the 1,500 hours of flight time to earn an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate.
Low Cost, High Reward
Students will be charged the normal OTC Tier III tuition rate for ground school classes, which is $127 per credit hour for in-district students for the 2020-2021 school year. Hands-on flight labs will cost approximately $9,000 per flight lab course, with all four flight labs totaling close to $56,000.
Our flight courses occur at a TSA secured airport. You will need to present a valid driver’s license or government photo ID, as well as a valid Birth Certificate with the raised seal [a copy will not work], or Passport before you will be able to participate. This clearance can occur at our flight center or at the orientation that we hold prior to the start of the semester.
Accreditation Information
The OTC Aviation program began in fall 2017. Due to its recent program launch, OTC currently does not have data for a graduate survey related to the OTC Aviation program. A graduate survey for those who have completed the program will be conducted in 2019. OTC is actively pursuing accreditation through Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides data relevant to the Aviation program:
- Average (median) Missouri salary: $66,820
- Careers associated with the Aviation program (based on its CIP code of 49.0102):
- Commercial Pilots
- Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers
Aviation Mission Statement
The mission of the aviation flight technology program at Ozarks Technical Community College is to provide accessible, high quality and affordable learning opportunities that provide the best training possible for demanding careers in aviation.