Comair Airlines
Comair airlines has been in business in the Cincinnati area since 1977. In the past weeks Comair airlines has announced a partnership with Averett University’s Aeronautics Department. Averett University is located in Danville, VA.

This internship will give valuable, real-life experience to the students. Danville is one of the few universities in the United States to have an established work relationship with Comair. Says Tom Vick, chair of the Aeronautics Program: “They (Comair) recognized that we have the same high personal and professional expectations of all of our students as is found in experienced professionals in the industry.”

Averett University and Mr. Vick are thrilled that the students will get such thorough, such comprehensive, hands-on training before venturing out into their field of study. “This program allows the students to train with new hire pilots,” continued Vick, “…if they perform well, they have the opportunity for a first officer position upon graduation flying real jets.”

Rigors of this program notwithstanding, there are even higher bars to reach that the university sets. 3.0 GPA for starters. Once admitted, students have to take pilot class with the actual pilots in addition to working in the Comair offices doing various administrative duties.

As of spring semester 2007, there are seventy students enrolled in the aeronautics program at Averett. Interested students also have the opportunity to intern with the National Transportation Safety Board, other airlines such as American Airlines, and aviation businesses including R & D companies involved with the SATS Lab in Virginia.

Airlines all over the country offer internships such as this. One of the benefits of this Comair internship is that the students don’t have to go to New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles to experience real life training on an airline. Smaller town should mean less distractions and stress and more time for the students to focus in on flying.

Comair, a subsidiary of Delta since 1984, has a 6,400 person staff. They operate 920 flights a day to 110 cities in the US, Canada, and the Bahamas. Averett University is a private, comprehensive university with its main campus in Danville, VA which is approximately 8 hours from Comair’s Cincinnati base.