A regional airline says it will “loan back” recent Western Michigan University graduates it hires to become flight instructors at the university. Western and American Eagle Airlines announced the deal Friday.
The airline says it will begin working with some students in Western’s College of Aviation when they are sophomores. They’ll become instructors at the school on graduation while being paid by American Eagle. That will give them time to add flight hours needed for an airline pilot’s license.
Students will have to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 in their aviation studies and 2.5 overall to qualify for the Pilot Pipeline Program. Once they receive their airline pilot's license they get a $10,000 scholarship over two years and win job interviews at American Eagle's parent company American Airlines.
