OSHKOSH, Wisc. (WGNS) - Leaders and students from Middle Tennessee State University made a major impact on the global aviation stage at the 73rd annual Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Provost Mark Byrnes, Trustee Jimmy Granbery, Aerospace Chair Chaminda Prelis, and Greg Van Patten, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, led a team of students and flight instructors from the Murfreesboro campus to the event held July 20-26. The world's largest aviation gathering drew a record 734,000 people from 98 countries. Wittman Regional Airport logged more than 15,500 aircraft operations during the week, averaging 101 takeoffs and landings per hour.
During the event, MTSU officially took delivery of its 41st DA-40 training aircraft from Diamond Aircraft of Canada, the lead manufacturer for the university's fleet of more than 50 training planes. Trustee Jimmy Granbery noted the university's commitment to growing the program, while Dean Greg Van Patten thanked alumni and supporters during a university-hosted barbecue dinner near the flight line. The MTSU team also visited with representatives from Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Florida, and Cirrus Aircraft of Knoxville.
MTSU's Aerospace Department stands as the university's largest major, with roughly 1,000 of its nearly 1,400 enrolled students focused on professional pilot training. Provost Byrnes highlighted that the program's roots date back to World War II military training, expanding rapidly in recent years to meet urgent airline hiring needs. During the event, students like senior professional pilot major Reese Webber networked directly with partners and prospective employers from Delta, Southwest, Endeavor, and GoJet airlines.
The university was featured in five social media video reels produced by Chattanooga-based Flying Magazine and hosted by aviator Jamail Larkins. In addition, Civil Air Patrol National Commander and CEO Maj. Gen. Regena Aye visited the MTSU tent and invited university leadership to tour CAP's National Blue Beret compound. Aye highlighted the ongoing partnership between the organizations, noting that MTSU hosted about 60 cadets on the Murfreesboro campus for CAP's national Cadet Engineering Technology Academy during the same week.
