Blount County Aviation Program Trains Next-Generation Technicians

Pellissippi State

Blount County has long been home to some of the aerospace and defense industry’s biggest names. StandardAero – founded in 1911 – has grown into one of the largest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul providers, while Cirrus Aircraft operates its national customer experience hub at McGhee Tyson Airport. Now, the region is growing the workforce to match. 

This fall, Pellissippi State Community College will graduate the inaugural class of its Aviation Technology program. Designed to train the next generation of aircraft maintenance technicians, this 18-month associate degree aims to feed a regional industry that can’t hire fast enough. 

Taylor Gash

Based at Pellissippi’s Blount County campus and a nearby 22,500- square-foot facility on Triangle Park Drive in Maryville, the program is an FAA Part 147-certified Aviation Maintenance Technician School – one of the few in Tennessee. Students pursue airframe and powerplant certification, the industry-standard credential required to work on commercial aircraft, gaining hands-on experience from day one with engines, electrical systems and airframes. 

Best of all? Industry partners don’t just hire graduates; they help teach and develop them. 

Taylor Gash

Fueling a Regional Aviation Boom

Along with Cirrus Aircraft and StandardAero, PSA Airlines and Endeavor Air – regional carriers for American and Delta airlines – are among the companies positioned to hire graduates directly. McGhee Tyson Airport, undergoing its own expansion, has signaled growing demand for trained technicians as it adds maintenance providers and supports Southwest Airlines service, which launched in March 2026. Nationally, the industry needs to fill roughly 13,000 aircraft mechanic positions a year through 2034 to keep pace with demand, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Blount County alone is already home to more than 300 aviation mechanics, and that number is expected to keep climbing. 

“It’s an aviation hub,” says Jesse Martin, director of the Aviation Technology program. “The pipeline of students coming through this program is going to fill urgent needs in this immediate area. 

“This program exists because local employers were looking for a steady flow of quality aircraft technicians. The demand is here,” Martin adds. “Now that we have this program, we hope it encourages other aviation companies to expand or start operations here.” 

Taylor Gash

From Classroom to Cockpit

Martin says the first graduating cohort has built a solid foundation to enter the field, and Jason Hatcher, a member of that cohort, agrees. 

“This is a great program, and I definitely think we are getting the right tools to get us started in the workforce,” Hatcher says. 

Hatcher, 24, of Maryville, has always enjoyed working with his hands, and he was originally considering a career as an auto mechanic. His father worked in air maintenance with the National Guard, so when Hatcher heard about the local program, he decided to apply. 

“Something that I think gives us a big advantage is the one-on-one time we get with instructors,” Hatcher says. “That’s a big part of what is going to get us ready.” 

The inaugural cohort of 16 students reflects the program’s broad appeal, ranging from recent high school graduates to career changers and retired pilots. 

Courtesy of Blount Partnership

Interest has surged even further; an evening option is already in development to expand access, and the third cohort, scheduled to begin fall 2026, is full with a waitlist. 

The program was built through a convergence of public and private investment. A nearly $2 million Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education grant from Gov. Bill Lee provided the foundation for the program. 

Additional funding, equipment and support came from city and county governments, McGhee Tyson Airport, key industry partners – including Cirrus Aircraft, StandardAero, Continental Aerospace Technologies, Massey Electric – and the 134th Air Refueling Wing, which even transported a 1952 Beechcraft C35 Bonanza to the facility for student training. 

Pellissippi State has since added a state-of-the-art flight simulator valued at more than $100,000. 

The Blount Partnership, the county’s economic development organization, has been a central convener, securing a Tennessee Valley Authority Workforce Invest grant to sustain aviation maintenance training in the region long-term. 

For Blount County, the program represents something beyond workforce numbers – it signals that the aerospace economy isn’t just attracting outside companies. It’s building the vital human infrastructure to sustain them.