Recent Auburn graduate Michael Pfeiffer chose to attend Auburn to learn how to fly a plane.
The Marietta, Ga., native earned his professional flight management degree in May and is now reaping the rewards from what he calls a "commercial flight factory."
Pfeiffer has been accepted into the University Gateway Program, a partnership between Auburn University and JetBlue Airways that allows students to land jobs with major airlines soon after college.
Through this, Pfeiffer has secured work for at least the next year and hopes to eventually become a commercial pilot for Fedex or UPs.
Now, however, that factory may be shutting down. With the end of pro-flight management at Auburn, future students won't be able to follow Pfeiffer to the Gateway Program's bevy of post-graduation jobs.
However, recent statistics have shown flight programs to be a blossoming necessity in the next several years.
Pfeiffer pointed to a recent study by Boeing, a multinational aerospace corporation, for a bigger reason to keep the flight program intact.
According to the 2013-2032 Longterm Market outlook study, both the United states and the entire world will see a shortage of pilots and technicians within the next twenty years.
"It's because of the mandatory retirement age," Pfeiffer said. "There's going to be a need for pilots... I don't think the administration understands that."
Approximately 69,000 new pilots will be needed in North America in the next 20 years, the third highest projected growth in pilot demand in the world.
Globally, Boeing is predicting 460,000 pilots and 601,000 technicians will be needed during that times- pan as a large population of baby boomers slips into retirement. Should Auburn cut the professional flight program, the University will have no part in helping supply that demand.
In addition, the recently opened Airbus plant in Mobile could provide an in-state option for those looking to find a job out of college, especially considering Auburn provides the only four-year accredited flight program in the state.
Both Dean Bill Hardgrave and Provost Tim Boosinger were invited to fly with Pfeiffer to discuss these issues.
Hardgrave never responded to the invitation, and Boosinger had to cancel his reportedly planned trip through the Auburn skies.
Boosinger did not respond to any of the questions sent to him concerning his change of plans or the flight program in general.
Pfeiffer is one of the lucky ones. Still, as he guided the Cessna 172 aircraft around the university that gave him his wings, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the program's uncertain future.
"We'll learn a lot this summer," Pfeiffer said.
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