FedEx Express gives Boeing 727 to Tulsa's Spartan College of Aeronautics
BY D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
8/22/12 at 2:26 AM
Aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology are receiving a gift that keeps on giving, school officials say.
Spartan staff and students, community leaders and FedEx Express executives gathered at Tulsa International Airport on Tuesday to celebrate the donation by FedEx of a Boeing 727-200F aircraft to the Spartan Aviation Maintenance and Avionics Program.
David Sutton, managing director of aircraft acquisition and sales for FedEx, said the addition of the 727 to Spartan's aviation programs provides students with "hands-on" training that is invaluable.
"The donation of this aircraft by FedEx is just one example of the many ways we support educational endeavors, reflecting the community spirit shared by all FedEx employees in the communities where we live and work," Sutton said.
Jim McCluskey, a FedEx spokesman, said the company has donated 54 of its Boeing 727 aircraft to colleges and aviation schools over the last 12 years.
"This makes it possible for future students interested in aviation to get the hands-on experience to decide where their potential interest in aviation will take them," McCluskey said. "Our ability to donate aircraft can complement that interest. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) says hundreds of thousands of jobs are opening in the next few years for new pilots and aircraft mechanics."
Founded in 1928, Spartan has more than 90,000 graduates working in aviation fields across the globe, officials said.
Spartan training facilities include more than 247,000 square feet of classroom, hangar and office space on three campuses at Tulsa International and Jones Riverside Airport at Jenks. The school offers technology training for aviation maintenance, avionics maintenance, non-destructive testing and quality control.
"The donation of this airframe by FedEx for training use at Spartan is not only the largest single donation provided to Spartan but the most significant," said Spartan President Jeremy Gibson. "The donation provides Spartan students with industry-current large transport training education and experience needed to help propel them in their career. This donation allows Spartan to continue over 84 years leading the industry in aviation training excellence for many years ahead."
FedEx Express is the world's largest express transportation company, using a global air-and-ground network to deliver time-sensitive shipments to 220 nations and territories.
FedEx Express is a unit of Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx Corp., which has 300,000 employees and reports annual revenue of $43 billion.
Boeing 727 technical specifications
Engines: 3
Minimum crew: 3
Wing span: 108 feet
Height: 34 feet
Length: 153 feet
Fuel capacity: 8,090 gallons
Maximum payload: 56,314 pounds
Range with maximum payload: 1,790 miles
Maximum takeoff weight: 190,500 pounds
Maximum landing weight: 161,000 pounds
Source: UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd.
Original Print Headline: Spartan lands donation
D.R. Stewart 918-581-8451
don.stewart@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
The Boeing 727-200F aircraft donated by FedEx Express to Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology sits at Tulsa International Airport on Tuesday. CORY YOUNG / Tulsa World
Students Dazzamon Jones (right), Emmanuel Duran (left) and Jesus Herrera look at the donated Boeing 727. CORY YOUNG / Tulsa World
Sam Williams, an instructor at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, points while talking to students Tuesday about the Boeing 727-200F aircraft that was donated to the school's aviation maintenance and avionics program. CORY YOUNG / Tulsa World
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