Airport Fire Department to Use Aircraft for Emergency Training
Hallmark University’s College of Aeronautics recently donated one of its aircraft to the San Antonio International Airport’s Fire Department. The plane, the single-engine Ryan Navion, originally was used as a trainer for students in the university’s Airframe & Powerplant Program, providing hands-on lessons for students. As Hallmark continued to grow and acquired modern aircraft, the university decided to donate the plane to San Antonio International Airport’s Fire Department to practice emergency response training in the event of an emergency.
“We had an opportunity to assist the San Antonio Airport Fire Department by donating one of our excess trainer aircraft so they can train as they fight,” said Kurt Leslie, Dean for Hallmark University’s College of Aeronautics. “They will be training with their cutting tools they use when they have an aircraft emergency. It’s a unique opportunity to train on an actual aircraft for the fire department.” Hallmark University knows the benefits of hands-on training as it is a main component of their education delivery and one of the reasons their students have such successful outcomes.
Hallmark University has assisted with several other emergency preparedness training exercises at the airport in the past, even lending their 727 jet in a staged catastrophe. The university has expanded the types of aeronautical assets that students work on in recent years, including a Gulfstream III corporate jet, a CFM56 jet engine, and thirteen Rolls-Royce Spey engines. These assets help expose students to the world of aviation in Hallmark University’s College of Aeronautics which is celebrating its 50th anniversary later this year.