ALBANY, N.Y. (Tribune News Service) — Hudson Valley Community College’s Aeronautical Technical Institute (ATI), which is located at the Albany International Airport, received three Air Force T-1A trainer jets recently to be used as part of the ATI’s new aviation maintenance training program.

The twin-engine T-1A jets, which have been used for 30 years as one of the primary training aircraft for the Air Force, are being phased out of the Air Force aviation training program, the college announced in a press release. The jets were flown into Albany International Airport from Randolph Air Force Base in Texas.

“Having these jets for our incoming aviation maintenance students to work on will be fantastic,” said ATI Director Christopher Spencer in the release. “We are happy to receive them and we appreciate the staff of the Albany International Airport, who will be helping us store them before we integrate them into our program.”

Spencer said getting the aircraft was part diligence and part good luck. According to the release, the Air Force had placed the jets on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Personal Property Management web site for sale or re-use, and when ATI staff saw them there, they knew they could use them for the college’s aviation mechanic program.

“We have an account on the website, so we submitted a request and we were awarded three of the jets,” he said in the release. “These are modern multi-million-dollar aircraft.”

Earlier this month, the Aeronautical Technical Institute received its FAA Certification as a Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School, officials said. The first cohort of 10 students is scheduled to begin the aviation maintenance technician program on September 3.

“The Aeronautical Technology Institute at Albany International Airport is going to be a game changer and we’re excited to welcome the first cohort of aviation mechanic students to this much-needed program that is going to be based right here at our airport,” said Phil Calderone, CEO at Albany International Airport, in the release.

“The donation of three T-1A jets from the U.S. Air Force, as well as the program’s recent certification by the FAA are testaments to this innovative program’s ongoing success and we look forward to watching it grow even further in the years to come. We’re proud of our partnership with HVCC and wish these remarkable students all the best throughout the semester.”

The New York State Office of General Services (OGS) is the state agency responsible for administering the U.S. General Services Administration’s Federal Surplus Property Program in New York State, including distributing surplus items to eligible organizations such as municipalities, non-profit groups, health and educational institutions, libraries and museums.

“From musical instruments for school bands to snow plows for local public works departments, OGS is proud to have helped our customers save millions of dollars through the federal Surplus Property Program,” OGS Commissioner Jeanette Moy said in the release. “The surplus jets acquired by Hudson Valley Community College will play a crucial role for students learning the critical skills that keep aircraft in working order and flying safely.”

As a precursor to the first cohort, ATI started a four-week, 32-hour Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program to introduce prospective students to the aviation industry and will also be conducting a Military Veterans Aviation Transition Program beginning in July to transition military aviation veterans to obtain FAA Mechanic certifications later this summer.

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