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1. Will the AERO program prepare you for a career?

Yes! Our graduates begin working on aircraft immediately out of school. Students who complete their Certificate of Achievement are also ready to take the exam for their A & P or Airframe and Powerplant Certificate. Those students who elect to receive their Associates Degree will often move in to management positions.

2. Where have graduates been able to get jobs in the past?

Many of our graduates have picked up jobs as Aviation Mechanics or Technicians at the Boeing Flight Test Division, Hawaiian Airlines, Aloha Cargo, United Airlines, FAA, military contract maintenance, local general aviation and cargo companies, and Gulfstream. Also, because of their experience with turbine engines our graduates often pick up employment with companies such as Hawaiian Electric.

3. Is the AERO program easy?

No. In fact, it is one of the most difficult programs offered at Honolulu Community College. As a result, it is strongly suggested that students do not take any other general education while taking major courses.

4. When and where are the AERO classes offered?

Our AERO courses are offered Monday through Thursday from 7:30am until 2:20pm at the Airport Training Center at 140 Iako Place off of Lagoon Drive near the airport.

5. What are the program prerequisites?

Completion of ENG 100 (Composition I), MATH 150 (Technical College Math) or higher, PHYS 100 & lab (Survey of Physics and Lab) or higher, and SP 151  (Personal and Public Speech).

6. How often are the first semester AERO courses (AERO 130 & 131) offered?

These courses are currently offered every fall and every odd spring. 

7. What can a student do to succeed in the program?

It is strongly suggested that each student become proficient in math and become involved in a study group. The FAA requires that all students learn such a large amount of material within a relatively short period of time that joining a study group really becomes a must do to do well in each of the major courses. Students should also get to know how to read each individual aircraft¡¯s maintenance manuals.

8. What is the best way for a new student to prepare for their 1st semester?

New students can pick up their textbooks from the bookstore and become familiar with them. They can also attend the AERO Orientation. This orientation will take place shortly after AERO 130 & 131 fills. You will be contacted with the exact date and time using your so be sure to check it often.   Also, be sure that Honolulu Community College has your up to date contact information.

9. Should new students come to the 1st class prepared with their tools?

No, further instruction concerning tools and other supplies will be given on the first day. However, you should come dressed wearing long pants and close toed shoes.

10. What are the AERO courses like?

The courses are challenging. In fact, all of the classes have exams at least once a week. But the great thing about them is that the classes are hands on and they provide you the opportunity to work on both engines and the fuselage of more than half a dozen different airplanes and helicopters.

11. If you take a break from college, can you follow the old program requirements or do you have to follow the current requirements?

If your break from Honolulu community college has been less than one year, you can follow the old requirements. If your break has been one year or more, see an academic counselor.

12. Are there any apprenticeships available?

Hawaiian Airlines has partnered with Honolulu Community College and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union to create an apprenticeship program designed to train local candidates interested in the aeronautic maintenance career. Students interested in this apprenticeship must have been in the AERO program for a minimum of six months or have military experience. To apply, email careers@hawaiianair.com or visit .

13. Are there any scholarships that AERO students can apply for?

There are a number of scholarships that students, who are involved in the trades, such as the AERO program, can apply for. Some of these scholarships include:

 
 
 
 

There is also the Non-Traditional scholarship which is available for students who are admitted into a program (such as AERO) that is customarily dominated by members of the opposite sex.

14. After earning the Associate’s degree in AERO, can you continue on for a bachelor’s degree in the aeronautics maintenance field at a four-year university?

The usual path for someone with a desire to get a four year degree would be to complete as much as they can in the UH system, such as an AS degree in maintenance, then see where they would like to go for the four year maintenance management degree.

According to the catalog, the following 4-year degree programs accept AERO 130-137 for advanced standing credit towards a BS in Aeronautics Maintenance Management or other related degrees:

• University of Central Missouri
• San Jose State University
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• University of North Dakota
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Parks College of St. Louis University
• Purdue University
• Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
• Central Washington University
• Kent State University
• Lewis University
• Metropolitan State College of Denver
• Utah State University.

A complete listing can be obtained through the University Aviation Association or the FAA. A student can then check which courses would articulate with the four year degree program that they might take here in the UH system to save some money, then transfer to finish out at the four year institution once they have completed what they can, or at whatever point they want to make the switch.