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Aviation enthusiasts and future pilots-in-training are invited to attend LaGrange College’s Aviation Day on Wednesday, July 19 at LaGrange-Callaway Airport.

Prospective students interested in enrolling in the college’s new pilot-training program will be eligible for a free flight during the day. They must sign up in advance on the college’s aviation website (www.lagrange.edu/aviation).

The day will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with LaGrange Mayor Willie Edmondson and local officials offering remarks and taking part in a ribbon-cutting for the newly arrived LaGrange College planes that will be available for spectators to view.

The planes are part of the school’s new aviation minor, which launches at the start of fall semester 2023. The program will help lead undergraduates toward careers as airline pilots, private charter pilots or cargo pilots.

Classes will be offered through Paragon Flight Training, an award-winning flight academy based at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida. Paragon will be maintaining an office at the local airport.

A commercial pilot shortage continues to be a pressing issue in the aviation industry. Recent reports note that over the next 15 years, more than half of current U.S. pilots will have reached the mandatory retirement age of 65.

The college’s program will provide training for Commercial Pilot Licensing through the use of a flight simulator on campus and up to four Cessna Seahawks with digital avionics at LaGrange-Callaway Airport.

To learn more about the program, visit lagrange.edu/aviation.