LSC Celebrates 80-Years with a Look at Its Advanced Aviation Programs

DULUTH, Minn. — The public and prospective students were given an inside look at Lake Superior College’s Advanced Aviation Center Friday afternoon.

According to the college, their pilot and aviation maintenance programs offer a unique hands on learning experience and prepare students to get a job in a high demand career field.

The open house allows the public a chance to speak with current students and staff more in-depth about what the program provides.

“Our flight school program has been around for 20 years, and our mechanic program has been around for 15 years. The college as a whole is celebrating its 80th anniversary here in 2025,” said David Klein, the VP advancement external relations at LSC. “We have great partners with Ascent Aviation, Lake Spirit Helicopters, and so they help us get the students up in the air in a matter of weeks and get them that experience that they need to see. That’s hands on learning. Lake Spirit College is known in many of its programs for hands on learning, whether they’re health care, aviation, electronics, any of our trade programs. And so that’s the hallmark of who we are as hands on training.”

One LSC student who’s studying to become a flight instructor, said most people will know if the programs are for them, when they get in the air.

“You can also do, discovery flights here,” said Brian Lewis, a 2nd-year flight student at LSC. “So I’ll bring you up for your first flight, and I’ll let you take the controls for a little while and, kind of feel what it’s all about. And that’s really what’s going to kind of let you know if it’s something that you enjoy doing or something you want to pursue. I think that discovery fly is something that really kind of opens people’s eyes to either you either love it or you hate it kind of thing, you know? And I think a lot more people end up loving it than, than hating that.”

Along with the flight school’s local partnership, instructors for LSC’s Aviation maintenance programs say their students are always in high demand from companies like Delta and Southwest.