Jon Byrd piloting CVTC’s new aviation programs

For Jon Byrd, who recently moved to Rome to become the Director of Aviation Programs at Coosa Valley Technical College, a passion has become his life.

“It was a hobby at first,” Byrd said of how he became involved in the aviation industry. “I learned to fly in 1991 and have been hooked on the industry ever since.

“After spending 12 years in a previous career field, I would always have my mind in the clouds,” he said. “So, when I decided to change careers, it was a no-brainer for me; aviation was the direction I needed to travel. It’s been an extremely rewarding and educational journey so far. I look forward to what the future will deliver.”

So does Coosa Valley Tech, which is preparing to begin its aviation programs in late 2007 or 2008.

Serving as the program’s architect is an exciting proposition for Byrd, who was introduced as the first aviation programs director at Coosa Valley Tech by the college’s president, Dr. Craig McDaniel this past September.

“I’ve always liked creating things, and this was definitely an opportunity to create something from virtually nothing,” Byrd said. “Dr. McDaniel and the staff at Coosa Valley Technical College did a great job preparing for the aviation programs, so I have a good, solid budget to start with to get equipment and supplies we need to be ordered, and to purchase furniture and materials we will need to stock the new facility being constructed at the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport.

“We’ve also had some generous donations of aircraft, ground support equipment and various equipment we’ll need for our labs and classrooms,” Byrd said. “Everyone I have met is excited and extremely supportive of us building and launching our aviation programs. We’re ready, and it’s obvious that Northwest Georgia has been ready, too.”

According to Dr. McDaniel, Byrd is just as ready for this professional opportunity as CVTC and Northwest Georgia are for the new program.

“Jon has the experience and attitude that we need to get these programs started,” McDaniel said when he introduced Byrd.

That experience comes from an extensive aviation and teaching background. Byrd worked in general and corporate aviation for companies including Kenn-Air, TIMCO, and Raytheon Aircraft. He has FAA aviation certifications in FAA (Federal Aviation Association) Inspection Authorization (IA); FAA Airframe and Powerplant Certificate (A&P); FAA Fixed-Wing Pilot; as well as memberships in the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

He comes to Coosa Valley Tech after serving as the program chairperson of the aviation maintenance technology program at Middle Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins, a CVTC sister school.

When he learned that Coosa Valley Tech was ready to start moving forward with plans for the aviation program, Byrd was immediately interested.

“The opportunity to start programs from scratch, play a significant role in the facility design and construction, and become a member of the Coosa Valley Technical College family was just too attractive for me to not pass up,” Byrd said. “I learned a long time ago to never let opportunities go by; they may never come around again. We’re not guaranteed a second chance at anything.”

Since coming to Rome, Byrd has busied himself with the responsibilities that come along with starting the program. It takes a lot more than just getting potential students to enroll. CVTC is building a 30,000 square-foot building at the airport, so funding and construction issues have taken much of his time. Working with local, state and federal government can lead to some tedious tasks, but as Byrd points out, “We’re getting closer and closer to completion every day.”

Once construction is complete, Byrd has lofty goals for the program. One is to rise to the level of the rest of Coosa Valley Tech’s programs.

“We hope to be the college that people think of when it comes to aviation training,” Byrd said.

“Coosa Valley Technical College does everything with class and professionalism and I plan on continuing that with our aviation programs. Our students will be exposed to what’s happening in the industry right now, so they can be well-trained and ready for their career following their time with us. Seeing a student succeed in the aviation industry following their training with Coosa Valley Technical College is a success story in my book.”

Along with the development and possible job placement of the students, Byrd also sees a bright future for the economic development in and around Rome, Floyd County and the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport, thanks partly to the new aviation programs. According to Byrd, the potential for new aviation-related industry in the community could bring with it a strong positive economic impact.

“We believe that since we will have an FAA-certified aviation training program presence at the airport producing a well-trained workforce, aircraft manufacturers and repair facilities will want to have a facility here,” Byrd said. “It’s all about ‘location-location-location,’ and we’re in a perfect location regionally for aviation-related businesses to want to set up shop here. They would not have to worry about the hassle of getting in and out of Atlanta where the busiest air traffic in the world exists.

“New business equates to new jobs, and new jobs equal new opportunities for residents in and around Floyd County.”

Byrd and Coosa Valley Technical College are doing their part to provide a quality workforce for an industry in which job opportunities should be in large supply in the next few years. Byrd mentioned that twice as many aircraft technicians today are over the age of 60 than are under the age of 30, and that 25 percent of aircraft technicians today are at retirement age.

“There just aren’t enough new, well-trained workers available to fill those vacancies,” Byrd said.

Thanks to his role at CVTC and in the future of the area’s workforce, Byrd has already become an integral part of the community. But he’s enjoyed his short time here for reasons that reach beyond his vocation.

“I quickly learned that I had made the right decision (to come to Rome) within the first couple weeks following my move here,” Byrd said. “The city is great, the area is beautiful, and everyone I have met so far is extremely nice, helpful, and polite.”

An accomplished songwriter and musician, he’s performed at some of Rome’s local nightspots and has also found the community to be a great place to enjoy some of his other hobbies, such as photography, bowling and “the occasional round of golf.”

But it all seems to come back to one thing for Byrd, even when talking about his hobbies. It’s his passion for flying and maintaining aircraft that brought him here, and ultimately what will allow him to help make Dr. Craig McDaniel’s and other leaders’ vision of the new aviation maintenance program take flight. That’s his love, and a love he is excited to pass along to others.

Byrd invites anyone interested in a career in aviation to give him a call at 706.802.5086. Coosa Valley Technical College’s website is located at http://www.coosavalleytech.edu/.

Originally appeared in Directions, a publication of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, in 2007. Coosa Valley Technical College is now known as Georgia Northwestern Technical College.