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BRIGHAM CITY — Utah State University is expanding its aviation program with a new hangar at Brigham City Airport.
Some students find it's difficult to get the access they want in the growing aviation program. About 700 students are enrolled in the program, which includes fixed-wing planes, helicopters, drones, and more. Some students are going to the Brigham City Airport just to get the flight time they need.
While some of us may prefer the ground, students like Mitchell Carlson crave the view from above.
"Oh, I love flying. I just love the feeling of looking down on everything and just seeing all the details in the world," Carlson said.
It's part of what makes meticulous pre-flight checks worth it. And this Logan resident is taking his education down to Brigham City, for more time in the air.
"It's worth it because of just the better availability and the smaller class sizes here," Carlson told KSL-TV.
USU is adding the hangar in Brigham City in part to keep up with growth in the program, which has about 90 more students now than it did a year ago.
"We have students from all over the country that come to Utah State specifically for the aviation program," Dallas Brissett, aviation technology flight instructor, said.
And while demand in the industry isn't as frenetic as it was during the pandemic, instructors here said the opportunities remain strong.
"Kind of slowing down a little bit. But this industry is the wave that comes and goes, so they are still hiring pilots," Kan Okabe, chief flight instructor, said.
But this is about much more than the airlines. Carlson is looking to fly in the military and forestry, and Izzy Wesemann aspires to fly medical evacuation or search and rescue helicopters. Both said this new expansion is giving them the opportunities they need.
"It's something that I've been interested in for my whole life, just being able to help someone," Wesemann said.
"There's just something about being up there. It's just the best thing," she added.
The new location at the Brigham City Regional Airport includes 14 students, and the school hopes that interest from the south will continue to grow. Another benefit of the Brigham City location: Not all aviation students live in Cache Valley. For some, Brigham City is a lot closer to home.
