LeTourneau University

LeTourneau University is a Christian polytechnic university located in Longview, Texas. Its College of Aviation and Aeronautical Science is the only comprehensive university level aviation program in Texas. The university traces its roots to LeTourneau Technical Institute, which was founded in 1946. The aviation program began in 1956 as on the job training at the aviation business of founder R.G. LeTourneau. The institution became a coeducational college in 1961 and a university in 1989.

The college offers undergraduate programs covering flight, aviation management, aircraft maintenance, dispatch, unmanned aircraft systems, and mission aviation training. Students can choose the path that matches their career goals in the aviation industry. Each program is designed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed for professional work in aviation.

All training, labs, and classes are taught by university instructors and faculty. No part of the program instruction is subcontracted to third party contractors. The faculty members are academically qualified and bring direct experience from airlines, corporate flight departments, mission organizations, manufacturing, and military aviation. This background provides practical context for the material covered in courses and laboratory sessions.

Students study at the Paul and Betty Abbott Aviation Center, which is located at East Texas Regional Airport across from where the program first began. The center includes labs for turbine engines and unmanned aircraft systems. The university operates Piper aircraft and other training airplanes that are maintained by the university's own professional maintenance staff.

The program's coursework is approved by the FAA for the restricted airline transport pilot certificate. This approval allows graduates to serve as a first officer for an airline with reduced flight hours instead of the standard 1500 hours. The program reports a three year average job placement rate of 97 percent for its aviation graduates. Alumni work as airline pilots, mission aviators, inspectors, military pilots, and mechanics around the world.

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, known as SACSCOC. The College of Aviation and Aeronautical Science also hosts an advisory council and maintains an alumni industry recognition program. These resources help connect current students with experienced professionals working across the global aviation industry.

Services

• Flight
• Aviation management
• Aircraft maintenance
• Dispatch
• Unmanned aircraft systems
• Mission aviation training