By Sarah Klein
A $1 million donation to Red River College’s Stevenson Aviation Campus will allow students to train on state-of-the-art equipment.
The keys to a British Aerospace Model Jetstream 31, along with associated equipment, manuals and training aids, were handed over to the college on Thursday by the Swanberg family of Grande Prairie and Fort St. John, in memory of Sylvan and Dorothy Swanberg.
“There is an increasing demand in the aviation industry for highly skilled graduates and with Manitoba being home to the third largest aerospace sector in Canada, this working aircraft will enhance training opportunities,” said Paul Vogt, president and CEO, Red River College.
The donation to the college’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) M-License program will help train students in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
The Swanberg family has previously donated aircraft to three other post-secondary institutions in Canada, including Jetstream 31s to Okanagan College in Vernon, and Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, and a 601 Challenger to SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.
