Charleston Southern Aeronautics Program receives important FAA Part 141 pilot school designation

CHARLESTON, S.C. (courtesy charlestonsouthern.edu) — The Aeronautics program at Charleston Southern University is officially an FAA-designated Part 141 pilot school for the first time since the program’s inception in fall of 2021.

“God is doing such marvelous work here at CSU that I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to cross the threshold of my office every morning,” said Lloyd S. Richardson, interim chair of the program. “Outside observers can see that the students are greatly blessed and fulfilled by the flight training and comradery.”

Charleston Southern University is the only institution in the state of South Carolina to offer a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics. Prior to CSU establishing the program, South Carolina was one of only two states without a collegiate aeronautics program.

Richardson, who is the chief instructor for the program, gives some insight about what it takes to become a Part 141 pilot. “The provisional pilot school must graduate 10 different students from an approved course with a pass rate of 80% or higher. CSU’s written pass rate is 94.74%. Next, the school must maintain current and accurate records on each student and instructor. CSU has utilized the innovative Microsoft Teams platform to share electronic data with the FAA, enabling remote inspections. CSU’s recordkeeping was graded at an unprecedented 100%. Finally, the school must employ a chief instructor who has a minimum of one-year experience teaching at a certificated pilot school,” he said.

Dr. Dondi Costin, president of Charleston Southern University, said, “We launched the Aeronautics program so we could do our part to remedy a growing problem the world faces, namely, the global shortage of qualified pilots. Charleston Southern exists to equip our graduates to serve at the intersection of God’s plan for their lives, their personal passions, and the world’s unmet needs,” he said.

The Charleston Southern University Aeronautics program is located in the College of Science and Mathematics. Students in the program can choose between three types of aviation: Commercial, Military, or Missionary Aviation. Students who graduate from the FAA-approved degree program at CSU will be eligible to receive an R-ATP at 1000 or 1, 250 hours as opposed to an unrestricted ATP at 1,500 hours.

Click here to learn more about the Aeronautics programs offered by Charleston Southern University.