SkyWest Airlines has donated considered one of its aging Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft to a school in California. The Fresno campus of San Joaquin Valley College is now home to the 23-year-old aircraft, providing students completing its Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program with invaluable hands-on engineering experience.
The aircraft’s engines have been removed, so it relies on ground power. Yet despite being without its engines, the aircraft is otherwise equivalent in its structure to the opposite CRJ200s in SkyWest Airlines’ fleet, meaning that the scholars can study the components of the aircraft and gain real-life insights into the world of engineering.
A change of livery
SkyWest Airlines operated the aircraft on regional flights under the United Express brand. It has since been repainted in an all-white livery, featuring the varsity’s name on the edges and logo on the tail, as seen on this photo from the local newspaper, The Fresno Bee:
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
SkyWest Airlines works with San Joaquin Valley College to supply a guaranteed interview for a mechanic position with the airline upon graduation from this system. In exchange for a commitment to work for the airline for at the least three years, the carrier also provides as much as $4,500 in education assistance and the reimbursement of certification fees and moving expenses.
With tuition fees and associated costs for the 18-month program coming in at around $39,000, this initiative will go a way in alleviating a number of the financial burden related to mechanic training. The airline’s Director of Maintenance, Eli Mayes, said,
“We’re enthusiastic about our partnership with SJVC and the prospect to assist students start with their profession. Plus, the addition of monetary support as a part of the SkyWest AMT Pathway Program makes it even easier for more students to pursue a profession as an aircraft mechanic.”
In accordance with the newest data from ch-aviation.com, SkyWest Airlines still has 156 Bombardier CRJ200s in its fleet, with a median age of 20.4 years old. The carrier also operates the 50-seat aircraft for Delta Connection, the regional subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.