REFLECTIONS ON THE EDGE PROGRAM

I fly helicopters and wanted to create a project that encompassed that. While I appreciate what the EDGE program seeks to accomplish, I felt that it wasn't necessarily designed for someone like me or many of the people in the flight program. With that in mind, I wanted to develop a practical pipeline for flight students that had to meet this requirement for graduation. I decided that creating a pilot exchange program for myself and others was the best way to allow for the skills learned in the program to be used in an effective way. In addition, I thought that international flying would be a fantastic resume builder.  I contacted a few flight schools and began the long process of trying to get the program started.

My first step was to visit the International Affairs department at SUU. My goal was to find out what universities we had established relationships with. Talking with Tessa Douglas and Kurt Harris I decided on two schools to try and build the program around. The next step in the process was to make contact with the universities and let them know about what the program was and why it was important to me. After this was completed I needed to make contact with flight schools and build an alliance between those institutions and local universities. Once this was completed, I developed the curriculum that would be needed to complete courses and would be accepted by the universities. Finally, I needed to decide where students would stay and the total cost of the project. The process was tough at times but it has been so rewarding and I can't wait to share what I've learned and see what everyone else has come up with for their EDGE project.

The ability to communicate effectively was very important. Having to work across time zones and understand the requirements for international flight was daunting. In addition to having to communicate effectively, I had to have a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish. Issues like obtaining visas, specific certifications and additional flight costs had to be taken into consideration. Through networking, I was able to get universities, flight schools, and others to open a dialogue about how we could better serve the students at our respective schools.

Although the final goal of having a program that I could participate in wasn’t fully realized, I was able to network and build some great relationships. The process is still ongoing and I now have something to take with me to any future flight schools that I instruct at. This program could also be built upon by future students who desire to go to other places and have different experiences. As the goal of the school’s requirement was to complete a project designed to give experience, that has definitely happened. I have learned networking, communication, and project development skills. This project will be something that I can always look back to and be proud of the efforts that I put into it.