DAWSON CREEK – Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) students at Northern Lights College will be the major beneficiaries of a generous donation by the Dwyer family of Valleyview, Alberta.
In a special ceremony on October 4 in the Aerospace Hangar at the Dawson Creek Campus, approximately 50 staff and students gathered to recognize six members of the Tim Dwyer family who were in attendance, and to thank the family for donating the Hughes 300 helicopter to the NLC fleet of aircraft.
AME student Luke Larsen said that having the opportunity to work on a piston helicopter would give NLC AME students some added experience when they enter the workforce.
“It’s a small helicopter, but it will have a big impact for us,” said Larsen, who thanked the Dwyer family on behalf of all the students in the program.
Tim Dwyer was a farmer and businessman who always had a passion for aviation, and especially helicopters. He died suddenly in 2010 at the age of 63.
His daughter Jody explained that the family decided the best way to honour her father’s memory was to ensure students with a similar passion for aviation would be able to learn on his helicopter. Joan Dwyer, Tim’s wife, also attended the ceremony, along with several other family members.
Hal Hobenshield, program chair for AME, explained that students would undertake a wide range of tasks on the Hughes 300, including the 100-hour inspection, tail rotor strikes, heat muffler inspection, weight and balance, and configuration changes.
NLC offers two intakes each year for the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Basic Training program, in September and February. For more information, check the website at www.nlc.bc.ca or call 1-866-463-6652.
Jody Dwyer, with the Hughes 300 helicopter.
NLC President Laurie Rancourt (left) and
AME program chair Hal Hobenshield
with Joan Dwyer.