'A new age in aviation': MTSU celebrates aerospace academy plans at Shelbyville airport

MTSU celebrated the Murfreesboro university's future aerospace academy plans Thursday to train students at Shelbyville Municipal Airport.

"We mark the beginning of a new age in aviation," Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney McPhee told an audience of government officials, MTSU educators, students and others gathered in Shelbyville.

MTSU plans to move much of the university's aerospace training for 1,200 current students, including 900 seeking to become professional pilots, from the smaller Murfreesboro Municipal Airport to Shelbyville. University officials hope to break ground on the $62.2 million, two-year construction project for the aerospace academy by summer or fall 2024. MTSU also expects to relocate 10 to 20 aircraft from Murfreesboro to the Shelbyville airport by spring semester and use temporary facilities.

The Shelbyville Municipal Airport offers more space for growth to train the MTSU aviation students in the largest group of majors for a university serving about 20,000 students. Among those who attended the celebration is John Dowd, a junior aerospace maintenance management major.

"It's a great opportunity for the school to grow the aviation department," Dowd said. "Hopefully, we'll get some bigger hangers and whatnot, so we'll have some more room to work. We are a little bit cramped up in Murfreesboro right now."

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Dowd is among the rising count of aviation students, and although he will have graduated before the aerospace academy opens, he's glad future students will have a better place to train even if the commute is 45 minutes to Shelbyville instead of 10 minutes to Murfreesboro Municipal Airport.

The Shelbyville Municipal Airport should have room "to bring in different aircraft to work on."

"Right now, we can't fit all the aircraft in a hanger," Dowd said.

Dowd hopes MTSU will offer bus service to the Shelbyville Municipal Airport. He also supports the university offering a scheduling plan that allows the aerospace students to complete general education courses and aviation training during the same days at the future aerospace academy.

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Congressman seeks federal funding for aerospace academy project

The aerospace academy project includes $57.2 million from the Tennessee General Assembly. MTSU will provide $5 million.

In addition to the MTSU president speaking, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee also told the audience that he joined state lawmakers such as Rep. Pat Marsh, R-Shelbyville in backing funding for the aerospace academy project to develop workforce that is desperately needed.

"It is money well spent," said Lee, who described the celebration as being an important day for Shelbyville and Bedford County. "This is really important for this community."

In addition to state funding, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Sherwood, confirmed through his office that he's seeking $8.9 million from Congress to support the MTSU aerospace academy project and assist in providing the infrastructure associated with the move and continued support and operations of the airport's existing clientele.

“We are pleased to help support this important project," DesJarlais said in a statement emailed to The Daily News Journal. "We want to ensure federal Tennessee tax dollars are not flowing to other states.”

MTSU's first aerospace graduate became Delta Airlines captain

Although DesJarlais was not at the celebration event at Shelbyville Municipal Airport, MTSU Board of Trustees chairman Stephen Smith told the audience about the congressman's efforts to pursue earmarked funding through Congress.

"There will be thousands of students that benefit from this," said Smith, noting that MTSU is turning out pilots joining the growing workforce of Southwest Airlines. Southwest recently announced plans to hire up to 600 pilots by mid-2024 to be based at Nashville International Airport.

MTSU started training students in aviation in 1942 and even had a former runway on the campus. By 1972, the university offered a four-year degree in aerospace, and Bernie Doubler became the first student to earn a diploma in what was then called aerospace technology with an emphasis in becoming a professional pilot.

"I became a pilot with Delta Airlines," said Doubler, who retired in 2003 after a 27-year career he completed as a captain flying Boeing 767 jets.

Doubler also recalled getting flight training lessons in 1967 from H. Miller Lanier as payment instead of receiving $1 per hour for cleaning a hanger and gassing aircraft.

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'We're proud of the aerospace program'

Doubler, who's also also the great grandson of Grand Ole Opry banjo-playing music star Uncle Dave Macon, is a resident of Rutherford County's Blackman community in the west Murfreesboro area. His neighbor Donald McDonald also attended the event in Shelbyville.

McDonald provided MTSU with funding to help build a hangar for training that's named in his honor at the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport.

"It's a maintenance laboratory," said McDonald, adding that he wants to donate more funds for the aerospace academy planned for the Shelbyville Municipal Airport.

A retired Middle Tennessee Electric executive, McDonald also provides funding for four scholarships for aviation majors.

"We're proud of the aerospace program," said McDonald, who flies aircraft from a runway that's part of his farmland in the Blackman community.

Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. Follow his tweets on the X social media platform @ScottBroden. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.

Funding for MTSU aerospace academy

State: $57.2 million

MTSU: $5 million

Total: $62.2 million

Note: U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Sherwood, is seeking $8.9 million from Congress for Shelbyville Municipal Airport to invest in infrastructure to accommodate serving the relocation of MTSU's aerospace training relocating from Murfreesboro Municipal Airport

Sources: Middle Tennessee State University and U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais' office

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU celebrates aerospace academy plans at Shelbyville airport