Defined Career Pathways and Industry Partners

Â鶹ÊÓƵ is working hard to connect you with your career by fostering relationships with several airlines.  Each of our partners are listed below and will bring you unique benefits such as mentoring, visits to headquarters and training facilities, early interviews, tuition reimbursement, travel privileges, referral bonuses, and direct pathways to legacy carriers.

Airline Partners


The RJet Cadet Program allows students the ability to interview and receive conditional offer letters as instrument rated pilots.  Students who join the program will travel to Republic Headquarters for facility tours, receive a pilot mentor and qualify for the “Flight Time Initiative” which pays for the final 100 hours of flight time prior to placement as a First Officer.



The Airman Trainee Program at Air Wisconsin Airlines provides students with travel privileges, mentoring opportunities, 401k with company matching, and employee referral bonus.  This program is designed to help students make a smooth transition from the classroom to the cockpit.



Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway Program

The Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program offers graduates a direct path to a rewarding career on the flight deck as a Spirit First Officer.



The Flight Instructor Cadet Pipeline Program allows you to interview as private pilots and upon completion of the commercial pilot certificate, to receive $10,000 towards their training for the Flight Instructor certificate.



The Wingman Program provides our students with mentoring opportunities, employee referral bonuses, limited flight benefits and $10,000 in tuition reimbursement upon successful completion of first officer training. 



This partnership provides our maintenance students training aides and mentoring opportunities as well as a direct pathway to a career at Delta Air Lines.



Â鶹ÊÓƵ - United

Â鶹ÊÓƵ is United’s industry-leading pilot career development program, offering aspiring and established pilots the most secure path to a United flight deck. As an Â鶹ÊÓƵ university partner, current and former Lewis students and instructors who apply and are successful in the Â鶹ÊÓƵ selection process will join the program and benefit from the secure path to a lifelong career at United. Throughout their journey, Â鶹ÊÓƵ participants will receive coaching from a United pilot, have opportunities to connect with members of the United team, and have access to travel privileges. 



Industry Partners

In addition to our defined career pathways partnerships with airlines, we also have several important corporate partnerships that bring our students a variety of benefits.


United Airlines and Â鶹ÊÓƵ have partnered to offer our students exclusive access to an internship in Fatigue Risk Management at United’s headquarters in the Willis Tower.



Â鶹ÊÓƵ was selected as one of the 2018 Top Hawk School by Textron Aviation.  Through this program, our university received a factory new, custom branded Cessna Skyhawk to use to promote aviation through air shows, aviation contests and recruiting events. 



Through our maintenance program’s partnership with Snap-on Tools our hangar is outfitted with Snap-on toolboxes and tools allowing our students to access to high quality, professional equipment.



Â鶹ÊÓƵ has partnered with ForeFlight’s Educational Licensing Program (ELP) to allow our institution to offer ForeFlight services at a discount to our faculty and students.  To be added to our ForeFlight roster and receive 33% off, please email Dr. Ryan Phillips at philliry@lewisu.edu.



IPads are an increasingly valuable tool in the general aviation cockpit.  Do to their popularity, Â鶹ÊÓƵ has partnered with PIVOT Case to connect our students with the highest quality protection for their electronic flight bag.  Our students will receive a 20% discount on this product.  For more information, email Dr. Ryan Phillips at philliry@lewisu.edu.



Equipment Donations


American Airlines has donated two MD-80 Auxiliary Power Units and an MD-80 fuselage panel section. These items will be used as training aides in our turbine engine and sheet metal structures courses for our Aviation Maintenance students.


Southwest Airlines has donated both an aircraft tug and a CFM-56 high-bypass turbofan engine to our Aviation Maintenance Program. These tools have allowed our maintenance students to gain valuable industry experience.

FedEx has donated both a JT-8 and JT-9 Pratt & Whitney high bypass jet engines to our Aviation Maintenance Program.  This technology has allowed our students to gain valuable technological skills that they will use in the field as professional maintenance technicians.

Future donations welcome and appreciated!  Please email Dr. Ryan Phillips at philliry@lewisu.edu for more information.

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