There has been a flying club at Yale University
since the early days of the 20th century,
when army aviators trained at Tweed Field (then literally a
grass field). Today Yale Aviation is a non-profit educational
organization with a mission of flight
training and aviation education. Yale Aviation is open to
all members of the Yale community and their families. Yale Aviation
Incorporated is an independent organization with no formal ties
to Yale University. The club owns four Piper Aircraft Corp.
airplanes,
including two Piper Cherokee 140 trainers and two IFR-equipped
Piper Cherokee 180 four-seater airplanes for cross-country travel.
The planes are based at the General Aviation Terminal at Tweed
New Haven Airport, across the runway from the main terminal.
Yale Aviation offers basic flight training
leading to a Private Pilot certificate, as well as more advanced
training leading to the Instrument rating and Commercial certificate.
Flight training is conducted by FAA-certified instructors under
the overall supervision of the club's Chief Pilot, Colonel Charles
A. Skelton, USMCR (Retired) and Master Certified Flight Instructor.
Members with private pilot certificates may
sign out club airplanes and fly them anywhere in the Northeast,
and for longer trips with club approval. Rental fees are charged
only for the time that the engine is actually running. Popular
destinations include Block Island, a mere 45 minutes away by
plane, Nantucket Island, and the New York City Hudson river
tour to the Statue of Liberty.
Yale Aviation also co-sponsors various events
throughout the year, such as presentations by famous fliers
and safety lectures. A Yale Aviation scholarship program helps
expose New Haven youth to aviation and defrays some of the cost
of earning a Private Pilot license.
To learn more about Yale Aviation, or to schedule
an introductory flight:
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