A year ago, BSU instituted a partnership between with JetBlue and Cape Air that is giving students a more definitive path to the cockpit. The JetBlue University Gateway Program takes the best aviation students and helps with training and mentoring, eventually setting them squarely on the path to fly first for Cape Air and then JetBlue. BSU was the seventh institution to be taken aboard.
JetBlue also sponsors a SUN ’n’ FUN International Fly-In and Expo each year, bringing together students of all ages to learn about careers in aviation. The 41st such event was held in April in Lakeland, Fla. It featured educational programs, an airshow, talks by an astronaut and industry professionals.
For the past three years, JetBlue taken select BSU students to the event. This year, Jamie Engler, ’17, got the chance to go. She wrote about the experience and about being part of the JetBlue University Gateway Program. While there, she got some good news about an internship, and discussed the other opportunities she’s enjoyed as an aviation major at BSU.
Here’s her report.
When we landed in Lakeland, we took a group photo in front of the plane and then everyone went their separate ways. There were all different sections of the Fly-In, with thousands of planes occupying the grass, ranging from antiques to war birds and all the planes used for the air shows. All the individuals on our charter were split into two groups for lunch so we could talk and get to know each other. Leo is Lebanon based, Clayton is San Juan based, and Armando is Hyannis based, and they are all Cape Air pilots. I was selected for an internship next fall and they were all there when I found out, so it was very exciting. When I applied to the program last October, I indicated I would like to do the first officer internship, and so they sent me an email that day saying I was chosen to do it. I did spend some time talking to people but we didn't have a whole lot of time at the airfield itself.
I highly recommend the Gateway Program because it has given me the opportunity to interact with people who are going to be my future coworkers. They want to see the kids in the program succeed just as they did and it’s inspiring to know that they were people in college at one point too and now they are real pilots. Just in the few months since I've applied I was able to go to SUN ’N’ FUN, and to visit JetBlue University which is the airline’s training facility in Orlando, Fla. It has the classrooms and full-motion simulators and Flight Attendant A320/E190 mockups (basically an actual airplane sitting in a room). It also has the Lodge which is the cafeteria for the trainees and employees.
Attached to the training facility is a hotel where new hires and those on business stay when training. It was incredibly beautiful and blue. Something to definitely look forward too.
The internship, coming as it does in the middle of my college career, allows me to become a full first officer for Cape Air, which also results in college credits toward my degree. I am able to see a lot of the JetBlue pilots/mentors at the airport, since we all park in the same garage and occasionally cross paths. It is exciting to know so many people.
With the Gateway program, students are also given the opportunity to tour JetBlue ops and see the hanger at Logan. Next week, the students are getting a tour of Cape Air in Hyannis. The Gateway provides something that regular students just don't get, which is the interaction and connections they need to have a strong and fluid transition into the industry. I'm thankful to be a part of such an amazing program and proud to be the trailblazer for Bridgewater.
