Calhoun Community College has opened a new FAA-certified Aviation Maintenance Technology program in Decatur, Alabama. The college cut the ribbon on the hangar facility that houses the program at Pryor Field Regional Airport on August 18, 2026.
The program runs two years and awards an associate of applied science degree in airframe and powerplant. That coursework is the standard academic path toward the FAA airframe and powerplant certificate, the credential a technician holds to approve an aircraft for return to service after maintenance work.
Siting the program at an operating general aviation field gives students access to aircraft and to a working ramp environment rather than a classroom alone. FAA-certificated maintenance schools must meet curriculum, equipment, and instructor requirements set under federal aviation regulations before they can graduate students eligible for the certification examinations.
Calhoun Community College is a public two-year institution serving Morgan and Limestone counties in northern Alabama. Pryor Field Regional Airport sits between Decatur and Athens and handles general aviation traffic and based aircraft.
The opening adds capacity to the pool of certificated technicians in a part of Alabama that sits inside the broader Tennessee Valley aerospace corridor. Technical colleges and community colleges supply much of the entry-level workforce that moves into FAA Part 145 repair stations, airline maintenance organizations, and corporate flight departments.
Aviation Week reported the ribbon cutting in its rolling daily MRO industry updates for August 2026.
Source: Aviation Week - https://aviationweek.com/mro/mro-industry-rolling-daily-updates-august-2026