Aviation students see 'Constellation' of opportunities

About 100 students at the Lumley Aviation Center experienced a state-of-the-art business jet earlier this week, courtesy of Constellation Brands Inc. The Fortune 500 company flew its Gulfstream G600 twin-engine aircraft from Battle Creek, Michigan, to the Williamsport Regional Airport as part of a recruitment effort for its summer internship program.

Constellation Brands – a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits – purchased the G600 within the past year. The jet is part of Gulfstream’s next-generation family of aircraft.

“Any opportunity that our students have to meet with industry and see what’s out there is invaluable,” said Ali Lorson, assistant dean of transportation technologies. “For Constellation Brands to spend time at the Aviation Center showing a plane like this and talking to students is incredible.”

Based in Rochester, New York, the company is offering a paid summer internship in its aircraft maintenance department for one Penn College student.
 

“Constellation Brands has a first-class maintenance department,” said Brett A. Reasner, associate professor of aviation. “They have modern technology and the latest and greatest from Gulfstream, so the opportunity is huge.”

Harrison C. Stark, of Milford, completed the internship last summer.

“It was absolutely an awesome time. They forced me to ask questions all the time to help me learn,” said Stark, who is seeking a bachelor’s degree in aviation maintenance technology. “I came back to school knowing so much more than I did going in. It served the purpose of an internship.”

Led by aircraft technician Alex Zdrojewski, representatives from Constellation Brands provided an overview of the company and the internship opportunity after offering students ample time to tour and inspect the Gulfstream G600. 

“You don’t get a lot of corporate aviation departments coming out to speak to students. Instead, it’s usually airlines that visit schools,” Zdrojewski said. “Being exposed to corporate aircraft allows students to see another option where they can go with their careers.”

Joshua E. McGill, an aviation maintenance technology student from Budd Lake, New Jersey, was impressed.

“It was wonderful to see. The Gulfstream G600 is the latest and greatest, so it was crazy to see the inside – the beautiful interior and the Symmetry Flight Deck,” McGill said. “There’s a lot of good stuff on the plane for us to see.”

The Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck includes 10 touch-screen displays and an enhanced vision system.

“It’s pretty nuts when big companies like Constellation Brands come here to show students what corporate aviation is all about,” McGill said. “There are endless opportunities for students like us.”

In addition to the baccalaureate degree in aviation maintenance technology, Penn College also offers an associate degree in aviation technology. Both programs boast an overall graduate placement rate of 100%.