Success story: Expanded hangar means a shorter waitlist and more pilots for the airline industry

September 17, 2025

When the elbow room gets tight inside a 33,000-square-foot building, it’s definitely a monumental moment.

That was the scene at Monday’s ribbon cutting for NMC’s newly-expanded aviation hangar. The crowd of community leaders, legislators, students and alumni was there to celebrate a milestone that illustrates NMC's commitment to meeting the growing needs of the Grand Traverse region and the aviation industry.

The hangar was expanded by 16,500 square feet, which enabled NMC to add eight new planes to its fleet of 19 total aircraft, including a sea plane and an aerobatics plane. It is now 33,530 square feet and includes areas for maintenance, storage and offices.

I was just in awe the entire time I was standing there. It was so exciting,” said aviation student Meigan Lanning (right), who cut the ribbon. She's the president of NMC’s Aviation Society.

“It’s very impressive. It’ll look very good to new, prospective students,” said alumna Susan Waters. A 1992 aviation graduate who is now a captain with Southwest Airlines, Waters flew in from Houston for the event.

By expanding the college's aviation facilities, the hangar increases NMC’s capacity to train pilots significantly. This fall, 50 new students started, a 66% increase over typical fall enrollment.

Aviation students take to the skies in their first semester and can earn private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and flight instructor ratings, preparing them for successful careers. In her 30-year career, Waters has been a commercial, charter, corporate and cargo pilot.

“I walked out with a wonderful experience,” she said of NMC, where she also served as a flight instructor from 1994–95.

That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.

“There’s a lot of passion for this program,” said Lanning, 19, who will graduate next year. She hopes to become a flight instructor at NMC while she finishes her bachelor’s in business administration-aviation from Ferris State University and then become a commercial airline pilot.

NMC is the only Michigan two-year college to offer a flight training program. Until this year, it typically enrolled 30 new students each fall, and had up to a two-year waitlist.

“There’s never been a better time to launch your aviation career — with rising salaries, signing and retention bonuses, travel perks, and a pilot shortage projected to last another 10 to 15 years,” said Aviation Director Alex Bloye.

Total project cost for the hangar was $7 million. NMC matched a $3.75 million state grant. The project also received $550,000 in federal funding. The hangar is also the first project in NMC's 10-year campus master plan, NMC Thrive.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our state and federal legislators, donors, and community partners who have made this project possible,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “This expansion demonstrates NMC's responsiveness to the needs of our region and our ability to deliver results.”

NMC Aviation has a proven track record of success, with exceptional job placement rates for graduates. The college is also a leader in the growing field of uncrewed aerial systems.