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Kansas State University
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Source: Bill Gross, 785-826-2970, bgross@k-state.edu;
and Kurt Barnhart, 785-826-2972, kurtb@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Abigail Crouse, 785-826-2642, acrouse@sal.ksu.edu

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

K-STATE AT SALINA HELICOPTER PROGRAM TRAINS 11 IN ITS FIRST YEAR

SALINA -- It has been a little over a year since the heirs of Charles Stevens, the late owner of Stevens Construction in Salina, donated $500,000 to the aviation department at Kansas State University to purchase a Schweizer 300CBi helicopter and create a helicopter flight training program.

The helicopter has created a unique opportunity for not only K-State at Salina aviation students, but also other pilots in the state.

"The Schweizer 300 is the most desirable primary helicopter trainer on the market, and we have the only one available in Kansas," said Kurt Barnhart, head of the department of aviation at K-State Salina.

With 350 flight hours on the helicopter, K-State has trained 11 pilots and has three currently in training.

"We have trained, and are training, a wide range of pilots," said Bill Gross, professor of aviation and chief pilot at K-State at Salina.

Gross has done the majority of the helicopter training and said that along with K-State students, his other students have included a local physician and several Kansas law enforcement officers.

"The helicopter has been popular with law enforcement. We've had three Kansas Highway Patrol pilots and one from the Topeka Police Department," Gross said.

Gross hopes to see the helicopter program grow in coming years, and is continuing to promote its advantages to K-State students and members of the Kansas aviation community.