USU expands their aviation program to Brigham City

BRIGHAM CITY —  For some students, it’s just hard to get the access they want in a growing program. Between fixed-wing, helicopter, drone, and more, Utah State University’s aviation program has about seven hundred students. Some of them are coming here in part, just to get the flight time they need.

 While some of us may prefer the ground, students like Mitchell Carlson crave the view from above.

“Oh, I love flying. I just love the feeling of looking down at everything and just seeing all the details in the world,” Carlson said.

It’s part of what makes these meticulous pre-flight checks worth it. And this Logan resident is taking his education down to Brigham City, for more time in the air.

“It’s worth it because of just the better availability and the smaller class sizes here,” Carlson told KSL TV.

USU is adding the hangar here in part to keep up with the program’s growth, as they have about 90 more students now than they did a year ago.

“We have students from all over the country that come to Utah State specifically for the aviation program,” Dallas Brissett, aviation technology flight instructor, said.

And while demand in the industry isn’t as frenetic as it was during the pandemic, instructors here said the opportunities remain strong.

“Kind of slowing down a little bit. But this industry is the wave that comes and goes, so they are still hiring pilots,” Kan Okabe, chief flight instructor, said.

But this is about much more than the airlines. Carlson is looking to fly in the military and forestry, and Izzy Wesemann aspires to fly medical evacuation or search and rescue helicopters.  Both said this new expansion is giving them the opportunities they need to do.

“It’s something that I’ve been interested in for my whole life, just being able to help someone,” Wesemann said.

“There’s just something about being up there. It’s just the best thing,” Wesemann said.

The new location at the Brigham City Regional Airport has fourteen students, with the idea that interest from the south here will continue to grow.

A big benefit to putting some of the growth out here is not all of their students live in Cache Valley and for some, this is a lot closer to home.