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Yes, that’s a runway. Pilots in the northeastern United States who want to land on ice can visit Alton Bay (B18) on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. Charted as a seaplane base, marine traffic precludes its use in the summer—but when ice conditions are suitable, it operates as an airport in the winter. Call the airport’s information line at 603-875-3498 before you go for the current status. See “The Iceway is Open” online.

WHAT: Alton Bay ice airport
WHERE: Alton Bay, New Hampshire
PHOTOGRAPHER: Mike Collins

Top Gun coming back—in 3D
To be presented in IMAX theaters in February

Top Gun, the 1986 blockbuster that encouraged many people to learn to fly, both in the military and general aviation—one of the film’s co-stars, Anthony Edwards, recently became a private pilot (see “Debrief: Anthony Edwards,” January 2013 Flight Training)—has been remastered in 3D and will return to theaters for a limited six-day engagement in February.

Beginning February 8, the film is expected to be shown in 3D at more than 300 IMAX theaters in 113 U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The complete schedule will be listed online.

The Paramount Pictures movie, which tells the story of an elite group of pilots competing to be the best in their air combat maneuvering class, earned more than $350 million in box offices worldwide. Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis star in the film; in addition to Edwards it also co-stars Val Kilmer
and Meg Ryan.

The remastered Top Gun will be released on Blu-ray, in both 3D and 2D versions, on February 19. The 2D version includes a six-part documentary on the making of the movie, a behind-the-scenes featurette, as well as interviews and commentary.

The hard way
One flight school tries to stand out

Prospective student pilots looking to get a degree and run through the necessary certificates and ratings have a number of options, including a four-year university, community college with an associated flight training program, the local flight school and college elsewhere, or a dedicated flight training academy. Aviator College in Fort Pierce, Florida, is offering a new route—a dedicated flight training academy experience that leads to an associate’s degree.

CEO Michael Cohen admits that turning his school—with its long history of career training—into a college has not been the easy way to go. But he said he thinks it has led to a higher caliber of student. “We’re trying to produce a better pilot,” he said. “We want to be more than just a flight school.”

Students attend classes similar to any degree-granting institution, but instead of core courses such as history and math, they take aviation-related electives such as law and advanced aerodynamics.

So far the approach seems to be working. Cohen said student enrollment is strong, and the airlines are hiring instructors. The hiring process starts while the student is still in training. Those with the right people skills are given letters of intent for employment at a partner airline, and are hired after only a few months instructing, Cohen said. In all, he said that students can get a degree and 1,500 flight hours in about two and one-half years.

Cohen said Aviator College isn’t for everyone. He recommends prospective students spend $1,000 on visits before they spend $50,000 on the training. “You have to go see what’s out there,” he said.

Piper, FIT launch aviation career alliance 
Many options available to students

Piper Aircraft Inc. and the Florida Institute of Technology have launched a Piper Aviation Career Alliance. The partnership will educate and provide enhanced vocational opportunities for graduates from FIT’s aviation program, as well as graduates from other programs at the school.

“We’ve been neglecting” the training market, said Piper President Simon Caldecott, who has led Piper for 13 months. “Certainly in the last five to six years, we’ve ignored the flight schools. One of our big objectives is to work with the flight schools and create long-term alliances,” he said.

The five-year agreement includes new Piper training aircraft for FIT as well as enhanced career opportunities for its students and graduates through Piper internships, scholarships, career interviews, and mentoring.

“Piper is thrilled that the Florida Institute of Technology has agreed to become our launch customer for the Piper Aviation Career Alliance,” Caldecott said. “We are doubly pleased that this top-flight institution has chosen our seventy-fifth overall birthday celebration and our fifty-fifth anniversary of becoming a Florida business to make the announcement.”

FIT’s College of Aeronautics will take delivery of eight single-engine Piper Archer TX aircraft next year, and has options on 16 additional Archer or twin-engine Seminole TX trainers for future delivery. Beginning in 2013, Piper Archer TX and Seminole TX training aircraft will feature the Garmin G1000 glass-cockpit avionics suite. FIT’s Archers will be among the first Piper training aircraft equipped with the G1000 panel.

FIT’s College of Aeronautics Dean Ken Stackpoole said the alliance will help graduates secure employment in airline operations, airport and airline management, and as flight crewmembers in corporate aviation, commercial operations, and government agencies.