David Coder

Student
Aviation

His fascination with aerodynamics started as early as he can remember. As a kid, David sailed up and down the East Coast with his father. In middle school, his interest in aviation began to take flight. And when high school rolled around, he already had his private pilot license. Today, he’s pursuing his bachelor’s degree in aviation maintenance technology. Outside of class, he's earning his instrument rating and working towards his commercial pilot license. David's thirst for learning never stops. We can’t wait to see where he’ll go from here.

Leading the Way

Q&A with David

WHEN DID YOU FIRST FALL IN LOVE WITH AVIATION?

I used to beg my parents to take me to the airport to watch the planes take off and land. I would sit outside the fence for hours and watch as their engines roared to life, barrel down the runway, and take to the sky. One day I met a gentleman who had a small single-engine aircraft. He took me on flight and let me take the controls for a second. It was that day that I completely fell in love with aviation. Throughout my life, I have always loved working with my hands, particularly with mechanical things. I figured learning how to work on aircraft would be a perfect fit.

WHY DID YOU SELECT PENN COLLEGE?

I selected Penn College due to its reputation in the aviation community around the world. It’s also located in an area that is very rich in aviation history.

WHAT IS SOMETHING COOL YOU LEARNED?

The technology in this field is amazing. A pilot can take-off in dense fog barely able to see the nose of the aircraft out the windshield, fly hundreds of miles, and then line up and land on a runway all without ever seeing through the fog. This is all possible because of incredible innovations in radio and GPS navigation, and very precise and highly maintained instrumentation onboard the aircraft.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT ABOUT LEARNING AT PENN COLLEGE?

How much the programs are geared to the real world. The instructors are all highly experienced in the field and really bring a lot of knowledge into the classroom. They go above and beyond to provide a personalized and hands-on learning experience for each and every student.

IF SOMEONE WERE INTERESTED IN PENN COLLEGE, WHAT MIGHT YOU TELL THEM?

There is no better time to pursue a technical-related career. Penn College goes way beyond anything a typical trade school offers. If you come motivated and passionate about learning you will be met with incredible opportunities that will forever change your life.

HOW DO YOU BENEFIT FROM THE COMBINATION OF THEORY + HANDS-ON LEARNING?

Students don't just learn how things work, they learn why they work and the science and physics behind it. This gives me the ability to fully wrap my head around topics and helps me understand things much better.

Faculty & Staff

"As an instructor, every year I hope to have a student like David who can ask deeply probing questions and add valuable input during class. Other students feel more connected to the material in class when an experienced peer can verify the importance of what is being covered in lecture."

Matthew Krepps

Faculty, Aviation Maintenance

Bringing learning to life

David kicks off each day with one hour of theory. Then follows it up with nearly six hours of hands-on training advanced labs using real operational aircraft and specialty tooling. Check out this brief video for a glimpse of Basic Electricity II, one of the required courses for the bachelor's program.