UC Clermont aviation program celebrates 30 years

Radtke, now chief instructor of UC Clermont’s aviation technology program and president of Sporty’s Academy, Inc., had just boarded his first airline flight at 7 years old. The plane’s first officer showed Radtke the flight deck and described his day job. Radtke was hooked.

“The five minutes he gave me to talk about what he did sold me on aviation,” Radtke said.

After graduating high school, Radtke immediately enrolled in UC Clermont’s burgeoning aviation technology program, which had launched in the fall of 1992. He previously had considered joining the military, but once Radtke discovered a local aviation program that had everything he was looking for, “it was an easy choice.”

“UC Clermont felt like a small, close-knit community where you weren’t going to be just another student in the back of a large auditorium,” said Radtke, a UC Presidential Scholar who completed his professional pilot training and associate degree in 1998. “Within a few weeks, you knew everyone’s name, both students and instructors.”

Sporty’s will be honored with the UC Clermont Partnership Award at the college’s Celebration Luncheon recognizing partnerships and scholarships March 23.

“The 30th anniversary of UC Clermont's aviation program is a great example of a private/public partnership,” said Dean Jeff Bauer. “The support of Sporty’s Academy, and founders Hal and Sandy Shevers, have helped make this program among the best in the country.”

Radtke calls those who founded the partnership, including the Shevers, “forward thinking” for pulling together the collective expertise of both entities.

“Sporty’s has been around for 60 years, and the name is recognizable within aviation circles,” Radtke said. “At the same time, the best jobs in aviation require a college degree, often a bachelor’s degree. Combining UC with Sporty’s makes each program that much stronger.”

Radtke, like more than 90% of students who complete the associate degree program, earned his bachelor’s degree while working as a flight instructor at Sporty’s. Student instructors acquire up to 800 hours of flight experience by graduation, allowing graduates to succeed in a variety of aviation career paths. Most complete their bachelor’s degree in applied administration, offered entirely online through UC Clermont.