As demand for pilots grows, Coe College is partnering with the Eastern Iowa Airport and aviation services company Revv Aviation to create a flight school and aviation management program.

Pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission, the four-year program will earn students their Federal Aviation Administration pilot certification alongside a business administration degree with a concentration in aviation management, according to a news release. Students can also pursue the aviation management concentration without joining flight school.

A donation of $200,000 to Coe College helped get the initiative going, according to the release, and the college will also seek federal funding for the program in partnership with the airport. The college plans to begin welcoming students to the program in fall 2025, but, if a “sizable cohort” shows interest in immediate enrollment, the program could start this fall instead.

Coe College spokesperson Natalie Milke said in an email the first cohort can take as many as 24 students, with possible expansion in future years.

“Cedar Rapids is an aviation rich town,” said Coe College President David Hayes in the release. “With the presence of national and international companies in the area, there is a concentration of pilots and aviation professionals, so Coe will build a program with highly skilled experts to teach courses and mentor students.”

Revv Aviation will run the flight school, the news release stated, having produced more than 3,000 flight school graduates in other programs. Coe College will also seek Part 141 certification with the FAA, which includes a training program for professional pilots that could help students get their certification more quickly and find a job in the industry while still logging flight hours, according to the release.

Coe College faculty and Revv Aviation will lead the program together, according to the release. Students will take courses on campus and at the college’s aeronautical field station at the Eastern Iowa Airport, where they will have exclusive use of a hangar and office area and chances to work with pilots and other aviation experts.

The airport is in the final phase of its modernization project, and is currently adding 32,000 square-feet and four more jet bridges, giving students a better and more cutting-edge experience, according to the release.

Eastern Iowa Airport Director Marty Lenss said in the release that Coe College is a “forward-thinking educational leader,” and he is proud to be helping the school in attracting and retaining talent. According to the release, there is an expected gap of 17,000 pilots as current pilots begin to reach their age-mandated retirement.

“We are thrilled to be partners on this new program,” Lenss said in the release. “This announcement is another step toward creating the aviation education campus at CID. In addition, it will open doors to new economic development opportunities.”

CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – When dozens of the top gymnasts in the U.S. arrive in Fort Worth, Texas for the U.S. championships, among the future and current Olympians will be 13-year-old Greta Krob.

Krob, who trains at Iowa Gym-Nest in Coralville, will be among 14 junior elite women, the top U.S. gymnasts under the age of 16.

“She has really big goals and she’ll do pretty much whatever it takes to get to them,” said one of her coaches, Erika Briscoe.

“I’m hoping to make the national team one day, and compete at the Division I level,” said Krob. “My goals (for the competition) are to be confident and then just hit my routines like I do in practice, and not get overwhelmed.”

Krob started gymnastics for fun, but her talent and drive took her to competitions at age seven.

“(At) two years old I joined a mommy and me class. I was a little bit wild so I needed something to get my energy out,” Krob said.

“She was taking off through the levels,” said Briscoe. “Most kids will do one level a year or maybe two years at a level, she was skipping through some of the levels, and it was coming pretty easy to her.”

Briscoe says Krob is talented and hard-working, but she also has maturity far beyond her years.

“She comes in, she gets here on time, she gets done whatever we ask of her,” Briscoe said. “She isn’t willing to give up easily even when we’re like ‘it’s ok if don’t get this skill this year, it’s ok if we don’t do this level this year,’ she’s like ‘no I’m gonna do it, don’t doubt me, I can do all of this.”

In last year’s Hopes classic – for ages 10 to 12 – she won the all around competition, scoring highest in the uneven bars and balance beam.

“I think she’s really good on bars and beam cause she’s able to stay calm under pressure,” Briscoe said.

In a competition, like the one coming up in Forth Worth, Krob says all those early mornings and tough practices lead to the landing.

“It is just a big sigh of relief knowing that all my hard work really paid off.”

Next Friday competition can be streamed on the USA Gymnastics YouTube channel.

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