Aviation Department

If you want to pursue a career in aviation, then you have picked the right place! Whether you are interested in air traffic control, aviation maintenance or flying as a professional pilot, Lewis University's aviation program offers benefits unmatched by any other school in Illinois.

Aviation Spring Conference for Women & MinoritiesWhy choose Lewis?

  • Lewis offers the oldest aviation program among universities in Illinois, and the only university aviation program in Illinois with an airport on campus.

  • Lewis' aviation students recently achieved a 100 percent pass rate on their certification exams.

  • Lewis' Flight Team competes against more than 80 other schools, ranking as high as fifth in the nation.

In fact, aviation has been part of Lewis' history since the very beginning -- the better part of a century. Lewis began as a technical school in 1932, focusing on courses in aviation technology. At the time, this was the cutting edge! During WWII, the school temporarily became a flight training facility for the U.S. Navy.

Today, the Lewis University aviation program continues to provide hard-working students with top-of-the-line equipment and state-of-the-art facilities. Lewis' aviation facilities include:

  • An airplane hangar and machine shops
  • Flight simulators 
  • A Boeing 737 for maintenance training
  • Seven Cessna 152's, 13 Cessna 172's, four Cessna 182's and one Piper Seminole
  • The $2 million high-tech Harold E. White Aviation Center 

The best way to learn more is to come and visit our campus. In addition, you will find more information about our programs with links to the left.