Zane Harris completes private instrument, commercial pilot certificates in just 18 months
Zane Harris, a native of Little Rock, has become the first graduate of the University of Central Arkansas Aviation Academy in just 18 months. He is pictured here in the academy’s Bill Cope Memorial Hangar at the Conway Regional Airport.
Zane Harris, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, has become the first graduate of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Aviation Academy. Harris successfully earned both his private instrument and commercial pilot certificates as a member of the inaugural class, completing the program in just 18 months.
Harris, who has a background in media production, has long been passionate about aviation. He found the UCA Aviation Academy’s non-degree program, along with its financial aid opportunities, to be the ideal pathway to advance his career.
“I’m super proud and thankful to be the first person to go through the program in its entirety,” Harris said. “My favorite experience through the UCA Aviation program has honestly been meeting all the people.
“I’ve really enjoyed taking people up who’ve never been in a small plane before.”
As is customary in all flight training, Harris completed the Private License first. Then he moved to the Instrument Rating, which allows the holder to fly by sole reference to the aircraft’s instruments. This teaches a greater mastery of aircraft control, systems and instrumentation. It also permits flights under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). This rating takes a minimum of 35 hours.
He also completed the Commercial License, which allows the recipient to fly for hire under certain conditions. The FAA requires 190 hours of accumulated flight time at a minimum, including specific hours of experience in several areas such as night flying, cross-country and enhanced maneuvers. Harris completed these three required certifications in just 18 months.
“Zane has been a committed student in our program,” UCA Aviation Academy Director Brad Teague said. “It has been exciting to watch him progress efficiently through all the certifications in our program.
“It is a nice validation of our curriculum and program process. As we continue to graduate our students, I am excited for the impact on workforce development in Arkansas. We want to do our important part to assist with the dearth of pilots in Arkansas and beyond.”
Harris is now pursuing certification as a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). This certification allows him to instruct any student, and UCA plans to hire him for the Academy.
“I’m excited to return to Conway and teach in the same aircraft where I learned to fly,” Harris said. He added that he looks forward to contributing to the aviation industry and helping connect people across the country.
The UCA Aviation Academy offers new classes every three months. Multiple pilot certifications are available, including Private, Commercial, and Instructor licenses, Instrument and Multi-engine ratings. Discovery flights are available for those considering enrolling in the program.
More information, including how to apply, is available at uca.edu/aviation or by contacting Brad Teague, director of UCA Aviation Academy for UCA Outreach and Community Engagement, at (501) 450-5244 or bteague@uca.edu.