As the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University men’s and women’s golf teams prepare for a flight to China, the chief flight instructor of Embry-Riddle partner Universal Helicopter is being honored as Flight Instructor of the Year.
The golf team will be competing in Beijing in June after receiving the prestigious invitation from the Beijing Shichahai Sports School. The Beijing Shichahai sports school has been training Olympic athletes since its inception in 1958. In total, the school has produced 33 world champions and seven Olympic champions.
“This is a unique and exciting opportunity that has been extended to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and our men’s and women’s golf programs. We will have the experience of a lifetime,” said Head Coach Kim Haddow. “We look forward to traveling abroad and experiencing the Chinese culture in conjunction with a friendly golf match between our two countries.”
“We are so proud of coaches Kim and Mike Haddow and all our young scholar athletes who have brought our golf program to this level in just two years,” said Chancellor Frank Ayers. ”We are pleased to build bridges between student athletes in China and here at Embry-Riddle, and are very excited to host China’s team here in Prescott next fall!”
Embry-Riddle also is excited about Gordon Jiroux’s Flight Instructor of the Year award from Helicopter Association International (HAI).
The CEO and chief flight instructor of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University partner, Universal Helicopters, received the award during HAI’s HeliExpo last month in Anaheim, Calif.
The partnership between UHI and Embry-Riddle, which began in fall 2010, simplifies the path for students seeking helicopter flight training while enrolled in Embry-Riddle’s Helicopter Flight or Helicopter Operation degree programs. The academic curriculum taken at Embry-Riddle in conjunction with UHI’s flight instruction helps prepare students seeking a career in the helicopter industry. Embry-Riddle’s Aeronautical Science Rotary program currently has 61 students enrolled.
With Gordon’s leadership, Universal Helicopters has logged 25,000 hours of accident-free flying.
“I became committed to education and flight training as a combination, putting education and knowledge first,” Jiroux said. QCBN
Bryan Dougherty is dean of enrollment management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. For more information, call 800-888-3728, or visit www.Prescott.erau.edu.
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