Sunrise Aviation is now the flight training partner for Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). Beginning with the Fall 2011 Semester, Sunrise Aviation is providing pilot training for FSCJ students at the Cecil Airport in Jacksonville. Sunrise Aviation is also now able to provide flight training to the general public in Jacksonville through an arrangement with Jacksonville JetPort, the FBO at Cecil Airport. Starting early in 2012, Sunrise Aviation expects to have their own office space at Cecil Airport where they will provide not only high quality flight and ground training but service both the FSCJ students and the general public’s pilot supply needs.
The FSCJ flight and ground school courses are FAA Part 141 approved through Sunrise Aviation. FSCJ is also VA approved and provides some of the best VA benefits available in Florida for pilot training.
FSCJ has conducted aviation training for 20 years. Their programs at Cecil Airport including professional pilot training began 10 years ago. In fact, recently FSCJ’s Aviation Center of Excellence at Cecil Airport celebrated their 10th Year Anniversary.
Students who want pilot training in a college environment may either attend individual flight courses at the Cecil Center South Campus of FSCJ or earn a complete Associate of Science degree. The A.S. degree in Professional Pilot Technology consists of 64 credit hours. The flight courses and their associated costs in the FSCJ program during the 2011-2012 academic year consist of the following:
|
COLLEGE COURSE |
TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS |
FSCJ FEES |
| Primary Flight I |
15 |
$3,770 |
| Primary Flight II |
20 |
$4,130 |
| Instrument Flight |
35 |
$7,650 |
| Commercial Flight I |
38 |
$6,272 |
| Commercial Flight II |
32 |
$5,508 |
| Commercial Flight III |
50 |
$9,430 |
| Multi-Engine Flight |
10 |
$4,150 |
| Flight Instructor |
25 |
$5,843 |
The private pilot (primary flight) and commercial flight courses are divided into convenient blocks to prevent students from having to pay large sums of money for flight training at any one time. Students should be aware that these courses meet the FAA minimum hours for completion. However, individual ability and performance may require additional costs in order to achieve graduation and FAA certification. The costs of tuition and flight fees for the minimum hours are paid to FSCJ and students must be enrolled at FSCJ to receive college credit.
The FSCJ A.S. degree requires the students to complete the private pilot certificate, instrument rating, commercial pilot (single engine) certificate and then either the Flight Instructor (Airplane Single Engine) Certificate or the Multi-Engine Airplane Rating.
Sunrise Aviation has a fleet of over 40 aircraft. The main base of operations for Sunrise Aviation is at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (KOMN) in Florida. Sunrise Aviation provides aircraft as required for the needs of the Jacksonville satellite and the FSCJ students. Currently there are seven aircraft assigned to Jacksonville including 2 C172R models with HSI, Garmin 430 GPS and TIS traffic avoidance system; 1 C152 with Garmin 430 GPS; 1 brand new 2011 Piper Warrior with Garmin 500 glass cockpit including a TIS traffic avoidance system; 1 Piper Arrow; and 1 Piper Seminole with HSI, KNS80 RNAV and autopilot.
Here are the current prices for the Sunrise Aviation fleet assigned to Jacksonville:
| AIRCRAFT | COST PER HOUR |
| Cessna 152 (Garmin 430) | $100 |
| Cessna 172R (Garmin 430) | $144 |
| Piper Warrior (2011–Garmin 500 glass cockpit) | $166 |
| Piper Arrow | $157 |
| Piper Seminole | $325 (dual) |
Sunrise Aviation charges $50 per hour for both flight and ground instruction at the Jacksonville satellite.
Sunrise Aviation provides pilot training in Jacksonville at the Cecil Airport. Cecil Airport is one of the best airports in Florida or perhaps anywhere in the world for conducting flight training. The airport has parallel runways configured both north-south and east-west providing a runway available for any wind condition. Parallel runways allow larger aircraft to operate on one runway without impacting the smaller aircraft on the other. Currently, the number of annual operations at Cecil Airport is lower than many other airports, even those that do not have an Air Traffic Control Tower. The tower at Cecil is also open longer than most: 0700 to 2100 (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.), 7 days a week. As Cecil Airport is a former Naval Air Station, the large expense of surrounding airport property makes noise impact particularly of small aircraft not a major concern. Cecil not only has an ILS precision instrument approach, but also has a VOR approach and GPS approaches to runways in all directions. The GPS approaches include precision WAAS approach capability.
Sunrise Aviation’s locations on the FSCJ ramp or at the Jacksonville JetPort are ideally positioned for short taxi times to any of the runways that might be in use. The long runways at Cecil Airport allow our students and instructors to conveniently do intersection takeoffs and stop and go landings in all directions.
Located just a few miles from Cecil Airport is Herlong Airport, an airport without a control tower and just minutes outside the traffic pattern at Cecil Airport. Herlong Airport is perfectly situated close to Cecil Airport for practicing operations at an airport without an operating control tower.
Students needing to fly to a practice area near Cecil Airport only need to depart the Class D airspace to the immediate west, northwest or southeast to enter suitable areas for practicing airwork. No time is lost flying long distances to a crowded practice area. Sunrise Aviation is the only flight school at Cecil Airport.
The short taxi times, minimal delays for takeoff and landing, close-in practice areas, and having all the required instrument approaches at Cecil Airport will help to keep flight times at a minimum for students at Sunrise Aviation’s Jacksonville satellite.
You can find Sunrise Aviation on the Cecil Airport inside the Florida State College at Jacksonville, Cecil Center South facilities. See below for the street address.13450 Lake Fretwell St., Building J, Room J-109,Jacksonville,FL32221. Future plans include locating the Sunrise Aviation administration offices and a pilot supply shop in a building conveniently located near FSCJ. The main ramp for Sunrise Aviation at Cecil Airport is located adjacent to FSCJ.
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Aviation College of Excellence
Cecil Center South
13450 Lake Fretwell Street
Building J, Room J-109
Jacksonville, FL 32221
A good way to get an introduction to FSCJ aviation programs is to attend one of their Open Houses held every second Tuesday of each month from 1700 to 1900 (5:00 to 7:00 p.m.). If you are unable to attend, please call or email Sunrise Aviation and we will arrange a personal tour to suit your schedule.
To learn more about the Sunrise Aviation Satellite, please contact us in the following ways:
Email: info@flysunrise.com
Telephone:
Patrick Murphy, Director of Training &
Assistant Chief Flight Instructor
Jacksonville Satellite
1-904-317-3875
or
Ralph Zahnle, Director of Operations
1-904-317-3852
To learn more about the FSCJ Aviation program contact Sam Fischer, Program Manager at:
1-904-317-3844
Email: sfischer@fscj.edu
