Hawkins Flight Academy seeks airport approval for AeroFlight Education Center; authority backs recommendation to city council

Hawkins Flight Academy representatives told the Municipal Airport Authority they want to buy and place a temporary building at the airport to house an AeroFlight Education Center and a Motlow State College flight simulator lab, and asked the authority for a verbal go‑ahead to secure a building. The authority voted to recommend the concept and location to the city council for review and to allow Hawkins to pursue a purchase that would let staff draft a site‑specific ground lease.

The request centers on a portable structure to provide classroom space, recurrent training and a visible SIM lab for workforce development. "What we are creating with Motlow is an industry association called ARO, and it has aviation education resources and outreach," Hawkins representative Matt Wilkins told the authority. He said the center would complement university‑style programs by offering career‑focused flight…