Nicolet’s Gleim flight simulator offers glimpse of life as a pilot without danger, expense of a plane

Nicolet College in Rhinelander is again offering its private pilot ground school course starting in March.

The 10-week class gives students the chance to learn about the joys of flight, what it takes to become a pilot, and the many career options there are in the aviation field.

The learning doesn’t end there. Nicolet’s course also segues nicely with the new flight school offered at Eagle River Union Airport that was launched last summer through Blue Sky Aviation out of Menominee, Mich.

Curt Drumm, who leads the course at Nicolet and is a pilot himself, said the course covers a lot of material in 10 weeks, ranging from aerodynamics to instruments and systems to how aircrafts perform to aviation weather and beyond.

Drumm noted this course is not just for young people looking at possible careers in aviation-related fields, but also for those who might want to brush up on their existing knowledge, or learn about something new.

“Some people take this class just to see if it’s something they want to do. We’ve had older students take it that just want to learn more about it but have no intention of learning to fly. We’ve also had students who previously had their licenses but haven’t flown in years, or sometimes decades, take this course as a refresher,” Drumm explained.

The course is currently offered as a non-credit course, meaning there is no final exam and nobody is required to pass any test at the end, Drumm said. But Nicolet is in the process of transitioning it to a for-credit class so students would earn college credits that would count toward an education in the field of aviation.

Flight simulator

One of the highlights of the course is the FAA-approved Gleim flight simulator, which allows students or hopeful pilots to get a feel for flying without ever having to leave the ground.

“The real value is giving the student experience to see what it’s going to be like before they go out and start turning fossil fuel into noise,” Drumm said.

Nick Weber, the co-instructor for Nicolet’s course, handles a lot of the simulator training for students. As a certified flight instructor with nine years of military service, he has worked on the avionics of both the F-16 and the F-35 fighter jets. He also is an aspiring military pilot and hopes to fly for the Air Force National Guard.

With his background in aviation tech used on fighter jets, Weber handles much of the Gleim simulation process for students. He is able to change variables such as weather conditions or simulate system failures, or change what airport they’re flying out of, all from the safety of the ground.

“I do a lot of the button-pushing. You can do a lot of things, like change the location of the airplane, the weather conditions, if you want it to be stormy, or you want low visibility,” Weber said. “If you really dislike the student, you can click ‘fail the engine’ while they’re in the air,” he added with a chuckle.

The simulator also allows instructors to choose which airport is used as a base. Although the course is held in Rhinelander, Drumm said that can actually be a difficult airport to fly, especially for beginners.

“All you see is trees and lakes; there’s not good geographical representation in Rhinelander,” he explained. “I use Manitowoc Airport (which is also Drumm’s home town) because you can see geographical markers, with Lake Michigan, farmlands and lighthouses. It’s a lot easier for training from geographical or demonstration purposes for beginners. Later on, they of course use more gauges.”

The Gleim simulator along with several drones were acquired by Nicolet College through the Aviation Career Pathways Grant, a competitive grant awarded by the Wisconsin Technical College System. The grant increases the college’s capacity to provide aviation education to meet current demand and address emerging needs for skilled employees across a range of occupations in the aviation industry.

Courses fill up

Successful completion of Nicolet’s course and online exam-prep will provide necessary knowledge for the FAA Private or Light Sport Pilot written test.

According to Nicolet College, more than 200 Wisconsin companies have ties to the state’s aerospace sector, and more than 26,000 people are employed in Wisconsin by companies that support aviation businesses and aerospace manufacturing.

Nicolet College is building collaborative relationships in these industries and the local school districts to increase knowledge regarding career opportunities available and to provide practical experiences to those interested in these industries.

Nicolet’s ground pilot course is offered once per year, from March to May, and has been a full house every year it’s been offered so far.

The course is held in the spring, primarily because of the weather, Drumm noted.

“In May, it’s a beautiful time to go out to the airport and start playing around with airplanes. Of course planes can fly year-round, but nobody wants to go out and check oil when it’s below-zero,” he said.

Registration has already opened, and students will be accepted until the March 10 start date, or until it has reached its 22-student limit. The spring class runs until May 12.

For those who would like to continue their training, Nicolet also is the only FAA-authorized testing center in northern Wisconsin. Pilots can take over 100 different FAA written exams at the Rhinelander campus.

For more information on the career path, to register for the Private Pilot Ground School, or sign up for FAA testing, visit nicoletcollege.edu/aviation.
Although Nicolet College’s training ends on the ground, students can perform their flight training at local airports, including Minocqua, Rhinelander, Antigo or Wausau — and now Eagle River — with the new flight school that launched last summer. Weber is also a flight instructor at Eagle River Union Airport. For more information on flight training at Eagle River Union Airport, visit blueskykmnm.com.