Madisonville Community College Aviation

Congratulations, Mrs. Dianne and thank you for all of the wonderful support over the years. We will miss you!😊

Another Hopkins County school field trip in the books for Madisonville Regional Airport! Thanks to our lineman Jace for leading the tour 👏 🚁

Nothing like going into the weekend with that new pilot feeling! Congratulations are in order for MCC’s newest Private, Instrument, and Commercial pilots, Jace, Eduardo, Cody, Cody, and Luca! And let’s not forget the flight instructors who put in the work to get them ready. Way to go team! 🚁💪✈️

Checkride-Prep day and these guys are getting it done! 💪

MCC had the privilege of touring BNA’s tower yesterday. We got a behind the scenes look at what controllers do to help pilots navigate their airspace and it helped drive home some of the fundamentals we have been learning about in instrument ground school. Huge thanks to BNA Tower! See Ya!

Why do flight instructors cut the back of a student pilot’s shirt after their first solo? ✈️✂️🚁

It’s one of aviation’s most fun (and slightly shocking) traditions—and it actually has a meaningful history behind it.

In the early days of flight training, instructors sat behind students in tandem aircraft. Without radios or headsets, they would tug on the back of the student’s shirt to get their attention or guide them during the flight.

Fast forward to that big milestone: the first solo. When a student takes off alone, they no longer need that physical guidance. Cutting the shirt symbolizes that moment of independence—the instructor quite literally “letting go.”

It’s a rite of passage, a badge of honor, and a memory that lasts forever.

Pro tip for student pilots: maybe don’t wear your favorite shirt on solo day

Our instructors honor that tradition and here are a few pictures of our most recent student solos. Feel free to drop a picture of your solo or share a story of yours!!