Clarksville, TN – North Central Institute (NCI) in Clarksville is a specialized aviation maintenance school that trains students for FAA certification as Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) technicians, offering programs for both beginners and those with prior aviation experience, as well as an Associate of Applied Science in Aviation Technology.
NCI was founded in 1988 by U.S. Army Veteran Dr. John D. McCurdy. His daughter Tami, now Tami Taliento, was right there by his side.
“We get students from across the board, some are right out of high school, some are just getting out of the military, and some are just looking to make a career change,” Taliento said. “The industry is experiencing a huge shortage right now. We have about 65 students at any given time. We have one program that is 17 months, and one that is 9 days. The shorter program caters strictly to the military, and it runs nine days, Saturday – Sunday. The program used to take four weeks, but we found a way to fast-track the scheduling and get it done.”
Longer days make it possible. The truncated program is primarily for those on active duty, or those who have just ETS’d. We civilianize them. In the military, they work mainly on helicopters. This program prepares them to work on fixed-wing craft. In the military, they are trained to swap out parts, but with this program they learn how to actually fix the parts.”
Taliento says the 17-month program is for anyone, even if they have no experience in the field.
“We have a lot of folks who were going in a different direction, but for whatever reason decided to pursue a more hands-on, in-demand career,” Taliento said. “We’ve had students who didn’t know the difference between different types of screwdrivers when they started.
“Many of our students find opportunities at Fort Campbell after graduation. But these skills can take them anywhere. We have students taking jobs in Nashville, Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, and even overseas.
“We are a Delta TechOps Training Partner. We meet Delta’s stringent standards; not all aviation tech schools can say that.”
The school offers four or five starts each year, so there are many opportunities to enroll and get started.
“Some of our students have military experience,” Taliento said. “That helps them qualify for certain Airframe certifications. So, they come to our ‘Part 147’ section (the regulatory rules for Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools – AMTS) to get their Powerplant certification.”
NCI has 17 employees. The facility houses two fixed-wing craft, one helicopter, and a partial helicopter that students can work and learn on.
Taliento started working with her father at the beginning. She helped him procure the school’s first accreditation and qualify for financial aid. In 2014, she became co-owner and president.
“He was a pilot, and when he retired, he saw a great need,” Taliento said. “He saw that pilots going through military school had an option of getting civilian certifications, but the aircraft maintenance techs did not. They would go through all the training, but when they retired or ETS’d they didn’t have a certification that would take them straight into employment.
“His vision was, let’s prepare the Army Aviation guys and get them ready, so when they separate from the military, or their kids who think this is cool, but don’t want to go in the military, can become AMT’s on the civilian side.
“Our placement rate across the industry is over 90%. One of the things we do that is different – our classes for the longer program are broken down into 56 2-week classes. The subject is broken down into manageable bits of information, which allows students to build knowledge as they go.
“We are Clarksville’s best-kept secret. We have a wonderful team. Most of our staff members have been with us for more than 10 years. There is financial aid for those who qualify, as well as veterans’ benefits. There are also numerous grants and financial aid throughout the industry. I just want to say thank you to Clarksville and Fort Campbell for their tremendous support over the years.”
Taliento recently sold the business to U.S. Army Veteran Lamar Haynes and plans to retire in the next couple of years. For more information, go to www.nci.edu or find them on Facebook at North Central Institute.
