SCR156.DOC

WHEREAS, the mission of the University of Hawaii at Hilo has evolved and expanded in recent years from a principally undergraduate teaching institution to one with a significant research focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and

WHEREAS, the State's economic development goal of encouraging an innovation-based economy relies on workforce proficiencies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and requires that students have broad opportunities to learn the advanced skills necessary to succeed in a more complex society; and

WHEREAS, Hilo International Airport is an ideal location for a world class flight training center because it is located in one of the most ideal flight training environments in the country, which includes but is not limited to the following:

(1) Two runways;

(2) Air controller and radar facilities;

(3) Varied weather conditions throughout the year;

(4) Minimal commercial and military aircraft; and

(5) Ample space for the construction and expansion of facilities on the current airport property; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Hilo is located less than six miles from the airport; and

WHEREAS, an aviation program will assist in the diversification of the State's economy and provide an opportunity to gain a reputation as a world class training center servicing the Pacific Rim and beyond; and

WHEREAS, a world class aviation program will attract students from all over the world to become aircraft pilots, obtain an advanced technical education, and prepare for the aviation field of the twenty-first century; and

WHEREAS, a world class aviation program will offer Hawaii's residents and students access to technical and professional career programs in aviation and support for existing airlines based in Hawaii by offering them the opportunity to hire pilots that are residents of and trained in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, a world class aviation program will complement existing aviation maintenance training activities by building a foundation for broader aviation education services and enhancing the State's economic development and income benefits in diversifying the State's economic development image; and

WHEREAS, given the importance of aviation to Hawaii and the anticipated increase in aviation in the Pacific Rim in the next decade, the State and the University of Hawaii at Hilo have an opportunity to provide training to Hawaii's citizens which will prepare them for prestigious high paying professional careers as professional pilots; and

WHEREAS, with the rapid growth of Hawaii's Pacific routes from Asia and the continuing development of trade and travel between Hawaii and China, the vast market potential for students and future pilots is exponential, and being on the forefront of this surge is paramount; and

WHEREAS, after nearly a four-year drought of job openings, the airline industry is on the brink of what is predicted to be the biggest surge in pilot hiring in history; and

WHEREAS, Boeing has forecast a need for 466,650 more commercial pilots by 2029 which is an average of 27,450 new pilots a year; and

WHEREAS, nearly forty percent of the openings will be needed to meet the soaring travel market in the Asia-Pacific region, but more than 97,000 will be in North America; and

WHEREAS, the demand for pilots will be so great that the industry could ultimately face a shortage, sparking fierce competition among airlines across the globe vying for candidates qualified to fill cockpits; and

WHEREAS, funding through public-private partnerships with known and established accredited programs such as Embry Riddle's Worldwide Aeronautical University, Federal Aviation Administration grants, and support from the business and private sectors of the local and international community in conjunction with the State and the University of Hawaii Hilo offer the program the best potential for success and implementation; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Governor is requested to convene a ten-member exploratory committee with two members each representing:

(1) The University of Hawaii at Hilo;

(2) The Hilo Community College;

(3) The Department of Transportation Hilo Airport Division;

(4) The Hawaii County Office of Research and Development; and

(5) The Hawaii aviation community, who will provide the technical expertise on aviation in Hawaii and implementation of the program and be selected from a list of Federal Aviation Administration licensed Part 121 commercial aviation pilots that hold a current airline transport type rating, fly class one medical, and operate aircrafts in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the exploratory committee is requested to examine the feasibility and necessary resources of establishing an international aviation training center at the Hilo International Airport and an advanced aviation degree training program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the exploratory committee is requested to report its findings and recommendations, including any budget requests and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Chancellor of the Hawaii Community College, President of the University of Hawaii System, Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii County Director of the Office of Research and Development, and the District Office Manager of the Federal Aviation Administration's Hawaii airports.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

UH Hilo; Aviation Program; Exploratory Committee

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	156
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII