Powering Innovation in Aviation Maintenance
Thanks to the generosity of the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is modernizing its Jet Engine Test Cell—an essential element of the Aviation Maintenance Science Department and its FAA Part 147 training program. This investment strengthens a facility where classroom knowledge becomes hands-on mastery and where the next generation of aviation maintenance professionals learns to safeguard the skies.
The Trust’s support keeps Embry-Riddle students and faculty working with tools worthy of their responsibility: ensuring every aircraft is safe to fly.
Immersive Training That Builds Confidence
The enhanced test cell deepens the applied learning employers expect from Embry-Riddle graduates. Students run engines under realistic conditions, performing engine starts, throttle adjustments, fuel-flow management, and shutdown procedures. They monitor pressure, temperature, vibration, and other performance indicators to detect early signs of mechanical distress. They also practice communication and coordination that mirror the demands of a busy flight line.
Through repetition in a controlled setting, students build confidence grounded in real performance—not guesswork. They graduate knowing how engines should behave, not just how they’re designed.
Ian Wheeler, Department Chair and Instructor of Aviation Maintenance Science, notes that the advantage extends well beyond mechanical skill. “When students have a chance to see, hear, and feel the equipment they were working on actually operate, the learning experience comes alive for them. And the benefit isn’t just for AMS students; engineering students perform rocket motor burns in the engine test cells as well.”
Safety Culture, Practiced Daily
Aviation maintenance demands absolute precision. The test cell provides a fully contained and supervised environment where safety becomes instinctive. Students learn to follow ground-run protocols, identify and respond to warning signs, execute rapid shutdowns under pressure and prevent small issues from escalating to hazards.
Because faculty can safely simulate malfunctions, instruction becomes more realistic and memorable. Students experience the urgency of risk—and learn how to eliminate it.
Training That Keeps Pace with Technology
Jet engines continue to evolve to support cleaner emissions, digital integration and improved reliability. The upgraded test cell enables instruction that mirrors the systems students will encounter across the industry, including advanced turbine models, modern engine instrumentation and data acquisition systems, and electronic engine control and diagnostics tools.
These advancements keep the curriculum tightly aligned with aircraft powered by the latest technology.
A Workforce Ready for Takeoff
The demand for qualified maintenance technicians is rising across commercial aviation, corporate flight departments and aerospace manufacturing. Support from the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust reinforces the university’s ability to meet that challenge by:
- Boosting proficiency ahead of FAA certification exams;
- Increasing exposure to real engine-run operations;
- Enhancing recruiting value for employers seeking hands-on readiness;
Embry-Riddle graduates enter the workforce ready to contribute to safety and operational excellence from day one.
Empowering Faculty and Expanding Possibilities
Faculty expertise drives student success. Modernizing the test cell enhances the instructional environment with improved visibility, safety systems and collaborative learning space. It also enables applied research and innovation opportunities that engage undergraduates directly in solving real industry challenges.
The facility’s increased versatility strengthens Embry-Riddle’s longstanding leadership in aviation maintenance education—helping attract and retain exceptional educators.
A Legacy That Safeguards the Skies
Every time an Embry-Riddle graduate signs aircraft maintenance documentation, the impact of the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust echoes through the lives of passengers and crews. This modernization ensures students learn the right way: with engines running, data streaming and the weight of responsibility felt in every decision.
The upgraded Jet Engine Test Cell honors a proud legacy of support for aviation advancement—and extends that legacy into a safer, more sustainable and more innovative future.
Because when students master the power of a turbine engine, they learn to protect every flight that follows.