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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In 2017, the Laurel Foundation gave $50,000 to the Community College of Beaver County Foundation to help purchase a Redbird MCX flight simulator for CCBC’s School of Aviation Sciences. The college described it as its first full-motion simulator; the announcement does not say that the gift covered the simulator’s entire cost.
What did CCBC use the $50,000 gift for?
The Laurel Foundation’s gift was intended to assist with purchasing the simulator. CCBC’s announcement, published January 12, 2017, identifies the equipment as a Redbird MCX. A contemporaneous Community College Daily roundup also reported the gift and intended purchase.
The announcement describes the Redbird MCX as the first full-motion simulator to be used at CCBC. It lists dual control-loading yokes, dual rudder pedals that allow pilot and copilot control, wrap-around visuals, and quickly changeable cockpit configurations.
How did CCBC plan to use the simulator?
CCBC said instructors could demonstrate maneuvers and students could practice them in the simulator. The college presented simulated scenarios as a place for students to rehearse and learn how to respond to challenges before encountering them in an aircraft, bridging classroom instruction and flying.
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Those statements describe the college’s instructional rationale, not independently measured learning outcomes. The 2017 announcement does not report test results or quantify effects on student performance.
What else did CCBC’s 2017 announcement say about its aviation programs?
The release listed associate degree programs in aerospace management, air traffic control, professional pilot, and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with an aviation instructor certificate program and a high-school Aviation Academy. These are offerings reported in the 2017 announcement, not confirmation of what CCBC offers today.
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CCBC said the Aviation Academy served students across 14 Beaver County high schools, 12 Allegheny County school districts, and 13 additional southwestern Pennsylvania school districts. The release also said participating students could graduate high school with up to 30 college credits, earn a Private Pilot Certification, and explore careers in professional piloting, air traffic control, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Those figures and descriptions are historical claims from the announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the simulator today?
The available announcements establish the 2017 gift and its intended use toward purchasing a Redbird MCX, but do not establish whether the simulator remains in service, has been upgraded, or has been replaced. They also do not give its purchase price or say how much of that price the gift covered.
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In the college release, School of Aviation Sciences dean Captain Dana Donati called the unit “a perfect training device for students learning how to fly” and said it let students rehearse scenarios and practice responses before facing challenges in the air. CCBC president Chris Reber and Laurel Foundation executive director Dayton Baker also described the gift as support for aviation training and vocational education in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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