Photo by Joselyn King Kevin Price,chief development officer for aviation at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, provides county commissioners with an update on a future flight school at the airport. The flight school would be a partnership between West Liberty and Marshall universities.

WHEELING — The proposed flight school at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport — piloted through a partnership between West Liberty and Marshall universities — is taxiing toward take off.

Kevin Price, chief development officer for aviation at the airport, updated county commissioners this week on the statue of the project.

It was announced in early summer that the two schools would collaborate on a flight school at Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, which would serve as a satellite location of Marshall’s Bill Noe Flight School.

Things are moving ahead quickly with the partnership between West Liberty University and Marshall University for the aviation program, Price said.

“A couple of things that makes this real with Marshall is we’ve had a request for the paperwork that has the official airport address on it for FAA filings,” he said. “That checks a box with me that this is real.

“And Marshall has accelerated their plans to meet demands and expect demands of this West Liberty partnership. By that, they are accelerating their staff hiring, as well as equipment purchases.

“They had holds on three aircraft, and they’ve already accelerated their delivery date in anticipation of the partnership.”

Marshall’s aircraft fleet includes Cirrus SR20 aircraft. Marshall uses these single engine, state-of-the-art planes “because they are ideal,” according to a released statement.

Price told commissioners he attended a meeting Monday in Charleston with other aviation officials and that those attending showed a lot of interest in the project.

“National site selection folks” also have been at the airport looking for aviation air space with the potential of locating there, he added. While they are looking at other locations in the state, the airport’s property and the potential for the flight school “are two very big points of interest to them,” according to Price.

“We’ve got some really nice opportunities on the horizon,” he continued. “There are some things that have been going on with some manufacturing companies. We’ve engaged with a couple of charter companies. Things are progressing well. I hope to have much more detail on even as early as by the end of the year on some of these things.”

Additionally, WLU President Timothy Borchers is scheduled to visit Marshall University this month to discuss the flight school, according to Price.

The flight school at the Wheeling-Ohio County airport was announced during a ceremony there in June.

There will be a second official announcement at Marshall’s aviation school – located not on the main campus in Huntington, but at the West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston. That date has yet to be set, but is expected to happen sometime before the holiday season, according to Price.

The flight school is expected to take off from the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport in the fall of 2024.