20150715_142702[1]A Boeing 727 touched down at Abbotsford Airport this afternoon. Destination: The UFV Aerospace centre.

Dean of Applied and Technical Studies John English says the plane was donated by Kelowna Flightcraft for aerospace students to learn about construction, maintenance, and repair.

“So they’ll learn metalworking skills, fabricating skills, they’ll learn layout and manufacturing skills. All the things that you can think of associated with metalworking and other kinds of things you find on the structure of an airplane.”

English says it’s crucial for the students to have an opportunity to get real world practice.

“The students are actually training on the machinery, with the equipment, in an environment that is exactly like they’re going to find in the industry. So a donation like this emulates that. These are the kinds of airplanes, or very close to the kinds of airplanes that these students will find in the field.”

English says he’s grateful for the donation, saying the university would never be able to afford to buy a plane like this for students to work on.