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Embry-Riddle Holds Groundbreaking of Phase II of Hagedorn Aviation Complex

GroundbreakingDaytona Beach, Fla., March 27, 2008 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s $125 million construction drive at its Daytona Beach campus took another big step forward March 27 with the groundbreaking of Phase II of the James Hagedorn Aviation Complex.

The event was held to recognize and thank Embry-Riddle alumnus and trustee Jim Hagedorn, the chairman, CEO, and president of Scotts Miracle-Gro, for his pledge of $2.5 million to help build Phase II, which will cost approximately $26 million and add two new structures totaling 95,000 square feet to the campus. Phase I of the aviation complex, the College of Aviation building, was completed in 2002.

Jim Hagedorn “Thanks to the generous lead gift of Jim and Karli Hagedorn, this world-class aviation complex will ensure that Embry-Riddle students have the best instruction and technology our industry requires,” said Dr. John P. Johnson, Embry-Riddle president.

Mr. Jim Hagedorn and his family attended the groundbreaking ceremony along with the university’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Johnson and other top university executives, government officials, and invited guests. Brief remarks were delivered by Dr. Johnson; Dr. Tim Brady, dean of the College of Aviation; Dr. Thomas Connolly, chancellor of the Daytona Beach campus; Jim Henderson, chairman of the Board of Trustees; and Jim Hagedorn.

Dr. John P. Johnson and Jim Hagedorn One of the buildings in Phase II will house the flight lab component of the Aeronautical Science department, including flight planning and dispatch areas that function like actual airport fixed-base operations, as well as classrooms, bays for instructor pilots, and offices for faculty and staff.

The second building will feature a double hangar: one side will house the maintenance operations of the flight-training fleet; the other side will hold the labs, offices, and equipment of the Aviation Maintenance Science department, which provides the best-prepared aviation maintenance technician-leaders in the industry.

“Embry-Riddle has the most advanced flight education curriculum in the world,” said Dr. Brady. “With these new buildings, our facilities will be as high-tech as our programs.”

Phase II of Aviation Complex In collegiate aviation, only Embry-Riddle offers the following elements: FAA-certified Level 6 DA-42 flight-training devices (FTDs), which complement the university’s Diamond Twin Star aircraft; Cessna 172 aircraft that feature both a Garmin 1000 glass cockpit and an integrated ADS-B collision-avoidance system; and an FAA-approved Part 142 curriculum that incorporates these aircraft and FTDs.

Other new buildings on the Daytona Beach campus include the College of Business, which was completed in January 2008, and a residence hall and fitness center that opened in 2007. Future construction projects include a high-profile Administration and Worldwide Campus Headquarters building.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through its Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.