Hilo flight school: Ready for takeoff?

A favorite childhood memory, said state Sen. Gilbert Kahele, was watching the crop-dusting planes fly over Hawaii island fields and wondering what it would be like to be a pilot himself.

That didn’t end up in his life plan, but he was sympathetic to the cause of starting a four-year flight training program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Kahele, who represents Hilo, helped secure $100,000 in the state budget for the school. That’s about a third of what he originally sought but enough to at least start the planning.

Among the champions for the project is Kahele’s son, Kai. The younger Kahele is a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines and the Air National Guard who has said he has no personal stake in a new training program and only wants the opportunity created for other kids.

"This is not about my son," the senator said, citing the additional testimony of another Guard pilot, Matt Matsuyama. "But I’m glad he’s a champion for this. In any endeavor, you need a champion."

For a lot of Capitol watchers, this particular initiative slipped in under the radar. Some opponents have asserted that the existing flight training that goes on at Kalaeloa airport would be a better venue for an expanded flight school, one that could be affiliated instead with the nearby University of Hawaii at West Oahu.

State Sen. David Ige, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged that there was conflicting arguments over which airport, Kalaeloa or Hilo, would be most appropriate for student pilots.

"When I looked at the bill request, it was really just for an initial phase," Ige said. "The community colleges supported it, and we thought there would be some merit to provide some small funding to allow the program to move forward.

"Hopefully the UH system evaluates what the planning shows and makes a decision whether on Oahu or whether Hilo is the best."

Summary: The project is still on the tarmac. There’s still time for the tower to either clear it for takeoff, or send it back to the terminal. Watch for this one in a year or so.