Business View Magazine | August 2019

169 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 WATERTOWN REGIONAL A I RPORT Technical Institute (LATI) Aviation Annex. Founded in 1965, LATI was the first technical school established in the state of South Dakota. “In 2017, LATI won the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which recognizes the school as the number one technical school in the nation and, furthermore, they have consistently rated in the top five technical schools in the nation ever since the Aspen Prize was established,” Syhre reports. “The LATI Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) program averages about 40 students a year with local, regional, national, and international students. And its graduates have been highly sought after in the industry throughout the country. The main campus of LATI provides a well-trained, ready workforce for the industrial sector in a wide variety of trades. “In addition, LATI is expanding its aviation program offerings this year to include a professional fixed wing pilot training program. Pilots completing the curriculum will graduate with a minimum of 250 hours and commercial pilot, single, and multi-engine ratings. Students will also have the option to earn a Certified Flight Instructor rating which will accelerate their progress towards a career as a professional pilot. They are also exploring expanding the flight program to include rotorcraft (helicopter) and drone training within the next ten years. As demand has been strong for all of their educational programs, they are expanding into much needed, and recently acquired, hangar space on the field to store and maintain their growing fleet of aircraft.” ATY Aviation is Watertown Regional Airport’s family owned and operated Fixed Base Operator (FBO). The Yost family acquired the FBO operation and recently celebrated their 1st year in business in Watertown. John Yost is an experienced A&P IA (Airframe and Powerplant mechanic with Inspection Authorization) and also a 1985 graduate of the Lake Area Technical Institute A&P program. It’s a full-service shop with hangar space available for larger aircraft, as well as quick-turn service and de-icing options. In addition, flight training has just been added as another provided service. The most popular that the FBO offers, however, may be the free ice