Butler Tech and construction partner Skanska marked a major milestone in the future of aviation education with a special Topping Out Ceremony at the Middletown Regional Airport at the construction site of the new building.
The event celebrated the completion of the structural phase of the new Aviation Center—a space that will soon provide students with cutting-edge hands-on training for high-demand careers in aviation technology and aerospace.
Prior to the event, students, instructors, Butler Tech Board members, administration, and key partners signed the final steel beam before it was hoisted into place. Painted white and covered in signatures, the beam now stands as a lasting tribute to the collective effort and vision behind this transformative project.
The new facility is set to open in January 2026 and will span 28,000 square feet, housing state-of-the-art labs and classrooms for programs in aviation maintenance, engineering, private pilot training, and unmanned aircraft systems. Backed by $15 million in funding—including $7 million from the Butler County Commissioners, $1 million from the JobsOhio Site Inventory Program, $500,000 from the City of Middletown, and $6.5 million from Butler Tech—the project reflects a powerful regional collaboration. Positioned between two international airports and near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the center is strategically located to serve as a workforce development hub that will prepare students for takeoff in the aviation industry and power the region’s economic growth for decades to come.
