Middle Georgia State University (MGA) hosted a brief dedication ceremony for two single-engine Piper Archers on August 25 at Macon Downtown Airport. MGA purchased the new aircraft – funded through an $800,000 donation from the Charles H. Jones Family Foundation – so that its School of Aviation can expand flight education in Macon.

The new aircraft means twice as many student pilots are able to pursue their flight education bachelor’s degrees at the airport – increasing the number of MGA aviation students at the facility from 60 to 120.  With agreements in place with several regional and national air carriers, the University’s flight students graduate with pathways into high-demand, high-paying jobs in one of Georgia’s fastest-growing industries. 

MGA is home to Georgia’s only public School of Aviation. Headquartered in Eastman, the school is the fixed-based operator of Macon Downtown Airport. The school also has a satellite location in Adel.

Dwight Jones, chairman of the Jones Family Foundation, attended the ceremony along with two foundation board members – Lindsey Crosby and John Kitchens. Noting that Macon Downtown Airport has long been an asset to the region, Jones said he and foundation representatives are grateful to be able to invest in flight education based in Bibb County. “We wish you great success,” he said.

Inside the airport’s cozy terminal, Dr. Christopher Blake, MGA president, and Jones unveiled a dedication plaque to honor the Jones Family Foundation. “The Jones Family Foundation has supported the University for many years,” he said. “I’m very proud we are able to expand our flight program in Macon because of your continued generosity.”

The Charles H. Jones Family Foundation exists to provide grants to qualified 501(c)3 organizations in Middle Georgia that provide high impact results focused on improving the overall community in education, religious, and civic endeavors. In the early 2000s, the foundation helped fund the Charles H. Jones academic building on MGA’s Macon Campus.