CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – North Central Institute in Clarksville celebrated the unveiling Thursday of a helicopter donated to the school from Bell. The Bell 407 Fire K helicopter will be used as a training aid for aviation maintenance technicians passing through the doors of NCI.
Speaking to the crowd of local community leaders and students, Tamela Taliento, NCI president, said they were thankful and honored to be the first aviation maintenance technician school to be the recipient of a Bell Helicopter since 1953.
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell being moved inside the work area of the school on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell being moved inside the work area of the school on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts speaking at the unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Tamela Taliento speaking at the unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Domonik Urquia speaking at the unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
David Galik speaking at the unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Doug Englen speaking at the unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
The unveiling of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated by Bell to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Tamela Taliento, Doug Engle, & David Galik, in front of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Catherine Bertoldi, Doug Engle, & David Galik, in front of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Wes Cunningham, Tamela Taliento, & Mike Rainey standing in front of the Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
Bell 407 Fire X helicopter donated to North Central Institute by Bell on May 19, 2022. (Lee Erwin)
“It is a full helicopter meaning she could fly, but she will never fly again. As a maintenance school, all of our aircraft are non-flyable, so it’s non-return to service. It will help us to be able to be more freely fluent in teaching our students how to work on aircraft,” Taliento said.
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts commented on the importance of NCI. “Better and stronger indeed is what North Central Institute has made our community. It continues to provide students first rate training, a job placement rate that is second to none. and it produces graduates that are coveted by some of the best and biggest of the industry in our country,” Pitts said.
North Central Institute, at 168 Jack Miller Blvd., has been a part of the Clarksville Community since 1988 and their Aviation Maintenance Technician Program under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration, is designed to educate students to work on all components of an aircraft from nose to tail.
