About our School
Our history in aviation
Aviation started in earnest in 1930 with eight students in a full-time program called Aeronautics. After being previously put on hold by the events of WWII, public training and classes resumed at the campus on North Hill and the aviation program became a three-year Aeronautical Engineering program.
As the modern era of aviation took hold and the industry began to grow in Canada, SAIT introduced two new programs, Aircraft Maintenance Technology program (present-day Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Technology) in 1957 and Avionics Technology 1975 to help meet industry demand. In 1996, in response to a need defined by the Department of National Defence, another aviation program was added: Aircraft Structures Technician. The addition of this program completed the evolution to the programs offered by the School of Transportation.
With successful programs and recognition of a future labour shortage, SAIT took the lead in responding to industry demand for more aviation maintenance graduates and sought assistance to developing a new aviation campus at the Calgary International Airport. After years of planning and with the collaborative support of the Alberta Provincial Government, the Government of Canada, the City of Calgary, the Calgary International Airport Authority, and industry partners, a new facility, the Art Smith Aero Centre for Training and Technology (ACTT), was built on land connected to Taxiway "N", a celebrated jewel in SAIT's crown.
Automotive impact
As automotive technologies continue to progress and are more reliant on computers, today's automotive service technicians are more skilled than ever before. More sophisticated equipment repair is required of technicians on top of the classical mechanical diagnoses and repair.
SAIT’s Automotive Centre, the Clayton Carroll building provides a world-class training facility and atmosphere for students pursuing a career in the automotive industry. The facility, built on three levels, offers 70,000 square feet of quality learning space including 35,000 square feet dedicated to hands-on training in three Automotive Bays with the capacity to house 60 training vehicles.
Rail training for the future
From tracks and signals to cars and locomotives, to operations and control - all aspects of the railway operations system are interconnected. The performance of one relies on the performance of the other. System performance relies on the performance of the workers.
Today, Canada's railway is faced with many exciting challenges and SAIT is working side by side with the industry to meet those challenges. There is a demand in the railway industry for a workforce that can master new technologies and skills and adapt to structural change. Individuals who plan to make a career on the railway as professional railroaders are crucial to the success of the industry.