MORNINGSIDE UNIVERSITY

Morningside University's School of Aviation launched in the fall of 2023 in partnership with Oracle Aviation, establishing one of the region's newest and most ambitious collegiate flight training programs at the Sioux Gateway Airport (KSUX) in Sioux City, Iowa. In May 2025, the program achieved full FAA Part 141 Pilot School certification, and the FAA subsequently approved Morningside's application for the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) pathway—allowing graduates to qualify for airline first officer positions with as few as 1,000 flight hours.

The program offers a Bachelor of Science in Professional Flight, combining rigorous university academics with FAA-approved flight training covering Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial, Multi-Engine, and CFI certificates. Flight operations are conducted through Oracle Aviation's state-of-the-art facility at Sioux Gateway Airport, with primary training in Cessna 172 aircraft and multi-engine training in advanced twin-engine aircraft. The airport's three runways and instrument approaches give students extensive exposure to IFR operations in real-world weather conditions.

Morningside University's R-ATP approval is a landmark achievement for the program, placing it among a select group of collegiate aviation programs nationwide whose graduates qualify for the restricted airline transport certificate at reduced flight hours. This pathway significantly accelerates the timeline for students to enter the regional airline pipeline, making Morningside an attractive destination for aspiring airline pilots throughout the upper Midwest.