As one aviation door is closing, will another one open?

After last week's vote by University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the Institute of Aviation is officially living on borrowed time.

The UI board voted 6-2 to shut down the institute, but it will allow current students time to complete their studies. The last students are expected to be finished by the end of the 2013-14 academic year.

The closing is unfortunate. Long a part of the UI, the institute has been producing pilots in a degree-awarding program since shortly after the end of World War II. Its closure, the result of a tight budget situation, is expected to save about $750,000 a year. But the institute also is a casualty of concerns that producing pilots does not fit within the UI's academic mission.

Pilots, however, play a valuable role in society whether they have college degrees or not. There may be disagreement about how many will be needed in coming years, but more will be needed.

So it is encouraging to hear Parkland College President Tom Ramage and acting UI Chancellor Robert Easter raise the possibility that Parkland might pick up some aspects of pilot training.

Patty Lehn, a spokeswoman for Parkland, said a role for Parkland in pilot training is strictly in the "concept" stage. But she said that Parkland is open to "engaging in a conversation" about what role it could play in meeting student demand.

"We'd have to evaluate what the need is. ... Certainly, cost would be a factor as well," said Lehn. "I am sure there might be other (parties) who might be interested as well."

Obviously, it is not realistic to think of re-creating a new aviation institute under the auspices of Parkland College. But perhaps some arrangements could be worked out that would provide aspiring pilots with an opportunity to continue their education locally while taking advantage of the facilities at the UI's Willard Airport.

Just because the aviation institute will soon be no more doesn't mean that pilot training under an academic umbrella has to disappear from East Central Illinois.