You Can Fly: The Best in the Business

Award recipients from the 2017 Flight Training Experience Survey have been named. Designed to measure the overall performance of flight training providers through the eyes of their clients, the annual survey uses a customer service feedback approach, giving participants an opportunity to candidly share their training experience. The survey is based on AOPA’s extensive research into the optimal flight training experience and focuses on four key factors: educational quality, customer focus, community, and information sharing.

“These are some of the finest instructors and schools the flight training industry has to offer,” said Chris Moser, director of the AOPA flight training initiative, part of the You Can Fly program. “After going through the feedback and reviewing the customer response, it’s very clear to see why these recipients should be recognized.”

For each of the two categories, Best Flight School and Best Flight Instructor, a total of six awards are presented—one each for the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, West, and Southwest regions, and an overall national award winner. Winners are recognized at Redbird Migration, which this year was in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, October 16 through 18.

The award is given to the flight school and flight instructor in each region that has received at least five submissions completed on their behalf through the Flight Training Experience Survey and has the top overall score from survey results for the category. A national winner is recognized out of each of the five regional award recipients.

2017 Flight Training Experience Awards

Best Instructor
Midwest: Jim Felers Blue Sky Flying Service, Lake in the Hills, Illinois
Northeast: Robert Keleti Republic Airport, Farmingdale, New York
Southeast: Chris Dupin Destin Flight Works, Destin, Florida
West: Zoan Harclerode* Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center, Colorado
Southwest: Scott Campbell Sierra Charlie Aviation, Scottsdale, Arizona

Best Flight School
Midwest: Blue Sky Flying Service, Lake in the Hills, Illinois
Northeast: Take Flight Aviation, Montgomery, New York
Southeast: Florida Aviation Center, Tallahassee, Florida
West: SkyTrek Alaska Flight Training, Anchorage, Alaska*
Southwest: Texas Flight Aviation, Houston, Texas

*Denotes national winner; Flight Training will publish complete details in the January 2018 issue.