As of July 1, 2024, the Bahamas Customs & Excise Department has imposed substantial and egregious fees on pilots flying General Aviation aircraft on recreational flights. Pilots should be mindful of these new and additional fees before considering flying to the Bahamas. Read More
Get extra lift from AOPA. Start your free membership trial today! Click here
TRAINING & SAFETY

2019 Flight Training Experience Award Winners

Best Flight Instructor - National

Christopher Kreske | Wayne Executive Jetport Airport (GWW)
Goldsboro, NC

Best Flight Instructor by Region

Eastern
Jim Stover | Shannon Airport (EZF)
Fredericksburg, VA

Southern
Christopher Kreske | Wayne Executive Jetport Airport (GWW)
Goldsboro, NC

Great Lakes
Mike Biewenga | Lake in the Hills Airport (3CK)
Lakes in the Hills, IL

Central Southwest
Howard Davenport | David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH)
Houston, TX

Western Pacific
Kinsey Moss | Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA)
Phoenix, AZ

Northwest Mountain
David Novotny | City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS)
Colorado Springs, CO

Best Flight School - National

AeroVenture Flight Center | Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9)
Mansfield, MA

Best Flight School by Region

Eastern
AeroVenture Flight Center | Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9)
Mansfield, MA

Southern
KingSky Flight Academy | Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL)
Lakeland, FL

Great Lakes
Spencer Aviation | Delaware Municipal Airport – Jim Moore Field (DLZ)
Delaware, OH

Central Southwest
Nationwide Aviation | Parker County Airport (WEA)
Weatherford, TX

Western Pacific
Sierra Charlie Aviation | Scottsdale Airport (SDL)
Scottsdale, AZ

Northwest Mountain
SkyTrek Alaska Flight Training, LLC | Merrill Field (MRI)
Anchorage, AK

Distinguished Flight Schools and Instructors

Eastern

Colin J. Fischer | Stafford Regional Airport (RMN)
Stafford, VA

Cynthia Manente | Manassas Regional - Harry P. Davis Field (HEF)
Manassas, VA

Dan Miller | Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)
Leesburg, VA

Elias James Kontanis | Manassas Regional / Harry P. Davis Field (HEF)
Manassas, VA

Phillip G. Smith | Windham Airport (IJD)
Willimantic, CT

Robert James Hepp | Manassas Regional / Harry P. Davis Field (HEF)
Manassas, VA

Aaron Harrington | Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK)
Frederick, MD

Christopher Freeze | Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)
Leesburg, VA

Jim Henry | Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED)
Bedford, MA

Justin Eshelman | Richmond Executive-Chesterfield County Airport (FCI)
Richmond, VA

Raymond de Haan | Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)
Leesburg, VA

Steve Bussmann | Manassas Regional / Harry P. Davis Field (HEF)
Manassas, VA

Tyler Jusko | Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9)
Mansfield, MA

Southern

Brett Provinsky | Wayne Executive Jetport Airport (GWW)
Goldsboro, NC

Ryan Medford | Gwinnett County – Briscoe Airport (LZU)
Lawrenceville, GA

Barry Loomis | Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA)
West Palm Beach, FL

Bruce E. Allen | Cherokee County Airport (CNI)
Canton, GA

Kelly “Brad” Wooten | Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU)
Greenville, SC

Brandon Gardner | Orlando Executive Airport (ORL)
Orlando, FL

Charles Welden | Shelby County Airport (EET)
Alabaster, AL

Jay Nabors | Raleigh Executive Jetport at Sanford-Lee County Airport (TTA)
Sanford, NC

Lance Larsen | Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport (CRG)
Jacksonville, FL

Surrendra Beharry | Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA)
West Palm Beach, FL

Todd Shellnutt | Gwinnett County – Briscoe Airport (LZU)
Lawrenceville, GA

Great Lakes

Kathryn Robine | Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB)
Ann Arbor, MI

Ambyr Peterson | Flying Cloud Airport (FCM)
Minneapolis, MN

Antonio Rodriguez | Airlake Airport (LVN)
Minneapolis, MN

Dylan Ward | Dupage Airport (DPA)
Chicago, IL

Gregory Patchel | Wittman Regional Airport (OSH)
Oskhosh, WI

Joe Standley | Lake In the Hills Airport (3CK)
Lake in the Hills, IL

John Boos | Waukegan National Airport (UGN)
Waukegan, IL

Keegan Starkey | Porter County Regional Airport (VPZ)
Valparaiso, IN

Pat Gaston | Indianapolis Executive Airport (TYQ)
Indianapolis, IN

Peg Ballou | Port Bucyrus-Crawford County Airport (17G)
Bucyrus, OH

Central Southwest

Samuel R McLaughlin III | Tradewind Airport (TDW)
Amarillo, TX

Charles Copeland | Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK)
Manhattan, KS

Jeremy Deckinger | Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK)
Manhattan, KS

Joe Near | Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK)
Manhattan, KS

John Winslow | David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH)
Houston, TX

Robert Choate | Addison Airport (ADS)
Addison, TX

Russ Roslewski | Sundance Airport (HSD)
Oklahoma City, OK

Trevor Hall | Parker County Airport (WEA)
Weatherford, TX

Western Pacific

Andrew Peterson | Susanville Municipal Airport (SVE)
Susanville, CA

Shannon Hicks | Lake Havasu City Airport (HII)
Lake Havasu, AZ

Batelle Rachmian | Reid-Hillview of Santa Clara County Airport (RHV)
San Jose, CA

Emily Meldrum | Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA)
Phoenix, AZ

Evan Paraskevopoulos | Hayward Executive Airport (HWD)
Hayward, CA

Scott Campbell | Scottsdale Airport (SDL)
Scottsdale, AZ

Thomas de Young | Scottsdale Airport (SDL)
Scottsdale, AZ

Northwest Mountain

Joseph Kuberka | Polson Airport (8S1)
Polson, MT

Spencer B. Mamber | Centennial Airport (APA)
Denver, CO

Anthony Cirincione | Cheyenne Regional - Jerry Olson Field (CYS)
Cheyenne, WY

Jess Padden | Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
Bozeman, MT

Eastern

Air Fleet Training Systems | Essex County Airport (CDW)
Caldwell, NJ

APS Flight School | Warrenton-Fauquier Airport (HWY)
Warrenton, VA

Aviation Adventures | Manassas Regional / Harry P. Davis Field (HEF)
Manassas, VA

Aviation Adventures | Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)
Leesburg, VA

Aviation Adventures | Stafford Regional Airport (RMN)
Stafford, VA

Chesapeake Sport Pilot | Bay Bridge Airport (W29)
Stevensville, MD

Dominion Aviation Services, Inc. | Richmond Executive-Chesterfield County Airport (FCI)
Richmond, VA

FCA Flight Center | Fitchburg Municipal Airport (FIT)
Fitchburg, MA

Learn 2 Fly CT, LLC | Windham Airport (IJD)
Willimantic, CT

Ocean Aviation, Inc. | Ocean City Municipal Airport (OXB)
Ocean City, MD

Potomac Flight Training | Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)
Leesburg, VA

Southern

Aviator Zone Academy | Miami Executive Airport (TMB)
Miami, FL

Atlas Aviation | Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF)
Tampa, FL

Cape Fear Aviation | Grays Creek Airport (2GC)
Fayetteville, NC

Cherokee Flight | Cherokee County Airport (CNI)
Canton, GA

Dragonfly Aviation | Barrow County Airport (WDR)
Winder, GA

Flight Training Professionals | Orlando Executive Airport (ORL)
Orlando, FL

Holladay Aviation | Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport (CRG)
Jacksonville, FL

MIL2ATP | Wayne Executive Jetport Airport (GWW)
Goldsboro, NC

Murfreesboro Aviation | Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT)
Murfreesboro, TN

Nashville Flight Training | Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Nashville, TN

Pilot Training Center – Lantana Airport | Palm Beach County Airport (LNA)
West Palm Beach, FL

Stratos Aviation | Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU)
Greenville, SC

WaterWings Seaplane School | Shelby County Airport (EET)
Alabaster, AL

Great Lakes

Air Trek North | Airlake Airport (LVN)
Minneapolis, MN

Air Trek North | South St. Paul Muni-Richard E. Fleming Field (SGS)
South St. Paul, MN

Blue Skies Flying Services | Lake in the Hills Airport (3CK)
Lake in the Hills, IL

Eagle Aircraft | Porter County Regional Airport (VPZ)
Valparaiso, IN

Fargo Jet Center | Hector International Airport (FAR)
Fargo, ND

Jeff Air Pilot Services | Columbus Municipal Airport (BAK)
Columbus, IN

Skill Aviation | Waukegan National Airport (UGN)
Waukegan, IL

West Michigan Aviation Academy | Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)
Grand Rapids, MI

Central Southwest

Aviator Air, LLC | Grand Prairie Municipal Airport (GPM)
Grand Prairie, TX

Chickasha Wings, Inc. | Chickasha Municipal Airport (CHK)
Chickasha, OK

Code 1 Flight Training | Van Zandt County Regional Airport (76F)
Wills Point, TX

Flex Air | Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK)
Manhattan, KS

Mike’s Flying Service | Terrell Municipal Airport (TRL)
Terrell, TX

Oracle Aviation | Millard Airport (MLE)
Omaha, NE

Texas Flight Aviation | David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH)
Houston, TX

Thrust Flight | Addison Airport (ADS)
Addison, TX

Western Pacific

Bush Air | Kidwell Airport (1L4)
Cal-Nev-Air, NV

North-Aire Inc. | Prescott Regional-Ernest A. Love Field (PRC)
Prescott, AZ

Pacific Helicopters | Hayward Executive Airport (HWD)
Hayward, CA

San Carlos Flight Center | San Carlos Airport (SQL)
San Carlos, CA

Travis Aero Club | Rio Vista Municipal Airport (O88)
Rio Vista, CA

Northwest Mountain

Aeromania | Cheyenne Regional - Jerry Olson Field (CYS)
Cheyenne, WY

Angel Aviation – Alaska | Merrill Field (MRI)
Anchorage, AK

Arctic Flyers | Lake Hood Airport (LHD)
Anchorage, AK

Peak Aviation Center, Inc. | City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS)
Colorado Springs, CO

Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center | City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS)
Colorado Springs, CO

Summit Aviation | Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
Bozeman, MT