Leading Executives in Flight Schools
Brad Thress
President & CEO. , FlightSafety International
President and CEO leading one of the world’s largest professional pilot training networks for business and commercial aviation since 2020.
Nick Leontidis
Chief Operating Officer (formerly Group President, Civil Aviation). , CAE
Longtime leader of CAE’s civil training business, appointed Chief Operating Officer in May 2024 to drive execution across global civil and defense training operations.
Lee Woodward
Chief Executive Officer. , Skyborne Airline Academy
Cofounder/CEO behind Skyborne’s selective admissions model and US expansion at Vero Beach, partnering on next‑gen training and airline pathways.
Justin Dennis
President (CEO role commonly referenced in media). , ATP Flight School
Leads the nation’s largest airline‑focused flight school; under his tenure ATP has executed large Cessna Skyhawk fleet orders to scale airline‑pathway training.
Michael Hales
Chief Executive Officer. , United Aviate Academy (United Airlines)
Appointed CEO in 2024; now steering United’s wholly owned ab‑initio academy in Goodyear, AZ, with active 2025 application cycles and outreach.
Mark Casey
Chief Executive Officer & Founder; Head of Training. , Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA)
Founder/CEO who built Ireland’s flagship ATO with major airline partnerships (e.g., Ryanair, ASL) and 30 years of pilot‑training impact from Cork and Waterford.
Natalia Cimpean
President & CEO. , Hillsboro Aero Academy
President/CEO credited with expanding student financing and achieving US Dept. of Education Title IV approval; now launching an accelerated AMT program in 2025.
Danny Perna
Founder & Chief Executive Officer. , Epic Flight Academy
Founder/CEO since 1999 who scaled Epic into what industry press reports as the largest FAA Part 141 flight school in the US, with growing college and airline ties.
Joel Davidson
Chief Executive Officer. , AeroGuard Flight Training Center
CEO driving rapid capacity growth, including a 90‑aircraft Piper order to support training for 2,000+ cadets across US campuses and new international airline programs.
Alan Crawford
Chief Executive Officer. , Acron Aviation (formerly L3Harris Commercial Aviation Solutions)
Former L3Harris CAS president now leading the private‑equity‑backed spinoff and rebrand to Acron Aviation, integrating avionics, flight‑data and airline training businesses.
Jill Cole
Chief Executive Officer. , American Flyers
Veteran flight‑training executive keeping an 85‑year‑old US school at the forefront; oversees multi‑state operations and industry‑recognized CFI programs.
Mike (J. Michael) Sykes
Chief Executive Officer & Founder. , US Aviation Academy
Co‑founder who has led US Aviation since 2006, expanding into a large Part 141/147 training group with new partnerships and mergers in 2025.
Kristoffer (KJ) Johnson
Chief Executive Officer & President. , Phoenix East Aviation
CEO/President advancing PEA’s nationally accredited programs and new ground‑school partnership to modernize Part 141 academics across multiple Florida campuses.
Will Dryden
Chief Executive Officer. , Coast Flight Training
Founder‑CEO building airline‑aligned training with ACT screening and multi‑base operations serving collegiate and cadet pathways.
Trey Walters
Co‑Founder & Chief Executive Officer. , Blue Line Aviation
Veteran aviator and cofounder behind one of the US’s fastest‑growing accelerated programs; leads expansion across NC and FL with large fleet orders.
Patrick Arnzen
Chief Executive Officer & Co‑Founder. , Thrust Flight
Former airline pilot and DPE who founded Thrust Flight and, after a 2024 recapitalization, is expanding locations and adding A&P/dispatcher programs in 2025.
Michael E. Cohen
President & CEO (Founder). , Aviator College of Aeronautical Science & Technology
Founder‑president who grew Aviator College’s integrated degree + flight‑training model, adding bachelor’s pathways and airline tech‑ops tie‑ups.
Rob (Robert) Polston
Chief Executive Officer (Spartan Education Group). , Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology (Spartan Education Group)
Leads one of America’s oldest aviation colleges; investing in fleet growth and outreach while overseeing multi‑campus flight and AMT training.
Marijus Ravoitis
Chief Executive Officer. , BAA Training (Avia Solutions Group)
CEO scaling a global ATO network (EU, Asia, Middle East), launching MPL partnerships and new FFS centers with an aim to train thousands of crew annually.
Óscar Sordo
Chief Executive Officer. , FTEJerez (Flight Training Europe)
CEO guiding major fleet renewal and 2025 UK base opening at London Oxford Airport to support British Airways/UK airline cadet pathways.
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