Aviation has a new alphabet group: The National Flight Training Association (NFTA).
Founded in late 2022, the new association was created “to focus exclusively on the interests of professional flight training organizations based in the United States,” according to officials.
It is led by CEO Lee Collins, a former airline pilot and flight training professional.
“There are more than 600 FAA-termed ‘pilot schools’ in the United States yet there is a void in the conversation when it comes to actively including these flight training academies in national discussions on crucial issues impacting aviation in the United States,” Collins said. “With the National Flight Training Association, organizations who help train the next generation of pilots will have a seat at the table and a voice in Washington.”
“The ongoing pilot shortage has made it clear that the aviation industry, which is critical to the U.S. economy, is in a fragile state and needs direction from a variety of stakeholders, including flight training organizations of all sizes,” he continued. “Legislation that impacts the flight training industry must be informed, in part, by that industry to fully understand its ramifications.”
NFTA has five founding board members, elected to serve a three-year term.
- Nayda Cattin, Vice President of Cirrus Aviation in Sarasota, Florida; NFTA Vice President, Government Affairs
- Bill Heckathorn, President and Founder of Ignite Flight Academy in Lincoln, Nebraska; NFTA Vice President, Membership
- Ed Comisky, Designated Pilot Examiner and President, Echo Charlie Aviation, Orlando, Florida; NFTA Secretary/Treasurer
- Christopher Schoensee, President and Owner of Paragon Flight Training, Fort Myers, Florida; NFTA Vice President, Marketing
- Captain Troy E. Wheeler, Jr., President, Lanier Flight Center, with two locations in Georgia; NFTA Board President
“The time has come for the flight training industry to assume its necessary place as a leading stakeholder in the aviation world,” Wheeler said. “Our leadership team is without rival, and we intend to have an immediate impact on issues involving our nation’s critical aviation infrastructure.”
The new association, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., and a satellite office at Punta Gorda Airport (KPGD) in Florida, already has more than two dozen members, according to officials.