DALLAS — Thrust Flight, a U.S. aviation training provider and home of the Zero Time to Airline program, has entered into a new partnership with Hampton University’s Department of Aviation to serve as the flight-training partner for the school’s Flight Education curriculum.
The partnership is anchored by a new campus near Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (KPHF) in Virginia, which will offer pilot and Aircraft & Powerplant (A&P) mechanic training to the public.
The new campus marks Thrust Flight’s first location in Virginia and on the East Coast, extending its footprint beyond its home base in Texas and additional school in Arizona, according to company officials.
As the university’s flight training partner, Thrust Flight will offer Private, Instrument, Commercial, and Flight Instructor training under its own FAA Part 141 certificate to students enrolled in Hampton’s Flight Education curriculum.
Hampton retains ownership of the degree program, curriculum, accreditation, and admissions, while Thrust Flight provides the aircraft, certificated instructors, and day-to-day training operations, company officials explained.
The partnership is structured in two phases. In the first, Thrust Flight will operate as Hampton’s authorized flight-training provider. In the second phase, the company will help Hampton pursue its own FAA Part 141 Pilot School certificate, including course outline development and support through the FAA application process, so Hampton can eventually run its flight program under its own authority without interrupting student training.
“This partnership lets us bring our training model to a historic institution that’s serious about growing its aviation program,” said Patrick Arnzen, CEO of Thrust Flight. “Hampton University has a clear vision for where it wants this program to go, and we built this agreement to get them there, starting with flight training now and moving toward their own certificate down the road.”
“Hampton University has trained generations of leaders, and now we’re giving our aviation students a direct runway into the cockpit,” said Joyce Shirazi, Dean of the School of Engineering, Architecture, and Aviation at Hampton University. “This partnership means our students can complete rigorous, industry-aligned flight training without ever leaving their academic home, and it sets us on a path toward operating our own certified flight school in the years ahead.”
For more information: Hamptonu.edu, ThrustFlight.com
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