Take Flight Aviation

What Take Flight Aviation does

Take Flight Aviation is a privately held, FAA Part 141 flight training provider headquartered at Orange County Airport in Montgomery, NY. The company operates the largest private Diamond Aircraft fleet on the East Coast — 18 Diamond DA20, DA40, DA40NG, and DA42NG aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics — together with a 2020 Redbird FMX full-motion advanced Flight Training Device. Its core offering is a vertically integrated training pathway that spans Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine, and Certified Flight Instructor certifications, including a flagship Zero Time to Professional Pilot program that takes students from zero experience to commercial pilot with CFI/CFII ratings in approximately six months. The company supplements training with proprietary in-house written Part 141 curricula and a transfer evaluation system that places students arriving from other schools. Ancillary revenue comes from a Diamond Authorized Service Center (also a Continental GmbH Service Center) employing five full-time FAA-certified Airframe and Propulsion technicians, plus full-service aircraft sales, consulting, ownership management, and leaseback programs, as well as an exclusive North American Diamond Brilliance transition and mentorship franchise.

The go-to-market combines event-driven acquisition (open houses, discovery flights and gift certificates priced $329-$399) with sales-led direct contact (phone, Get-A-Quote CTAs), community-led pipelines through the Republic Airways RJet Cadet program, and referral channels via college articulation with Purdue Global, Utah Valley University, and Orange-Ulster BOCES. Customer segments include Aspiring Professional Pilots (primary), Recreational/Become-a-Pilot students, International/foreign students under the TSA Alien Flight Student Program, College and High School aviation cohorts, and Aircraft Owners using maintenance and leaseback services. Pricing spans one-time introductory lessons, multi-thousand-dollar per-certificate or per-program tuition, usage-based multi-engine quotes, and subscription-style full-program financing through Stratus Financial (12-month deferment) and Flight Training Finance.

Operationally, the company runs on pace for 200 client check rides in 2026, sustains a 93.4% check ride pass rate over eight years, produces 90-95% first-time pass rates in multi-engine and Accelerated CFI programs, and holds three national awards. Geographic reach is Northeast USA with national-level brand positioning through Diamond Brilliance. Ownership, funding history, and detailed financials are undisclosed in available materials.

Name

Take Flight Aviation

Legal name

Take Flight Aviation

Website

https://takeflightoc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Take Flight Aviation is a Montgomery, NY-based Part 141 flight school operating the largest private Diamond Aircraft fleet on the East Coast, training private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and CFI students and offering Diamond-authorized aircraft maintenance, sales, and leaseback services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flight Training Services

NAICS

Flight Training (611512)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Flight training services
• Pilot certification
• Aircraft maintenance
• Aviation education
• Multi-engine training

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Flight Training Services: Core revenue from flight training programs including private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, multi-engine, and certified flight instructor courses. Revenue generated through per-hour aircraft rental, instructor fees, and program fees.
2. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Revenue from maintenance services as a Diamond Authorized Service Center and Continental GmbH Service Center. Provides maintenance for both fleet aircraft and client-owned aircraft.
3. Aircraft Sales and Consulting: Full-service aircraft sales support including buyer representation, pre-purchase inspections, aircraft delivery services, transition and recurrent training, and leaseback opportunities.
4. Aircraft Leaseback Programs: Manages aircraft ownership on behalf of owners, with the aircraft available for rental when not in use by the owner.
5. Gift Certificates and Discovery Flights: Introductory flight lessons sold as gift certificates, providing entry point for customer acquisition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Take Flight Aviation provides Part 141-certified flight training across the full pilot certificate and rating pathway, including Private Pilot, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine, CFI, and Alien Flight Training, alongside career-focused programs such as Zero Time to Professional Pilot and college-affiliated tracks. The company also operates a Diamond Authorized Service Center for aircraft maintenance and a Diamond Sales Center for aircraft sales and leaseback management, supported by an 18-aircraft Diamond fleet equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics.

Product overview

Take Flight Aviation is a flight school and general aviation training provider offering a comprehensive suite of integrated pilot training and aviation services. The company's core offerings include private pilot training, career pilot programs (Zero Time to Professional Pilot Program), multi-engine training, and aircraft maintenance services. Key product clusters include: (1) Flight training programs spanning private pilot through commercial pilot with CFI ratings, delivered via Part 141 and Part 61 methods; (2) Specialized programs including Garmin G1000 transition training, Alien Flight Training, and BOCES partnership programs; (3) Elite simulation training using a Redbird FMX Full-Motion Flight Training Device; (4) Aircraft sales, ownership, and leaseback services backed by Diamond Authorized Service Center maintenance capabilities; (5) Exclusive Diamond Brilliance factory-authorized transition programs for North America. The company operates the largest private Diamond Aircraft fleet on the East Coast with 18 aircraft and maintains a 93.4% check ride pass rate over 8 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Pilot Training Part 141-certified Private Pilot Certificate training for aspiring individual pilots, taught on a modern Diamond Aircraft fleet equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics, available to career-track and recreational students.
• Zero Time to Professional Pilot Program Career-track program that takes a student from zero flight time to a professional pilot qualification, leveraging accelerated proprietary Part 141 curriculum and partnerships with airlines (Republic Airways Cadet Program) and educational institutions (Purdue Global, Utah Valley University).
• Instrument Rating Training Instrument Rating training that can be completed in as little as three weeks, designed for pilots building toward commercial and professional qualifications on a modern, well-equipped Diamond fleet.
• Commercial Pilot Training Part 141 Commercial Pilot Certificate training for pilots advancing toward professional flying careers, delivered on multi-engine and single-engine Diamond aircraft.
• Multi-Engine Training Multi-Engine Rating training for pilots seeking to add a multi-engine endorsement, with published per-hour rates of $300 wet per hour, pay-as-you-go on Diamond multi-engine aircraft.
• Accelerated CFI Course Accelerated Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) course designed to prepare pilots for instructor roles and to build flight hours required for airline employment.
• Alien Flight Training Dedicated training program for foreign nationals needing FAA-formatted certificates and license conversions, addressing documentation and certification differences.
• College Program Partnership-driven flight training pathway for students enrolled at partner institutions including Purdue Global and Utah Valley University, leveraging Take Flight Aviation's proprietary pilot transfer evaluation system.
• BOCES Aviation Program Aviation training program offered through BOCES Career and Technical Education for high-school students, integrating flight training into the school curriculum.
• Completion Courses Custom flight training completion courses for pilots who started training elsewhere and need to finish certificates or ratings at Take Flight Aviation.
• Garmin G1000 Transition Course Dedicated transition training for pilots moving onto Garmin G1000-equipped Diamond aircraft, helping students become proficient with the G1000 avionics suite.
• Flight Simulator (Redbird FMX) Redbird FMX Full-Motion Flight Simulator sessions used to supplement aircraft training with realistic scenario-based practice.
• Diamond Brilliance (Factory-Authorized Transition Training) Factory-authorized Diamond transition training for pilots moving into Diamond aircraft, taught at the Diamond Authorized Service Center.
• Discovery / Introductory Flights Entry-level, gift-certificate-ready Discovery Flights ($329) and Introductory Lessons ($399) that let prospective students experience flying in a Diamond aircraft before committing to a full program.
• Aircraft Maintenance Factory-authorized maintenance services performed by the Diamond Authorized Service Center, servicing Diamond Aircraft for the school's own fleet and external owners.
• Aircraft Sales Sales of new Diamond Aircraft through the Diamond Sales Center, including leaseback program management for buyers who want their aircraft to remain productive in the training fleet.
• Professional Pilot Financing Financing assistance for professional pilot training, connecting students with third-party flight training lenders Sallie Mae, Flight Finance, and Stratus Financial to fund tuition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93.4% check ride pass rate over the past 8 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and peripheral.

• Republic AirwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership providing career opportunities for Take Flight Aviation graduates. Republic Airways offers fixed-fee flights operated under American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express brands. Provides early interview for first officer position through their RJet Cadet program.
• Diamond AircraftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTake Flight Aviation is the largest private Diamond Aircraft fleet operator on the East Coast. They are a Diamond Authorized Service Center and have been selected as the Exclusive North American Training Partner for Diamond Brilliance Transition & Mentorship Programs.
• Orange-Ulster BOCESperipheralStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing BOCES Aviation Program teaching skills for FAA Private Pilot Certificate. Located at 53 Gibson Road, Goshen NY 10924. Students who earn their Private Pilot Certificate enjoy generous credit considerations at various aviation colleges.
• Purdue GlobalperipheralChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollege partnership for aviation students providing credit articulation and pathway programs for students pursuing aviation degrees.
• Utah Valley UniversityperipheralChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollege partnership for aviation students providing credit articulation and pathway programs for students pursuing aviation degrees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FlightSafety International: FlightSafety is a global leader in professional aviation training, with extensive flight simulator training and pilot certification programs. It serves corporate, commercial, and government pilots at much larger scale and is a broad incumbent that competes for advanced/professional pilot training dollars Take Flight targets with CFI and multi-engine programs.
• CAE: CAE is a global aviation training leader operating the world's largest network of civilian flight simulators and training centers. Its civil aviation training division competes for professional pilot development budgets, particularly advanced/simulator-based training that Take Flight's Redbird FMX offering partially addresses.
• L3Harris Airline Academy: L3Harris (formerly L3 Technologies) operates commercial pilot training academies that integrate ab initio programs with airline placements. As a large incumbent with global reach, it competes for institutional partnerships and career-track students that Take Flight targets.

Direct peers

• Sporty's Academy: Sporty's Academy is a Part 141 flight school attached to Sporty's Pilot Shop, the largest pilot supply retailer in the U.S. The combination of retail pilot supplies and an integrated training academy creates a comparable end-to-end training ecosystem with similar discovery-flight through career-pilot offerings.
• ATP Flight School: ATP is the largest flight training network in the U.S. and the dominant accelerated career pilot training provider. It is the most direct competitor to Take Flight's Zero-to-Professional Pilot program, offering similar Part 141 accelerated tracks, airline partnerships (e.g., multi-airline partnerships broader than Republic alone), and nationwide geographic reach.
• Florida Flyers Flight Academy: Florida Flyers is a Part 141 flight school offering accelerated career pilot programs, international student training, and fleet operations similar in scale and scope to Take Flight. They compete for the same career-track, accelerated-timeline students, particularly those willing to relocate for training.
• Phoenix East Aviation: Phoenix East Aviation is a Part 141 accelerated flight school offering zero-to-ATP programs, international student training, and multi-engine ratings — directly overlapping Take Flight's Career Pilot Training and Alien Flight Training products.
• Epic Flight Academy: Epic Flight Academy is a Part 141 flight school offering accelerated professional pilot programs, multi-engine training, and international student pathways — closely aligned with Take Flight's core offerings, including alien flight training and career pilot certification tracks.

Others

• Diamond Aircraft Industries: Diamond Aircraft is Take Flight's fleet OEM and partner for the exclusive Diamond Brilliance North American training program. While not a competitor, it is a critical ecosystem participant whose product roadmap, authorized service center agreements, and brand health directly influence Take Flight's training and maintenance economics.
• Republic Airways (Cadet Program partner): Republic Airways is Take Flight's airline partner for the RJet Cadet program. It is not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem participant whose hiring decisions and partnership terms directly shape Take Flight's enrollment economics and student outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pg/takeflightoc/reviews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/take-flight-aviation-new-york

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Take Flight Aviation