What Great Planes Aviation does

Great Planes Aviation is a multi-service aviation company headquartered at Rochester International Airport (RST) in Rochester, Minnesota, operating four integrated business lines: Pilot Academy (flight training from private pilot through commercial, including a ~$90,000 Pro-Pilot Track, Custom Track, Ground Schools, and Accelerated courses), Aircraft Maintenance (FAA Part-145 certified repair station servicing piston and turbine aircraft, avionics, and CAPS overhauls), Aeroclub (tiered membership with Gold at $500 + $100/month and a Premier tier launching in 2025 featuring shared Cirrus SR-22 ownership), and Ground Services (third-party ground handling and staffing for airports and airlines). The company is privately held, founded in 2017, with 11–50 employees, and is led by Owner/President Erik Lundquist and VP & General Manager Caleb Wyman.

The company's underlying technology is anchored on physical aviation infrastructure and regulatory credentials rather than software. The training fleet comprises Piper Archer II/III, Piper Warrior/Warrior II, Piper Seminole, three Cirrus G6 aircraft (SR20, SR22, SR22T) with Cirrus Perspective+ avionics, supplemented by a Redbird MCX simulator and a Cirrus SR Series AATD simulator (G1000 instruments) that allows logging of single-pilot IFR time. Core differentiators are FAA Part-145 certification and Cirrus Training Center status (CSIP and TCI instructors), which together gate competition in authorized Cirrus-specific training and commercial-grade maintenance. No AI, software platform, or proprietary digital IP is disclosed.

The revenue model is a hybrid of high-ticket, multi-year training commitments ($90,000 Pro-Pilot Track over 18–24 months), usage-based training and maintenance (instruction $90/hour; aircraft rental $160–$389/hour; maintenance $110–$188/hour), recurring membership and on-call subscriptions (Aeroclub Gold $100/month; airline on-call maintenance $1,500/month), and contracted B2B ground handling for airports (Rochester International, Chippewa Valley Regional) and airlines (Sun Country Airlines). Customer segments span aspiring professional pilots, personal aviation enthusiasts, aircraft owners/lessees, and airport/airline operators. Sales is direct via website applications and on-site at the airport, with discovery flights and Aeroclub events serving as top-of-funnel acquisition into the academy and membership programs.

Name

Great Planes Aviation

Legal name

Great Planes Aviation

Website

https://flygreatplanes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Planes Aviation is a privately held, FAA Part-145-certified aviation services company at Rochester International Airport, Minnesota, operating an integrated Pilot Academy, aircraft maintenance shop, Aeroclub membership program, and ground handling services for individual pilots, aircraft owners, and commercial airline and airport partners in the Upper Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flight Training and Aviation Services

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Airport Operations (48811)

akta.pro primary industry

Aircraft Management & Part 135/135-equivalent Operators (THABAFAD)

Keywords

• Flight training services
• Pilot academy programs
• Aircraft maintenance
• Aviation ground handling
• Personal aviation club

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Pilot Training: Pro-Pilot Track comprehensive 18-24 month program transforming aviation enthusiasts into fully licensed commercial pilots. Approximately $90,000 investment covering flight operations, navigation, meteorology, and aircraft systems training.
2. Custom Flight Training: Flexible à la carte training for private pilot license, instrument ratings, multi-engine ratings, CFI/CFII add-ons. Instruction at $90/hour, aircraft rental $160-$389/hour depending on aircraft.
3. Accelerated Training Programs: Multi-engine add-on and multi-engine instructor courses priced at $2,700 for instruction with 4-day training duration.
4. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Full-service FAA-licensed maintenance at Rochester International Airport. Standard rates: Piston $110/hr, Turbine $140/hr, Avionics $125/hr. After-hours: Piston $165/hr, Turbine $210/hr, Avionics $188/hr. Airline on-call service: $1,500/month.
5. Aeroclub Membership: Tiered membership program: Gold Level at $500 initial fee plus $100/month. Premier Level (Cirrus SR-22 ownership share) launching 2025. Benefits include discounted flight time, simulator access, member events.
6. Ground Handling Services: Third-party ground handling and staffing services for airports and airline operators at Rochester, MN and Eau Claire, WI locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Great Planes Aviation is a multi-service aviation company operating four business lines from Rochester International Airport, Minnesota: (1) Pilot Academy offering flight training from private pilot through commercial license; (2) FAA Part-145 certified aircraft maintenance for piston, turbine, and avionics; (3) Aeroclub, a membership-based personal aviation club with access to a late-model Cirrus G6 fleet; and (4) Ground Services providing third-party ground handling and staffing for airports and airlines.

Product overview

Great Planes Aviation is a multi-service aviation company operating as a single integrated platform offering four interconnected core services: Pilot Academy (flight training programs including Pro-Pilot Track, Ground Schools, Custom Track, and Accelerated Training), Aircraft Maintenance (FAA Part-145 certified repair station), Aeroclub (personal aviation membership with Gold and Premier tiers offering access to Cirrus fleet and simulators), and Ground Services (third-party ground handling and staffing for airports and airlines). The company operates from Rochester International Airport, Minnesota, and serves airline partners including Sun Country Airlines at multiple airport locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Planes Pilot Academy: Flight training program for aspiring professional pilots and individuals seeking personal aviation
• Great Planes Aircraft Maintenance
• Aeroclub
• Cirrus Training Center
• Ground Services

Products and services

• Pilot Academy Comprehensive flight training academy offering instruction from private pilot through commercial rating, designed for high school/college graduates, midlife career changers, and personal aviation enthusiasts seeking professional or recreational pilot certification.
• Pro-Pilot Track

Quantifiable outcome

• 18-24 months from zero experience to commercial pilot license
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rochester International AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Planes Aviation provides ground handling services at Rochester International Airport (RST). Partnership includes ground handling operations, staffing services, and airport support activities.
• Chippewa Valley Regional AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Planes Aviation provides third-party ground handling services at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU) in Eau Claire, WI.
• Sun Country AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Planes Aviation provides ground handling and call-out maintenance services for Sun Country Airlines at Rochester International Airport.
• Signature Flight SupportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Planes Aviation maintenance services listed as FBO Services under Signature Flight Support network at Rochester International Airport.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CAE: Global aviation training giant operating flight academies and simulator training centers — comparable on the pilot training side, with substantially broader scale, fleet, and geographic reach than Great Planes.
• Menzies Aviation: Global third-party ground handling and aviation services provider serving airlines and airports — directly comparable to Great Planes' Ground Services business and a potential scale benchmark or competitive threat as it expands into regional US airports.
• Signature Flight Support: Global FBO network providing aircraft maintenance, fueling, and ground handling — directly comparable to Great Planes' maintenance and ground services lines, and already a network partner via Great Planes' listing as FBO services at RST.
• FlightSafety International: Premier aviation training organization specializing in advanced pilot training, recurrent training, and simulator-based instruction — overlaps with Great Planes' Cirrus Training Center and accelerated/rating offerings.
• Atlantic Aviation: Largest US FBO network providing maintenance, ground handling, and aviation services at more than 100 locations — broad incumbent parallel to Great Planes' combined FBO-like maintenance and ground services offering.

Emerging players

• Cirrus Aircraft: OEM behind the SR20/SR22/SR22T fleet that Great Planes operates and trains on. Cirrus's Training Center network (which Great Planes is part of) is the upstream counterpart to Great Planes' Cirrus-certified curriculum and Aeroclub Premier SR-22 offering.

Regional players

• Modern Aviation: FBO and aircraft services platform operating FBOs across the US with maintenance and line services — comparable to Great Planes' maintenance and ground handling business in the same regional airport services category.

Direct peers

• Epic Flight Academy: Part 141 flight school offering professional pilot programs from zero experience through ATP, with comparable pro-pilot pricing and a similar career-track structure to Great Planes' Pro-Pilot Track.
• ATP Flight School: Largest US airline-oriented flight academy, operating an accelerated zero-to-commercial-pilot pathway across multiple states — directly comparable to Great Planes' Pilot Academy Pro-Pilot Track and the dominant national competitor in the same segment.
• PlaneSense: Fractional aircraft ownership provider operating a Pilatus PC-12 fleet — directly comparable to Great Planes' upcoming Premier Aeroclub Cirrus SR-22 ownership share on the personal/fractional aviation membership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flygreatplanes
• Facebookfacebook.com/flygreatplanes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-planes-aviation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Great Planes Aviation