Our Daily Show LIVE From The 28th Annual Wings & Wheels Fly-In: Piston Aviation
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
BETHALTO - Piston Aviation has officially opened at the St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, and they’re pleased to see their flight school growing.
Joe Ord, co-owner of Piston Aviation, explained that the flight school’s second location in Bethalto has expanded rapidly since they opened earlier this year. He is excited to welcome more people into the aviation industry, and he wants people to know that there are countless opportunities for a career in aviation.
“There are so many different paths. Most people don’t realize how many different paths there are,” Ord said. “There are so many awesome opportunities that you can make a career out of. It’s a lifestyle thing. That’s what’s so cool about aviation. It’s a fun, fun thing to do, and if you figure out a way to do it to make money and make a life out of it, then that’s just beautiful.”
Piston Aviation offers several programs to help people get their private pilot licenses. They work with hobbyist pilots as well as people who hope to embark on a career in flying. At the recent Wings & Wheels Fly-In at the airport, they welcomed several aspiring aviators to learn more about the flight school.
With a location in Creve Coeur, the company decided to open a second location in Bethalto to expand their offerings. Ord said they have over 30 students at the St. Louis Regional Airport location. He hopes to watch it grow in the coming months.
“We’re just excited about starting some new programs that are going to be exclusive to this airport,” he explained. “We’re exceeding our growth projections, so we’re always happy about that. We’re right on pace with where we want to be. We have a couple of new programs we’re going to be launching. One of the main reasons we came to this field was the expandability for our business here.”
As part of that expansion, Piston Aviation recently bought a twin-engine plane, and they plan to introduce some destination programs. You can find out more at their official website.
Looking ahead, Ord said there is a pilot shortage that will continue for at least the next ten years. Because of this, there are a lot of job opportunities with good salaries for hopeful pilots.
He encourages people who are curious about flying to contact Piston Aviation. They can talk you through the careers in aviation and some of the opportunities that are available through Piston.
“A large portion of the pilot population is aging out, and while that's kind of sad, it’s great because it offers a great opportunity to the younger generation to come into a field I love,” Ord added. “I love doing what I do and I love bringing people into aviation and then watching them figure out what they want to do.”
For more information about Piston Aviation, visit their official website at FlyPiston.com. To learn more about the 28th Annual Wings & Wheels Fly-In, watch this video on RiverBender.com.
More like this:
