"Michigan airport has deal for flight school"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Airport has deal for flight school
By Dana DeFever
The Jackson (MI) Citizen-Patriot

 
A new flight school is expected to land in Jackson this summer. 

The Jackson County Airport Board has approved a business operating agreement
and lease agreement for ProFlight Training Academy Inc. The training academy
will lease one of the airport's hangars. 

Ron Jung, president of ProFlight Training Academy, said Jackson's airport
was the perfect location for his new business because of the features of the
airport and the city. 

``(The) surrounding area is great for students. Restaurants, hotels,
whatever they need, it's the prime location,'' Jung said. 

The Jackson County Airport has an instrument-landing system and an
air-traffic-control tower, which airports of similar size might not have,
said Kent Maurer, airport manager. 

Jung, a pilot for Spirit Airlines who lives in Britton, said he hopes for
his school to be open June 1, but no later than July. 

ProFlight will provide certifications from recreational/sport pilot
certificates to airline transport pilot certificates. 

``We're looking more to do the accelerated flight programs,'' Jung said. 

Jackson Community College's Flight Center is based at the airport and
provides an associate's degree and private pilot certification, commercial
pilot certification, instrument rating, multi-engine rating, flight
instructor certification and instrument flight instructor rating. 

Maurer said there is a spirit of cooperation from the new flight school, and
the two flight schools can feed off each other, similar to having several
stores in a mall. 

``They're looking to be good airport community citizens and looking not to
compete with other businesses,'' Maurer said. 

JCC officials could not be reached for comment. 

Jung said the two schools won't be in competition because they have
different business models: JCC has a college curriculum, while ProFlight is
marketing to a nationwide clientele. 

Jung said it probably will be another week or two before he'll start
advertising and promoting the new flight school. He said he has no estimates
for the cost to attend the flight school yet. 


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