New flight school in Panama City Beach celebrated grand opening

PANAMA CITY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – There’s a new flight school in Panama City Beach.

Patriot Pilot Academy celebrated its grand opening on Saturday.

The school is located at a hangar next to North-West Florida Beaches International Airport.

Patriot Pilot Academy Director of Operations and owner Chad Kotajarvi says the school opened last August. He waited nearly a year for the grand opening because of the school becoming accredited by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Several aspiring pilots came to the event to learn about the school and what kind of training is offered.

From private pilot certification to commercial flying, Kotajarvi says the school can accommodate numerous aviation goals.

“You have a private pilot, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, CFI, CFII, CFI is a certified flight instructor. We’ll get you all your ratings all the way up to the airlines, or one rating at a time. If you want to become a private pilot, you work on that certificate first,” Kotajarvi said.

Kotajarvi adds that the area was in need of a flight school, and Patriot Pilot Academy will benefit the community in more ways than one.

“When we’re a 141 school, people are going to be coming international to us. We’re going to be bringing people into the community that’s going to be staying at the hotels, they’re going to be renting houses, they’re going to be flying into the airport. All the way around, it’s a win-win for everybody,” Kotajarvi added.

For more information on Patriot Pilot Academy, call 850-900-9900 or click here .

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