Twin openings signal a defining chapter in the Academy’s nationwide expansion — combining EASA ATO-approved pilot training, a Part 147-certified aviation maintenance program, and a direct-to-airline employment pathway under one growing national brand
DENTON, Texas and FORT PIERCE, Fla. and KISSIMMEE, Fla., May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — US Aviation Academy today announced the simultaneous opening of two new Florida facilities: a flight training campus in Fort Pierce and an FAA Part 147-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) at Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM). Together, these openings mark the most significant single-day expansion in the Academy’s history and cement Florida as the next major step in its growing nationwide footprint.
The Fort Pierce campus is located at a facility previously occupied by Aviator College. US Aviation Academy is leasing facilities recently vacated by Aviator College. This ready-made campus will receive new leadership, new standards, and a full US Aviation Academy experience from the first day of classes. This is an entirely new and independent operation — new leadership, new standards, and a full US Aviation Academy experience from the first day of classes.
“Opening two facilities in Florida at the same time is a statement about where this Academy is headed,” said Mike Sykes, CEO, US Aviation Academy. “We’re not just training pilots anymore — we’re building a fully integrated aviation education platform with the infrastructure, the approvals, and the airline relationships to take students from day one of training all the way to a career in the cockpit or the hangar.”
Fort Pierce Flight Campus: A Fresh Start with a Global Reach
The Fort Pierce campus is one of the largest flight training facilities in Florida, with significant capacity for fleet expansion, additional flight simulators, classroom and administrative space, and student housing. The Academy has extensive room to grow enrollment and infrastructure at this location for years to come.
Fort Pierce, Florida, is a strategic advantage. With Orlando, Palm Beach, Lakeland, and Tampa all within reach, students train in some of the most active and diverse airspace in the United States — building real-world experience across varied weather, traffic patterns, and controlled airspace environments that prepare them for careers at any airline, anywhere in the world.
The campus will launch under FAA Part 61 operations, allowing students to begin training immediately under the same proven instruction standards the Academy applies across all of its locations. FAA Part 141 certification for the Fort Pierce campus is actively in process, and the Academy anticipates that approval in the near term. Part 141 certification will unlock additional structured curriculum benefits and expand eligibility for certain student visa programs, further broadening the campus’s reach.
The campus operates as part of US Aviation Academy’s EASA-approved Approved Training Organization (ATO), extending the Academy’s international reach and enabling training for students from Europe and beyond under globally recognized standards. This approval allows the Academy to recruit and train a carefully balanced mix of domestic and international students — a structure that directly supports its ability to offer employment opportunities to most graduates who hold the legal right to work in the United States. By aligning enrollment with actual airline hiring demand, the Academy delivers on a promise most flight schools cannot make: a genuine, structured pathway to a job.
Kissimmee Gateway: New Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School
Simultaneously, US Aviation Academy is opening an FAA Part 147-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School at Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM), just southwest of Orlando. The program will train students for FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certification — one of the most in-demand credentials in the aviation industry as airlines and MRO operators face a deepening shortage of qualified maintenance technicians alongside the well-documented pilot shortage.
The Kissimmee location places the maintenance school at the heart of Central Florida’s aviation corridor, with proximity to major carriers, aviation maintenance providers, and the broader aerospace industry concentrated around the Orlando metropolitan area. The campus benefits from the same favorable flying weather and active aviation environment that makes Central Florida one of the premier locations in the country for aviation training of all kinds.
Together, the Fort Pierce flight campus and the Kissimmee maintenance school position US Aviation Academy as one of the only training organizations in the country capable of producing both commercial pilots and licensed maintenance technicians under the same brand, the same quality standards, and the same commitment to graduate employment.
“The demand for A&P mechanics is just as urgent as the demand for pilots,” said Scott Sykes, CDO, US Aviation Academy. “Kissimmee puts us at the center of Florida’s aviation industry with a Part 147-approved program that will train the next generation of technicians who keep commercial aircraft flying safely.”
Building a Nationwide Aviation Academy
US Aviation Academy has spent years methodically building one of the most geographically diverse flight training networks in the country. The Academy currently operates locations across Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, and New York — a coast-to-coast presence that reflects both the depth of demand for quality pilot training and the Academy’s commitment to making that training accessible across the United States.
Florida is the next chapter in that expansion. The simultaneous opening of the Fort Pierce flight campus and the Kissimmee maintenance school represents the Academy’s largest and most strategically significant move yet — adding not just new geography, but new capabilities, new approvals, and a fully integrated maintenance training program to the network.
With locations now spanning from New York to Florida to Texas and beyond, US Aviation Academy is building the infrastructure to train pilots and technicians at a national scale — while giving airline and industry partners a broader, more reliable pipeline of career-ready graduates than any single-location school can offer.
Additional locations remain under evaluation as the Academy continues its expansion. The long-term vision is clear: to become the defining name in professional aviation education across the United States — for pilots, for maintenance technicians, and for the airlines and operators who depend on both.
Prospective students interested in either the Fort Pierce flight program or the Kissimmee maintenance school are encouraged to contact the Academy’s admissions team for complete details on programs, enrollment timelines, costs, and career outcomes.
About US Aviation Academy
US Aviation Academy is a leading FAA-approved Part 141 and Part 61 flight training institution and EASA-approved Approved Training Organization (ATO) headquartered in Denton, Texas. With locations across Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, New York, and now Florida, the Academy operates one of the most extensive flight training networks in the United States. The Academy also operates FAA Part 147-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools, offering a fully integrated pathway to careers in both commercial aviation and aircraft maintenance. With a large modern fleet and a comprehensive curriculum from private pilot certification through ATP training, the Academy has placed thousands of graduates with regional and major airlines worldwide. For more information, visit www.usaviationacademy.com
Media Contact
Robert Renfro
VP of Marketing, US Aviation Academy
Email: marketing@usaviationacademy.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-aviation-academy-makes-major-florida-move-new-fort-pierce-flight-campus-and-kissimmee-maintenance-school-open-simultaneously-302785129.html
SOURCE US Aviation Academy
