Paragon Flight Training announces acquisition of Georgia flight school, deepens presence in growing suburban Atlanta market

Purchase follows its dynamic 2023 aviation partnership with LaGrange College  

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com

Fort Myers, Fla.—Nov. 7, 2024—Paragon Flight Training, an award-winning flight training academy based at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida, has purchased the assets of Airventures in LaGrange, Georgia, a flight training cornerstone in the region for more than 30 years. The announcement was made by Paragon Flight President Chris Schoensee and follows the company’s 2023 entrance into the Georgia market when it began a partnership with LaGrange College to offer the college’s first program in aviation.

“At Paragon Flight, our strategic expansion plans are guided by a solid cultural fit centered on a shared vision of excellence in flight training and locations rooted in growing regional markets – and Airventures fits the bill on both counts,” Schoensee said. “It is an established and well-respected local flight training school in a burgeoning area of Georgia and the purchase is another milestone in our company’s 18-year history,” Schoensee said.

In May of this year, Paragon Flight announced its company-wide student enrollment was at an all-time high, and in September welcomed its first full-year class of students at LaGrange College pursuing a minor in aviation using Paragon Flight’s acclaimed Professional Pilot Program (P3). The program is specifically designed to allow students to pursue other majors while simultaneously preparing for dynamic careers.

“Our entrance into Georgia with the LaGrange College partnership opened our eyes to the tremendous potential in this part of the state. With its proximity to Atlanta and the strong interest in commercial aviation careers continuing unabated, we are bullish on the opportunity to integrate Airventures operations into Paragon Flight and significantly bolster our flight training capacity here,” Schoensee said.

The purchase price remains confidential. A second Airventures location in Columbus, Georgia, was not part of the acquisition. The LaGrange location will begin operating under the Paragon Flight Training brand effective December 1, 2024.

Paragon Flight now has three locations, with its headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida, and a Punta Gorda location that opened in 2023 at the Punta Gorda PDG Air Center. Per a previously announced long-term strategy to add 50 Piper aircraft by the end of 2027, Paragon Flight has added 9 new Piper P100i’s already this year, with the 10th arriving this month. With more than 30 Piper P100i aircraft currently in its fleet, Paragon Flight owns approximately 15% of the Piper P100i aircraft in existence, including the milestone 100^th Piper P100i.

About Paragon Flight Training

Paragon Flight is an award-winning flight academy headquartered at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida. Holding FAA and SEVIS accreditations, the company trains commercial, professional, and recreational pilots as well as offering military pilot training for domestic and foreign governments. With multiple locations in Florida and Georgia, Paragon Flight now has more than 34,000 square feet of training facilities in the South Eastern United States. Learn more at ParagonFlight.com.

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