About Us
Our Story
Certificated under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an approved Part 141 flight school (Air Agency Certificate #AYKS724K), American Winds is qualified to train students who have an interest in receiving a private pilot license, obtaining an advanced rating, or training the career-minded individual who wants to make aviation his or her career goal.
At the heart of the school is Chief Flight Instructor Denise Hobart, who has been in aviation for more than 25 years – as a Commercial Pilot, and an instructor with thousands of hours of experience training students. She is a nationally and regionally recognized business owner of the flight school and an FAA approved Part 135 charter (Air Carrier Certificate #AYKA724K). She is a two-time recipient of Master Certificated Flight Instructor accreditation from the National Association of Flight Instructors and an FAA Gold Seal Instructor. Along with Denise is a dedicated staff that has helped American Winds gain recognition as one of the finest flight training facilities in the Midwest.
American Winds made history after receiving permission from the FAA to develop a program and then train the FIRST hearing-impaired pilot in the history of aviation. On February 25, 2006, Stephen Hopson passed his Instrument Pilot checkride, becoming the first deaf pilot to qualify for and receive an Instrument Rating. The accomplishment of training the first hearing-impaired Instrument Pilot further established American Winds as an innovator and leader in the flight training industry through recognition by the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA).
In 2006, American Winds reached another milestone when it was selected New and Emerging Business of the Year by the Greater Akron Area Chamber of Commerce. This achievement helped further establish the school’s role as a leader in education, business and economic and community development. These successes cannot compare with our greatest achievement … our students. We are proud of each graduate, whether he or she chooses a career in aviation or merely flies for pleasure.
In early 2017, American Winds was officially recognized by the State of Ohio Board of Career Colleges and Schools (Registration #14-05-2043T) as American Winds College of Aeronautics. We are the only degree-granting institution in the U.S. solely dedicated to aviation. We invite you to explore our academic programs and visit our facility at Akron Fulton Airport to meet with our Admissions Coordinator and flight instructors and check out our training fleet.
A Message From Our Chief Flight Instructor
American Winds – a diverse, student-centered school where we pride ourselves on building the lives of our students through small class sizes, expert faculty, research, and cultural events. Our goal at American Winds is to ensure that all students get the best education possible while having a truly remarkable flight school experience.
To do this, we make students our #1 priority, never losing sight of their reason for being here. Through orientations, awareness programs, and attentive guidance, American Winds students are given opportunities to thrive, whether it is inside or outside the classroom. Students who graduate from American Winds are well-rounded, educated, and capable individuals.
People say “a pilot is always prepared for the worst day ever.” I believe that all the instruction given at American Winds is based on real-life examples which make our students not only good pilots, but also safe pilots. The flight school is like a family. People are always here for you with a helping hand so you never feel alone. The instructors are excellent and flight scheduling is readily available. All airplanes are maintained under the stringent standards set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration. The school has a well-structured syllabus and systematic way of teaching both the ground lessons and flight lessons.
At American Winds, instructors give every student a pre-flight briefing on lessons that will be practiced in the airplane. A student is graded based on his/her performance. In this way, a student always knows his/her progress, which helps a student throughout his or her training. One word that comes to my mind when I think of American Winds is commitment! The instructors are always willing to answer questions, whether in the air or on the ground. In fact, they have Q & A sessions to test student’s knowledge and brush up on topics to help the student obtain proficiency. Care is taken to get each student’s flying done on a day-to-day basis.
Face the challenge to become a pilot!
