(Inside Heli hanger | Photo courtesy of Leading Edge Flight Academy)
It is no secret that on any given day the airspace in Bend is buzzing with activity. Training flights, aircraft testing, medical operations, corporate commuting and more bring the Bend Municipal Airport to be the third busiest airport in Oregon.
With so much action it may not be surprising to hear about brand new construction taking place; however, for local pilot training school Leading Edge Flight Academy, this construction marks years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence in the flight training world.
“With the rapid growth of fixed-wing and helicopter schools throughout the nation, we foresaw the need for the expansion of our school,” said Brad Fraley, CEO of Leading Edge. “With the support of the FAA, City of Bend, and the State of Oregon, we have been able to attain our goal and build a dedicated helicopter operations facility. Our new facility will ensure a safe training environment for our pilots, students, and commercial operations. We are truly excited for our future.”
The interior of the building consists of three offices, one conference room, seven ground training spaces, and a helicopter flight training device, known to the public as a flight simulator. The landing pad has a parking capacity for 21 helicopters.
One of the main highlights of the new facility is the separation of flight operations at the airport, leaving pilots feeling safer with more room to complete their training. “Operating out of the new heliport facility has been a huge upgrade to my training,” said one Leading Edge Flight Academy helicopter student. “Being surrounded by my peers in a helicopter-specific environment that is filled with helpful material and teaching aids has made my training feel so much more specialized. I also feel like the heliport has provided a much safer separation between airplanes and helicopters at the airport.”
Flight instructors are also happy to gather additional industry-specific knowledge because of the new helicopter landing pad. “Flying out of the heliport has provided our students and instructors, very early on in their career, the “real world” environment that they will be exposed to in the future,” said Chris Jordan, director of operations. “Since Leading Edge Aviation also runs its charter department out of the same facility, pilots have exposure to more advanced helicopters as well as high time pilots that are happy to share their experience and wisdom.”
About Leading Edge Flight Academy:
Leading Edge’s start-to-finish support and above-industry-standard training prepare students to meet their aviation goals. With a management team of pilots having over 37,000 cumulative hours and 100+ years in the industry, Leading Edge knows what it takes to prepare students for a career in aviation. Their fully integrated operation is entirely focused on student success. Located in Bend, Oregon with 300+ days of annual sunshine yields a productive and simultaneously challenging training environment to fully prepare our students to achieve their aviation goals.
