Rapid Flight Training to open first physical flight school in Delaware County
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Indianapolis-based Rapid Flight Training is extending its services to the Delaware County Regional Airport.
North of Muncie, the regional airport has long offered flight training. The new partnership with RFT, however, will help flight students achieve their goals more quickly and increase the number of flights taking off daily, officials said in a news release.
“It’s an underutilized airport with a fantastic training infrastructure, a very supportive airport authority and business in Muncie Aviation,” RFT Founder Matt Lehtinen said. “We feel like the Muncie region is fertile ground to grow a flight school to attract local students but also pilots from around the country.”
RFT began in 2020. The Delaware County Regional Airport will serve as the company’s first physical flight school and flight training center. RFT plans to bring in a fleet of 10 planes with several dozen instructors. The company currently has a Cessna Skyhawk, Piper Archer and Piper Arrow.
“In the next three years, we want to grow to 10 aircraft and 20 instructors,” Lehtinen said. “We envision an extremely vibrant training culture. We hope to help the airport renovate and also reopen the airport restaurant.”
The RFT founder said his company hopes to provide a pilot certificate in as little as four weeks and instrument training in 14 days. That’s compared to the typical six months it takes to earn a pilot’s certificate and additional three months for instrument training.
County Commissioner Sherry Riggin said in the release she believes RFT’s investment will spur additional business in Delaware County.
“Having lived in proximity of the airport nearly all of my life and having worked for a time towards a pilot’s license, I am incredibly happy to see such a tremendous flight training program being developed here,” Riggins said. “As students come to Delaware County for training, they patronize our hotels, restaurants and entire business community. This project is an incredible win for the community.”
More information about RFT is available online at rapidflighttraining.com.