Paragon Flight Training Expands in Georgia

The company first entered the Georgia market last year when it partnered with LaGrange College to establish an aviation program, according to Chris Schoensee, president of Paragon Flight.

AirVentures has provided flight training in Georgia for more than 30 years.

“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. “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."

Last spring, students from LaGrange began flight training, and in September the school began offering a minor in aviation, a Paragon spokesperson said. The students are pursuing other majors while simultaneously training in Paragon Flight's professional pilot program. 

“Our entrance into Georgia with the LaGrange College partnership opened our eyes to the tremendous potential in this part of the state,” Schoensee said. “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.” 

The LaGrange location will begin operations under the Paragon Flight Training brand next month, becoming the company's third location. In addition to the headquarters in Fort Myers, at Page Field (KFMY), Paragon Flight has a Florida operation at the PDG Air Center (KPGD) in Punta Gorda that opened last year. 

The company took delivery of nine new Piper P100is this year, giving it a fleet of more than 30 Pipers, putting it on track to add 50 Piper aircraft by the end of 2027, it said.