AOPA Foundation announces regional winners of top flight school, instructor awards

FREDERICK, Md., January 20, 2026—The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation announced the regional winners of its 2026 Flight Training Experience Awards, recognizing outstanding flight schools and flight instructors across the United States. The awards are based on feedback received from thousands of student pilots, newly certificated pilots, and pilots completing flight reviews or pursuing advanced certificates or ratings. Many reviewers praised not only the quality of instruction they received, but also the encouragement, support, and sense of community fostered by these flight schools and instructors. "Learning to fly an airplane or earn additional certificates and ratings is challenging," said AOPA Foundation Senior Director of Flight Training Education Chris Moser. "We're proud to not only present awards to flight schools and instructors who do a fantastic job providing this training, but to recognize those who go above and beyond. For example, it's not uncommon to hear about instructors and schools helping students arrange transportation or housing, and ensuring they have the resources needed to stay on track with their training." Six flight schools and six individual flight instructors were selected as regional winners for 2026. From among these regional honorees, one flight school and one flight instructor will be named national winners at Redbird Migration, which will be held at the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland, Florida, on March 3-4. Regional Winners Flight Schools Central Southern | Neu Aviation | Benton, Louisiana Eastern | Nova Pilots | Leesburg, Virginia Great Lakes | Moore Aviation, Inc. | Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Pacific | Mike Smith Aviation International, Inc. | Napa, California Southern | Centennial Aviation Academy | Atlanta, Georgia Western | Sierra Charlie Aviation | Scottsdale, Arizona Flight Instructors Central Southern | Ty Ashe (JKA, LLC; KAUO) | Notasulga, Alabama Eastern | Grayson Bertaina (FlyHdg360 LLC; KFIT) | Cambridge, Massachusetts Great Lakes | Sydney Pilling (Illinois Aviation Academy/Spartan Education Group; KDPA) | Third Lake, Illinois Pacific | Austin Smith (ATP Flight School; KCMA) | Newbury Park, California Southern | Tiziano Bernard (Savannah Aviation; KLHW) | Pooler, Georgia Western | Andrew Hamouda (Leopard Aviation; KFFZ) | Scottsdale, Arizona See the full list of award winners here. The You Can Fly program and the AOPA Air Safety Institute are funded by charitable donations to the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. To be a part of general aviation's future, visit www.aopafoundation.org/donate.