2021 Year in Review, Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, Oregon

January 12, 2022 – Last January brought a sigh of relief to many as we entered into a new season with hopes of improvement from the turbulence of 2020. Many in the aviation industry held their breath, hoping to see a return to semi-normal air travel demand, while resuming the hiring boom we had begun to experience in 2019.

Thankfully, though the year still presented its challenges, Leading Edge Aviation of Bend, Oregon experienced growth, expansion, and regular hiring cycles as the chaos of a global pandemic began to settle. Here is what we were up to in 2021:

1. We welcomed 225 new students to our flight school! We were proud to on-board some of our largest-ever classes and see the continued enthusiasm of individuals in pursuing their aviation dream careers.
2. We hired 20 new flight instructors to accommodate our growing student body and fill positions of individuals moving on to their next aviation jobs!
3. We saw instructors move on to their next careers at Horizon, Skywest, Papillon, Pollux Aviation, Ameriflight, Hayden Homes, and more!
4. We hosted our annual safety-stand-down – a day where the entire company shuts down to focus exclusively on our safety culture, address issues we have noticed throughout the year, and receive training from experts to increase our skills in emergency situations.
5. Leading Edge Flight Academy entered a new partnership with Meritize – giving flight students lending options to pursue their professional pilot training.
6. Our helicopter charter crews participated in a high-volume fire season, attending to fire contracts throughout the Western US.
7. Leading Edge Aviation launched aerial tour options to Central Oregonians, allowing individuals to experience the beauty and thrill of our local landscape from a new perspective.
8. Leading Edge Flight Academy partnered with Whirly Girls International to offer scholarships to women in the helicopter industry seeking training.
9. We hosted our first aviation summer camp, which lead to all enrollees transitioning into flight training!
10. We resumed recruiting operations with aviation employers, hosting individuals from GoJet and Horizon.

This compilation is just an overview of the highlights we were thrilled to experience this past year. We are thankful for the group of dedicated employees, enthusiastic students and many Veterans we get to work with each day. As we enter 2022, we look forward to sharing our next accomplishments with you!

About Us: For over a decade Leading Edge Flight Academy (www.flybend.com) has specialized in training helicopter pilots, airplane pilots, and launching aviation careers. Leading Edge’s start-to-finish support and above industry standard training prepares 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. Our 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.