Stop Waiting. Start Flying. How Academy College Gets Students Into the Air Faster.

Dreaming of becoming a pilot? You might be surprised how quickly you can get off the ground.

One of the biggest surprises for new aviation students at Academy College isn’t how exciting their first flight is. It’s how quickly that first flight can happen.

Many aspiring pilots assume they’ll spend months in classrooms, studying textbooks and completing coursework before they ever get behind the controls of an airplane.

At Academy College, that’s not necessarily the case.

Some students can begin flying within days of starting their aviation training—not months.

Thanks to our partnership with Thunderbird Aviation, access to an established training fleet, and flight operations at two convenient Twin Cities airports, we help students turn their aviation ambitions into real flying experiences sooner than they might expect.

And for someone who has spent years dreaming about becoming a pilot, that first flight changes everything.

Why Wait Months to Start Flying?

There’s a common misconception about aviation education: first comes months of classroom instruction, then eventually the opportunity to fly.

But learning to become a pilot is about combining knowledge with experience.

At Academy College, we believe those two things should work together from the beginning.

Students can begin developing their aviation knowledge while gaining practical experience with aircraft and flight instructors.

Imagine starting your aviation education and, just days later, climbing into the cockpit of a training aircraft with a certified flight instructor.

You’re no longer just imagining what it’s like to become a pilot.

You’re actually learning to fly.

Individual flight schedules depend on enrollment requirements, instructor and aircraft availability, and weather conditions, but the opportunity to get started quickly is one of the most exciting aspects of our aviation programs.

The Thunderbird Aviation Advantage: A Fleet Ready for Training

One of the reasons Academy College students can get started quickly is our longstanding partnership with Thunderbird Aviation.

Established in 1962, Thunderbird Aviation has been an important part of the Twin Cities aviation community for decades.

This partnership connects Academy College’s career-focused aviation education with Thunderbird’s aircraft, professional flight instructors, training facilities, and operational expertise.

For students, that means access to an established flight training operation rather than waiting for an aviation program to build its own training infrastructure.

From foundational flight training to advanced aviation skills, students have the opportunity to progress through a structured training environment.

And as students advance, they can work toward important aviation certifications and ratings, including:

Private Pilot
Instrument Rating
Commercial Pilot
Multi-Engine Rating
Flight Instructor certifications

Each milestone builds the knowledge, confidence, and experience needed to take the next step toward a professional aviation career.

Two Twin Cities Airports. More Opportunities to Fly.

Location matters when you’re training to become a pilot.

Academy College’s flight training partnership provides access to Thunderbird Aviation operations at two Twin Cities airports:

Flying Cloud Airport — Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Located in the southwest Twin Cities, Flying Cloud Airport offers an active aviation environment where students can gain valuable experience in real-world flight operations.

Crystal Airport — Crystal, Minnesota

Located northwest of Minneapolis, Crystal Airport provides another established location for flight training and aviation education.

With training operations at both airports, Academy College students benefit from the resources and flexibility of a broader aviation training network.

Two locations provide additional opportunities to coordinate training around available aircraft, instructors, and schedules.

Whether you’re coming from Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, or elsewhere in the Twin Cities, professional flight training may be closer than you think.

A Small College With Big Aviation Opportunities

Academy College offers something students don’t always find at larger institutions: a smaller, career-focused educational environment where students can get to know their instructors and support staff.

We understand that learning to fly can feel overwhelming at first.

There’s new terminology, unfamiliar equipment, technical coursework, and a long list of skills to master.

That’s why having people who know you and understand your goals matters.

Our aviation team helps students connect their academic coursework with their flight training, offering guidance as they work toward each new milestone.

We’re not interested in making students wait unnecessarily to experience the thing that brought them here in the first place.

We want to help them start flying.

From Your First Flight to Your Future Career

Getting into the cockpit quickly is exciting, but it’s only the beginning.

Becoming a professional pilot requires dedication, consistent training, and the progressive development of aviation skills.

Academy College offers structured aviation education designed to help students work toward their professional goals.

Our aviation programs combine academic preparation with practical flight training, helping students develop the knowledge and experience required to pursue a variety of aviation opportunities.

Whether your dream is to fly commercially, become a flight instructor, or pursue other professional aviation opportunities, your journey begins with taking that first step.

And there’s something powerful about discovering that your first step might lead into an actual airplane much sooner than you expected.