Leading Edge Flight Training

Leading Edge Flight Training is one of northern Colorado’s premier flight training schools. We are a small school and believe in a fun learning experience through our laid back style in our relaxed atmosphere. We offer a quality facility with friendly and professional staff which provides a first-class experience for our students and renters. We cater to our customer’s needs through affordably priced rental aircraft, and a diverse fleet of four airplanes, including a Cirrus SR-20, Cessna 172, Diamond DA-20 and a Citabria KCAB acrobatic plane. Certificated pilots are encouraged to fly often to stay current and take advantage of our aircraft for cross country flights. Our office is located between Fort Collins and Loveland at the base of the Rocky Mountains about 50 miles north of Denver at the Fort Collins/Loveland Airport.

Facility: We lease space at the Eagle Air hangar. Our office is on the first floor facing the west. Looking west out of the office large windows is our buildings private fenced ramp, a view of the runway and in the distance a beautiful view of the Rocky mountain front range. There is ample parking in our parking lot or on the street parking is available. The office is small but contains all of the essential needs for flight training. We have a classroom/flight planning room with white boards and a multimedia center for lessons and current VFR and IFR charts. Telephones are conveniently located for flight briefings. The lobby/waiting room has the same wonderful view of the mountains. Just down the hall are large restrooms for both men and women. We use Aviation Digital Data service (ADDs) for current weather information. ADD’s is produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Pilot Supply Shop: Leading Edge Flight Training offers a pilot supply shop where students can purchase the materials they will need for their flight training. We have access to anything the student may need including training materials, plotters, flight computers, charts, and many other pilot supplies.

Type: Leading Edge Flight Training is regulated as a flight school by 14 CFR Part 61.

Fuel: Fort Collins/Loveland Jet Center provides fuelling services for our aircraft.

Maintenance: Gates Aviation, Inc. repairs and maintains all of our airplane repairs. They are co-located in the Eagle Air hangar, opened 7 days a week and give Leading Edge Flight Training planes priority repairs. There is a certified mechanic on site during normal business hours to check questionable squawks found during preflight.

Local Amenities: Fort Collins/Loveland Airport is only minutes away from a multitude of shopping, restaurants, and hotels for lodging. There are corporate and charter operations, flight schools and air ambulance providers located on the airport as well.

Training & Records: All of our students get one on one personalized instruction. We believe with personalized instruction our students learn to fly in less time and don’t have the stress of making it to standard block schedule classes. Students make their own schedules and learn at their own pace. 

Though some take longer than others the largest portion of our students get their private certificate faster than at a conventional aviation college. All students are given the same quality attention. Our instruction method allows instructors to teach using their own style, but still using the same Leading Edge adopted format and syllabus. Just before solo all students are tested by our chief flight instructor to ensure the student is ready to safely solo. This also gives students another instruction/piloting perspective. Another benefit of a pre-solo check is the chief flight instructor gets a chance to critique the instructors on the quality of instruction they are giving. Before solo all students are given one lesson on spins, in our Citabria, so they will actually feel what it is like to get into a spin and be able to recover properly. After solo students are encouraged to practice, solo, at least a couple of lessons, before starting the navigation and cross country phases of training. All Cross country training is preformed on the eastern plains, not in the mountains. The plains are flat and have a plethora of places to land if an emergency should occur, therefore a much safer place for new students to fly.

A mountain training course is offered after they receive their private pilot certificate. Extensive test preparation including 4-10 hours of ground, or as much flight test prep as needed, and is taught to ensure the student is as ready as possible for their check ride. Our students complete a registration form, sign a rental agreement and are issued our General Operating instructions. We confirm their identity, and verify US Citizenship or TSA approval prior to training. Copies of all documentation are place into individual student files.

The training provided by Leading Edge Flight Training and our instructors conform to accepted training methods and are regulated under 14 CFR Part 61. Our aircraft and instructor scheduling is done online for ease of scheduling. Our accounting is maintained with peach tree accounting software. Every flight is dispatched and invoiced using these systems. Our data is backed up and records are kept both on the computer and in customer files.

History: Leading Edge Flight Training was formed by Patrick Hinton, Richard Flanagan, Joseph LoRusso and Nick LoRusso as a Colorado Corporation in November of 2008. Business was started in November to 2008 by 3 flight instructors who had a vision of a flight school being fun, affordable and having quality instruction.

Culture: Leading Edge Flight Training is a light-hearted and professional flight training center. We have a sincere love for flying that can be seen in all of our staff and instructors. We care about each student and the progress they make and see they are given the absolute best service and instruction available. We are customer service oriented and strive to make sure each client receives more than they expect from a flight school.

Service Beliefs: Maintaining a high level of customer service is extremely important to us. We strive be available whenever needed and get back to people as quickly as possible. We are always patient in ensuring our students attain the full understanding they need to feel comfortable and confident as pilot in command.

Mission: To make your aviation dreams and aspirations come true.

Vision: To bring you the very best flight instruction, while keeping the cost of training reasonable. To have trained safe, competent, and confident pilots whom will go on to enjoy the thrill of flight whether it personal flying or professional.

Hours of Operation: Our normal office hours are currently 8-4:30 Monday thru Friday. Aircraft rental and Flight instruction is provided as needed 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

PRICES

• Diamond DA-20/100 Katana87HA: Rental price is $100.00 per hour, wet
• 1979 Cessna 172N 29ER Rental price is $110.00 per hour, wet

Instruction rates
Flight instruction is $40.00 per hour Ground instruction is $40.00 per hour Chief instructor rate is $45.00 per hour Block rates are available for plane rentals. All renters are required to be checked out by a Leading Edge Flight Training flight instructor and must fulfil all elements of the renter check out briefing. Renter must fly at least 1hour every 60 days with Leading Edge Flight Training, in order to maintain rental currency.