Realigns Mission To Advanced Training, On-Demand Charter

P&N Flight & Charter announced a major revamping of its aviation mission and completed a transformation that refashions flight training and aviation services in Iowa. The company sold off its primary pilot training operation to V1 Flight, a new school created for this purpose. It has also repurposed its existing fleet to a leasing model and expanded its delivery of advanced/specialty training, on-demand air charter flights, and FAA pilot testing.

The realignment comes after 39 years of P&N delivering private and instrument-level training primarily in Iowa but also across three states at various times. The company’s board wanted to make a strategic return to geographic flexibility since the City of Marion unexpectedly voted to close Marion Airport (C17), where P&N’s operations were based. The airport has since transitioned to private ownership but remains open to the public.

V1 Flight will continue training primary students at C17, and P&N will operate at locations across Iowa and regionally. It will support existing flight schools and focus on higher-level training that are generally not available at flight schools or aviation colleges. It will also provide recurrent training for certified pilots.

Cole Norton, Owner of P&N Flight & Charter and FAA Safety Team Representative said, “This transition is about the future where we can have a larger positive impact on aviation and safety from the background rather than exclusively on the customer-facing side.

“In the nine years under my ownership we’ve built programs to launch hundreds of aviation careers, and now we’re pivoting toward the advanced side of the industry and flying more passengers. So far, we’ve employed 75 people, operated 29 different aircraft, flown thousands on our Air Tour authorization, and trained hundreds - many of which are now flying for airlines.”

After completing the realignment, the company completed FAA Part 135 conformity and pilot qualification for a Piper PA-46-350P Mirage on its Air Carrier certificate. It has positioned itself as an entry-level executive charter option with flights from its base at Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids to Destin, Raleigh, Syracuse, and Denver, with flights to additional airports in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Minneapolis.

FMI:  www.fly-iowa.com/