Health Issues Prompt Closure After 40 Years

Michael Church, owner and Master Flight Instructor and Master Aerobatic Instructor at Sunrise Aviation Flight School at the John Wayne/Orange County Airport (KSNA) in Santa Ana, California, made the sad announcement that due to health issues, the school is closing its doors as of July 31, 2025.

A post in early July on Facebook showed a letter written by Church informing all students and customers of Sunrise about the decision. In the letter he explained how the decision to close up shop was a very difficult one because he and Lyn had been so devoted to it for over 40 years.

He described how his recovery from a broken back was going slowly, when he learned of his diagnosis with multiple myeloma and that his treatment for that had just begun. Thankfully, his prognosis for recovery is good, however, the difficulties of running the school during a challenging treatment regime were such that, as difficult as it was, they decided to close the school.

Church said, “Thus, it is with the deepest regret that Lyn and I have made the difficult decision to close the flight school. As of 5 pm on July 31st, 2025, Sunrise Aviation Company will no longer continue to rent aircraft, provide instruction services or insurance coverage.”

He noted that customers with deposits paid within the past 12 months will receive a full refund, and those deposits paid longer than 12 months will expire as described in the company’s Service Agreement.

He also said that ACI Jet will preserve some memorabilia related to the history of Sunrise Aviation, and those items will be incorporated into the construction of its new FBO and flight school facility. Those will help to keep a part of the school’s legacy alive.

He ended his letter by saying, “Thank you once again for being a part of the Sunrise Aviation Family. It has been an honor to serve you.”

We here at ANN wish Michael a successful treatment and recovery.

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