Grand Opening In November 2024

A new flight training organization has been established by veteran warbird pilot and flight instructor Chris Rounds, President of The Warbird Academy, who made the announcement at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

The Grand Opening of The Warbird Academy will be held on November 9 & 10, 2024, at the Veterans Day Fly-In at Douglas Municipal Airport (KDQH) in Douglas, Georgia, which is where the academy will be based. The airport was the home of the 63rd Army Air Force Flying Training Detachment during World War II, and a portion of the field is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is also a museum on the airport which Mr. Rounds plans to support and expand as the academy grows.

The Warbird Academy will offer ground and flight instruction as well as orientation rides in five military training aircraft:

• Boeing-Stearman PT-17
• North American AT-6D Texan
• Beechcraft T-34A Mentor
• North American T-28B Trojan
• Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star

Chris Rounds has more than 17,000 flight hours in many different aircraft and holds FAA type ratings in the Boeing 737, T-33, T-28, and P-51 Mustang. He is a flight instructor with more than 3,000 hours dual given in both single- and multi-engine aircraft and serves as the academy’s Warbird Flight Instructor and Warbird Mechanic.

Ron Kaplan, Director of Communications for The Warbird Academy stated, “The Warbird Academy was created for two distinct purposes. First, to help keep our rich aviation heritage alive by offering pilots flight training in a variety of World War II and Pos-World War II military training aircraft and, second, to provide an opportunity for individuals to experience the joys of flying in military training aircraft ranging from an open cockpit biplane to a 600-mph jet.”

FMI:  thewarbirdacademy.com/