Train with us through the Forces to Flyers initiative

CTI Professional Flight Training is proud to announce that it has been selected as the Forces to Flyers flight training provider for the Eastern/Southern and Central/Great Lakes Regions! Forces to Flyers is a research initiative led by the U.S. Department of Transportation to study pathways for entering the pilot workforce, identify barriers to attaining training and employment, and implement a demonstration initiative that will provide flight training to veterans interested in becoming airline pilots.

The results of this initiative will be used to determine how to best assist veterans in attaining employment as an airline pilot. “The Forces to Flyers Research Initiative recognizes the importance of helping returning veterans find good jobs while helping communities find solutions for the growing pilot shortage,” says United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

As a part of this initiative, CTI PFT will select up to 20 veterans to complete flight training from zero experience through flight instructor ratings. The training under this contract will be funded, through the Department of Transportation, and through the veterans’ existing GI Bill benefits.

CTI Professional Flight Training has successfully trained many students using GI Bill benefits, and is familiar with the unique challenges involved.   As a recently retired Air Force Lt Col, our Assistant Chief Pilot, Peter Reddan, has firsthand knowledge of these problems. He explains, “While the GI Bill goes a long way towards creating a commercial airline pilot, there are still gaps in funding that keep most veterans from ever starting to fly, much less finishing their training.

Recognizing these gaps, the Forces to Flyers initiative provides full training to enable veterans to qualify for jobs in commercial aviation. Training will be conducted on a full-time basis and begin as early as July 2018. To qualify, all students in the Forces to Flyers initiative should have a first-class medical certificate; student pilot certificate; and a letter of reference from a previous or current commanding officer, teacher/instructor/professor, or supervisor/manager. More information is available at www.ctipft.com/f2f.