Paragon Flight Training, a flight training academy based at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida, with additional locations in Punta Gorda, Florida, and LaGrange, Georgia, announced the completion of its strategic transition to a fleet comprised exclusively of Piper aircraft. This is a major component of an ambitious investment plan the company unveiled in 2022 that emphasized fleet modernization among other key industry-leading goals. The company now owns 32 Piper trainers, (31 of those being Pilot 100i aircraft) with six additional Pilot 100i units planned for delivery before the end of 2025.
“Our collaborative relationship with Piper goes back to 2021 and is based on our experience that the Piper Pilot 100i aircraft is an exceptional training platform and the gold standard in the industry,” said Chris Schoensee, Paragon Flight Training President. “This is a major milestone in Paragon Flight’s 19-year history and reinforces our commitment to providing a consistent, premier flight training experience for students, regardless of location. With top notch aviation industry collaborators like Piper, and a company-wide culture of professionalism, safety and responsibility that celebrates the flight training experience, we are enthusiastic about our leadership position in flight training.”
As of today, Paragon Flight owns roughly 15% of all Piper Pilot 100i aircraft in existence. In December 2024, Paragon Flight took possession of the 200th serial number Pilot 100i, after receiving the 100th serial number aircraft in January 2023. The Piper Pilot 100i was first introduced in 2020. One of Paragon’s recently-delivered Pilot 100is can be seen on display at the Piper booth throughout the week at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Ron Gunnarson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, and Quality at Piper Aircraft commented on the strong relationship between the two companies.
“We are proud to continue working with Piper Flight School Alliance member, Paragon Flight Training, one of the largest and earliest supporters of the Pilot 100i platform, and are excited to support Paragon’s growth with increased Pilot 100i aircraft deliveries this year,” Gunnarson said. “We look forward to their all-Piper fleet driving continued advancement across each of their three flight training locations in Florida and Georgia.”
