Signature Flight Support, the world’s largest network of Fixed-Base Operations (FBO), including at Stewart Int’l Airport (SWF) in New Windsor, New York, is helping to foster pilot training opportunities for aspiring underserved minority aviators through its new relationship with the RedTail Flight Academy (RFA), recently launched by the local Tuskegee Airmen chapter.

“We’re proud to help the RedTail Flight Academy with its goal of attracting diverse students to the aviation industry, and we’re honored to support the world-class flight training and mentoring program right here in our backyard,” explained Geoff Heck, Senior Vice President Operations, Signature Flight Support. “It was an absolute privilege to hear from Lt. Col. Enoch Woodhouse, one of the last remaining Tuskegee Airmen, who challenged the seven RFA cadets to make their dreams a reality and to chart their own course.”

The FBO will store the two red-tailed Piper Pilot 100i aircraft that students will train in as well as serve as the fuel provider for the Academy.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the community support, in particular from our vendors like Signature Flight Support,” said Glendon Fraser, Director of the RedTail Flight Academy. “I know this will be a long and successful joint effort as we go forward—taking our inaugural class from 6 students in 2021 to 30 students by 2026 and beyond. We hope the community will get used to seeing a lot of red-tailed aircraft in the area—because that means we’re developing the future of aviation.”

Each graduate of the RedTail Flight Academy will finish their training by earning a Commercial Multi-Engine with Instrument rating.

For more information and to donate to the RedTail Flight Academy, visit https://www.redtailflightacademy.org/donate and to learn about Signature SWF, visit https://www.signatureflight.com/locations/swf.