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As Jim Golden began to think about retiring from
his Air Force career as a financial analyst, he saw The Flight Academy
of Langa Air as his path to fulfill a lifelong dream…to become
a professional pilot. "When I was 12 years old, a friend asked
me to go along with him and his Dad on a flight in their Bonanza
A-36," explains Golden. "That was my first airplane ride,
and after that I was hooked on aviation."
For most of his Air Force career, Golden wondered
how he could achieve his goals of becoming a "pilot-in-command."
After some research, he found The Flight Academy of Langa Air, a
certified flight training school based at St. Louis Regional Airport.
Golden was consulted by Langa Air's flight school manager, Lisa
Stassi, and found that they were well equipped and structured to
ensure his success. "Jim's GI Bill veteran's benefits offset
his cost of flight training by as much as 60 percent," explains
Stassi. "This enabled us to customize a financial plan for
Jim that was both easy on his personal financial situation, and
assured him of completing his goal to become a professional pilot."
By utilizing a combination of Langa Air's student financing options
and the VA benefits, Langa Air is able to tailor financial plans
that best meet the needs of student with GI benefits available.
"I pay a small amount each month on my flying instead of large
chunks here and there," says Jim. "I'm able to budget
easily for flight training and fly as frequently as I like without
worrying about the financial side of training." Langa Air even
offers a deferred payment program that will allow a student to get
all the way through training without making any payments. "The
deferred payment option in conjunction with the GI benefits package
is a tremendous opportunity," added Stassi, "Students
can literally get their training completed to a point where they
are able to earn income as a pilot before they are responsible for
paying anything. In fact, through the combination of financing and
GI benefits, they may have sufficient funds for living expenses,
allowing the student to completely focus on their training regiment."
Settling on The Flight Academy of Langa Air as
the place to make it happen was easy for Golden. "From my first
interaction with The Academy, I knew that it was where I wanted
to be. The staff and instructors are all professional and courteous,
the aircraft are all new, the schedules are flexible, courses are
computerized, and the flight training is second to none. As an added
bonus, I have a guaranteed job as a certified flight instructor
on completion of my training."
Since he came to The Academy, Golden has obtained
his private pilot license, and is now working on his instrument
and commercial ratings simultaneously. "I never thought I would
actually become a professional pilot, but with the help of The Flight
Academy of Langa Air, I now have the confidence and means to achieve
that dream," adds Jim. "Thanks Langa Air, for helping
me live my dream!"
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