A Tecnam aircraft at the Flight Academy of South Texas [Credit: Jorge Whitley]
Key Takeaways:
The Flight Academy of South Texas (FAST), which opened in January, has received its first Tecnam P-Mentor and plans to acquire five more to support its rapid growth and 20 student enrollments.
The academy was founded by Jorge Whitley for his daughter, Fernanda, to address common flight training issues such as unreliable old aircraft and high instructor turnover, aiming to provide a safer, more efficient learning experience.
FAST's mission is to empower the next generation of aviators, particularly inspiring women and young people in the community, by offering top-tier training resources including new aircraft and advanced VR simulators.
The flight school opened in January and, according to school officials, is experiencing rapid growth, with 20 students enrolled. To meet the growing demand, plans are in place for the academy to acquire five more P-Mentors.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![A Tecnam aircraft at the Flight Academy of South Texas [Credit: Jorge Whitley]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Hunt-Panam-Jan22-370-1.jpg)
