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 and is experiencing rapid growth with 20 students, has taken delivery of its first Tecnam P-Mentor aircraft and plans to acquire five more.
The school was founded by Jorge Whitley for his daughter, Fernanda, to address her challenges with unreliable older aircraft and high CFI turnover, with a mission to inspire more women and young people to pursue careers in aviation.
FAST aims to empower the next generation of aviators by offering top-tier training resources, including new Tecnam P-Mentor aircraft, advanced virtual reality simulators, and personalized instruction in a supportive environment.
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)
