After 94 years and more than 20,000 pilots trained, Galvin Flying Center at KBFI shuts down. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Galvin Flying, the 94-year-old oldest operating flight school at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI), abruptly announced its closure in late November, informing employees there would be no severance or cashing out of unused vacation.
The school cited the infeasibility of offering competitive general aviation services at Boeing Field, with a representative from its sublessor stating Galvin claimed bankruptcy, though county officials clarified it was a business decision not prompted by airport disputes.
Galvin Flying was the last fixed-wing flight school at KBFI, and its closure further reduces the general aviation presence at the airport, impacting the local community that relied on it for training generations of pilots.
Discussions for Rainier Flight Center to potentially acquire Galvin fell through, while Rainier Flight Center itself is also relocating operations from Renton Municipal Airport due to a terminated lease.
SEATTLE—“It is with a heavy heart that I share unfortunate news…”
So began an email sentlate last month to employees of Galvin Flying, the oldest operating flight school at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI), informing them that the business was closing after 94 years in operation.
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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.
