A new flight school officially opened Thursday at Punta Gorda airport. The county partnered with Western Michigan University for the Kalamazoo-based school to expand its flight school to a slightly warmer destination.
The dean of the flight school, Dave Powell, told NBC-2 they expect demand for pilots will double in the coming years. Western Michigan will build a new hangar at the airport, but until that’s finished, will operate out of a temporary facility. Powell says he hopes to have students enrolled in the fall.