Denis Boissonneault from the Coastal Empire Flight Training school shared his love of aviation with Hinesville’s Rotary Club Tuesday during the club’s weekly meeting at the Western Sizzlin’.
The day after graduating from high school in 1993, Boissonneault joined the Marine Corps. After serving in the National Guard several years, he got his private pilot license in 2005. And now Boissonneault doesn’t see his daily employment as work because, he said, he loves what he does. Boissoneault hopes to build aviation around the area through the Coastal Empire Flight Training school, which has three area locations, including one at MidCoastal Regional Airport.
The school has several planes for training and for renting. One is a seaplane. Boissonneault once took his 9-year-old son on a trip to River Street in Savannah. They landed on the river and their first stop was River Street Sweets.
Boissonneault said he wants to “pass on the knowledge and passion of flying.” Coastal Empire Flight Training focuses on helping people get their pilot’s license through an experience that makes them feel like part of family.
Tim Byler, one of Boissonneault’s students and Hinesville Rotary Club member said, “The Coastal Empire Flight Training has been a great experience. I’ve wanted to learn to fly for a number of years.”
Boissonneault said his favorite part of sharing his love for flying is comes from first time students
“My favorite part of being an instructor is watching the first flight and they get the 2-year-old Christmas morning smile.”
He recalled one time when an 81-year-old grandmother took her first flight with him. During takeoff she started giggling and said she loved her experience.
To get a private pilot’s license, a person has to go through ground training, and then spend 40 hours in the air learning to fly. This costs about $8,000. To be a sports pilot, a person has to go through ground training then spend 15-20 hours in the air. This costs about $4,000.
The school also offers several discovery flights, including an aerobatic discovery flight and a trip in a seaplane.
“This one [the aerobatic flight] ruins rollercoasters for the rest of your life, they become boring,” said Boissonneault.
He said when he gives students their final test, he holds them to standards twice as high as the flight academy. “This way when the student takes the FAA’s test, it’s twice as easy.”
For more information on the flight school, visit www.idreamofflying.com.
The day after graduating from high school in 1993, Boissonneault joined the Marine Corps. After serving in the National Guard several years, he got his private pilot license in 2005. And now Boissonneault doesn’t see his daily employment as work because, he said, he loves what he does. Boissoneault hopes to build aviation around the area through the Coastal Empire Flight Training school, which has three area locations, including one at MidCoastal Regional Airport.
The school has several planes for training and for renting. One is a seaplane. Boissonneault once took his 9-year-old son on a trip to River Street in Savannah. They landed on the river and their first stop was River Street Sweets.
Boissonneault said he wants to “pass on the knowledge and passion of flying.” Coastal Empire Flight Training focuses on helping people get their pilot’s license through an experience that makes them feel like part of family.
Tim Byler, one of Boissonneault’s students and Hinesville Rotary Club member said, “The Coastal Empire Flight Training has been a great experience. I’ve wanted to learn to fly for a number of years.”
Boissonneault said his favorite part of sharing his love for flying is comes from first time students
“My favorite part of being an instructor is watching the first flight and they get the 2-year-old Christmas morning smile.”
He recalled one time when an 81-year-old grandmother took her first flight with him. During takeoff she started giggling and said she loved her experience.
To get a private pilot’s license, a person has to go through ground training, and then spend 40 hours in the air learning to fly. This costs about $8,000. To be a sports pilot, a person has to go through ground training then spend 15-20 hours in the air. This costs about $4,000.
The school also offers several discovery flights, including an aerobatic discovery flight and a trip in a seaplane.
“This one [the aerobatic flight] ruins rollercoasters for the rest of your life, they become boring,” said Boissonneault.
He said when he gives students their final test, he holds them to standards twice as high as the flight academy. “This way when the student takes the FAA’s test, it’s twice as easy.”
For more information on the flight school, visit www.idreamofflying.com.