-
Kissimmee Gateway Airport business Stallion 51’s lineup of vintage military aircraft, along with a United Airlines regional passenger jet, were among the headliners of Kissimmee Gateway Airport’s open house event Saturday. PHOTO/TERRY LLOYD
Hundreds from the community attended Saturday’s open house event to view aircraft and learn about aviation education and employment opportunities at Kissimmee Gateway Airport.
The inaugural event was co-sponsored by the Latino Pilots Association (LPA), which held its first national event at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center earlier in the weekend ,and United Airlines, which was also a primary sponsor of the LPA event. United displayed one of their regional passenger jets at the airport as well.
Airport businesses such as Stallion 51, Cirrus Aircraft, and FlySmart Pilot Training had aircraft on display, along with aircraft used by the Civil Air Patrol, and helicopters used by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Air Unit and the AirCare flight medical team. Two helicopters from MaxFlight Helicopters rotated giving aerial tours for a nominal fee.
Inside a large hangar owned by Signature Aviation, other airport businesses providing aviation training, such as Aviator College and Avionica, and fight training schools staffed displays and answered questions about their programs. There is a deep shortage of commercial pilots, aircraft mechanics, and aviation electronics technicians in the aviation industry for the foreseeable future, and the Kissimmee Airport has aviation instruction businesses for residents to get started in virtually any aviation career.
In other Gateway Airport news, the $5.8 million Taxiway “Echo” expansion project, started in April 2023, is nearing completion. The project enhances safety and efficiency as aircraft maneuver around the airport for takeoff and after landing.
For more information on the Latino Pilots Association see https://bit. ly/3LECHcX For more information on the Kissimmee Gateway Airport see https://bit. ly/3PajQr0
