Local pilot school faces challenges with lease

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Fly Tech Pilot Academy has been St. Joseph's premier pilot school since June of 2024.

The flight school at Rosecrans Memorial Airport has produced 11 Federal Aviation Agency certificates in the last 18 months.

Leading the academy is its managing partner, Lute Atieh

"When we started this, we were hopeful that there was a need," Atieh said. "It didn't take long for the schedule and the plane to fill up completely."

However, the academy recently announced that it may be without a home by the middle of next year.

"The land we're on has been awarded to a different project," Atieh said.

The news of the award took employees at Fly Tech by surprise.

But despite the pending change, the academy is set to fight against the possibility of losing its home base.

"I am optimistic and hopeful that the city starts engaging in more communication before getting things done," Atieh said. "That we work together instead of it just being 'This is the way it's going to be, and that's the end of it'."

The subject has caught the attention of the Federal Aviation Administration, which plans to look into the situation in the near future.