New flight school to be established in the Pocatello Regional Airport
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POCATELLO — The Pocatello Regional Airport will soon a host a brand new flight school.
Pureflight, a flight school that currently operates locations in Oregon, Newberg and Klamath Falls, will expand to open a third location in Pocatello. The school will be able to train students from the Gate City or across the world to become commercial and private pilots.
“I could not be more excited about the fact that pure flight has decided to join us in Pocatello,” MiaCate Kennedy I, CEO of Bannock Development Corporation, a local nonprofit that has assisted Pureflight in opening this new location. “It’s really good for our airport, it’s good for our economy and it’s really good for those that are interested in getting into flight.”
The school will open at 1503 Flightline, a vacant building in the airport. The flight school plans to make renovations to the building to adapt it to the school’s needs.
Pureflight hasn’t yet established a date when the new school will be open, but Kennedy hopes it will be ready in “a couple months” depending on when the renovations are complete.
The new facility will be able to train students to fly their own aircraft, or get paid to fly commercially, both with airplanes and helicopters. The school has information about training and financing on its website.
Pureflight has already had people calling with interest about the Pocatello facility, both in becoming a student and teaching. There are also students from eastern Idaho already training at the Oregon facilities that will now have the option to train in Pocatello.
In an effort to bring more economic development to the airport, Bannock Development Corporation contacted Pureflight to see if they would be interested in expanding to the area.
The way Kennedy sees it, the airport is one of Pocatello’s greatest economic assets.
“People underestimate how economically important the airport is,” Kennedy said. “It has a lot of open space, incredible runways. It’s got the crosswind, it’s high altitude, so compared to other areas throughout the nation, this is really a dream for a flight school.”
Once the flight school is open, it will start by employing five people and then 15 when its fully operational. The amount of aircraft in use at the facility will depend on the needs of the facility.
“As the school grows, they’re going to need more planes,” Kennedy said.
The economic benefits of bringing in the flight school extends beyond the amount of jobs it brings in, Kennedy said.
“Economic development and developmental growth is really based on these types of businesses that are not just amenities, but they also bring a lot of recognition to the area,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy is excited for this flight school to come to Pocatello and teach local and out-of-state students to operate aircraft.
“It’s fun and it’s cool for young people as well to learn how to fly,” Kennedy said.