Our goal is to train our pilots for every possible emergency scenario without subjecting them to undue risk: Sling Pilot Academy Leadership

“We have observed numerous students who have resigned from their jobs or sold their businesses to pursue their dream of an airline pilot career.”

Sling Pilot Academy, initially established as Sling Flying Club in 2011, originated as a modest flight school with a unique mission: to introduce the thrill of aviation to the Southbay community. Founded by Matt Liknaitzky, who concurrently served as the Sling Aircraft distributor, the flight school aimed to democratize access to aviation, believing in the importance of enabling individuals to experience the exceptional handling and performance of the Sling aircraft.

From its humble beginnings with a single aircraft, the flight school steadily expanded its fleet to four. Over subsequent years, this growth trajectory saw the establishment flourish, with a fleet of eight airplanes and a team of 10 dedicated instructors. This expansion facilitated the realization of numerous individuals’ aspirations to obtain private pilot licenses.

In 2015, a significant development occurred with the arrival of Jean d’Assonville, formerly a Director at the Sling Aircraft factory in South Africa. Relocating to Los Angeles, Jean infused the operation with his invaluable expertise garnered from his involvement in the inception and prototyping of the Sling aircraft series. His extensive experience, highlighted by a notable circumnavigation flight in the prototype Sling 4, injected a new dimension into the enterprise, enhancing sales, technical proficiency, and quality assurance in aircraft construction and maintenance.

The transformative phase of Sling Pilot Academy commenced in 2018 with the inclusion of Wayne Toddun into the partnership. With a wealth of experience in business scalability spanning decades, Toddun catalyzed the evolution of Sling Flying Club into Sling Pilot Academy. Under his stewardship, the academy transcended its origins as a recreational flight training facility to emerge as a premier institution offering accelerated professional pilot training. Catering not only to aviation enthusiasts but also to individuals aspiring to pursue careers as commercial and airline pilots, Sling Pilot Academy embodies a commitment to excellence and advancement within the aviation industry.

The Silicon Review contacted Sling Pilot Academy co-founders and co-CEOs, Matt Liknaitzky, Jean d’Assonville, Wayne Toddun, and here’s what they had to say.

Interview Highlights

Q. Mr. Liknaitzky, in what specific ways does Sling Pilot Academy prepare aspiring pilots for the challenges and responsibilities they will encounter in their future careers as airline pilots?

While many students at Sling Pilot Academy are career-changers who have previously held positions of responsibility, the academy prepares them for the role of captain of their “ship” through several phases. In the first phase, we guide our students as they work towards obtaining their initial pilot certificate. Subsequently, they assume the decision-making authority of a “Pilot In Command.” During the following phase, which involves obtaining an Instrument Rating, they learn to navigate without relying on external visual references, such as when flying in cloudy conditions, thus further enhancing their confidence and skills.

In the final phase of their training, students take ownership of their requirements as they strive to become commercial pilots and prepare for roles as flight instructors. Throughout this stage, they are accountable for their own progress, ensuring they fulfill the prerequisites for their final certificates and ratings. This process helps prepare them for the role of teacher (flight instructor), where they will guide the progress and make sure the requirements of their own students are met.

Q. Mr. d’Assonville, setbacks are a part of every growing business. Tell us about a few roadblocks and learning lessons that helped Sling Pilot Academy grow through the years?

Flight training is a complex business with numerous obstacles to smooth operation. On a daily basis, “uncontrollable” factors such as bad weather, unscheduled maintenance, student or instructor illness, runway closures, etc., disrupt the smooth flow of scheduled flight lessons. These uncontrollable factors arise after overcoming “controllable” hurdles, which include ensuring full classes of students, employing a sufficient number of flight instructors, maintaining an adequate aircraft fleet, and having enough maintenance personnel to keep the aircraft flying safely. Since flight inherently involves risk, safety must be the top priority in any decision-making process. Safety takes precedence, followed by considerations of efficiency and other normal business factors.

In our case, one of the most significant obstacles we faced during our expansion journey was the increase in anti-airplane noise sentiment in certain communities surrounding airports in our region. This sentiment has been growing in communities across the United States as residential density around municipal airports has increased, while flight training traffic has marginally increased over the last five years or so. The COVID-19 pandemic and the work-from-home trend exacerbated the problem, as many people were at home during the week for the first time, coinciding with peak flight training traffic.

To mitigate airplane noise, in 2023, we launched our “Whisper Sling” project, aimed at reducing and muffling the noise produced by our already quiet and fuel-efficient airplanes. This project has made significant strides in making our airplanes quieter and more soothing to the human ear.

Q. Mr. Toddun, how does the hands-on experience at Sling Pilot Academy mirror the thrill and intensity of real-world scenarios encountered in the career trajectory of an airline pilot?

Flying small airplanes provides a more challenging flying experience compared to flying airliners, as it lacks the controls, crew resources, and flight planning associated with operating larger aircraft. Flying is consistently exhilarating for most individuals who pursue aviation as a hobby or career, and the excitement typically remains enduring. However, when the intensity becomes excessive, it is usually indicative of a problem, which is not desirable. Our goal is to train our pilots for every possible emergency scenario without subjecting them to undue risk. Of course, both in small airplanes and airliners, our aim is for all flights to be mundane and uneventful.

Q. Mr. Liknaitzky, can you provide us with one or two success stories, detailing specific pilot challenges and how Sling Pilot Academy’s solutions contributed to their success?  

One of the most gratifying aspects of our business is witnessing how choosing a career as a pilot can be life-changing. We have observed numerous students who have resigned from their jobs or sold their businesses to pursue their dream of an airline pilot career. Of course, it is advantageous that pilot salaries are currently at an all-time high, with top captain pay reaching around $600,000 per year at many major airlines. However, when we witness the enthusiasm and energy of someone who is finally pursuing their dream, it validates all of the challenges we face. Additionally, observing the transformation that occurs in an individual over the course of nine months, as they progress from student to teacher, is remarkable. The growth is tangible, with most individuals experiencing significant changes in confidence, responsibility, and demeanor. While many people have the potential to become pilots or flight instructors, most cannot achieve it without substantial personal commitment and growth.

Mr. d’Assonville, tell us, what’s next for Sling Pilot Academy.    

Sling Pilot Academy will continue to expand with a more distributed model, with locations spread across cities and regions. We expect to have four locations by the end of 2024, compared to our current two. We will continue to refine our “Whisper Sling” to make it even quieter. With our “Whisper Sling”, we can not only claim to be the Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing Flight School in the US, but can claim to operate the quietest flight training fleet in the world, of which we are proud.

Q. Mr. Toddun, how does the leadership at Sling Pilot Academy contribute to the success of the academy?

Good partnerships don’t come often, and when partners complement one another and provide a broader skill set than just one, it can be hugely beneficial. Being able to share the hard decisions and find solutions to difficult problems jointly can support good growth and good outcomes.

“To mitigate airplane noise, in 2023, we launched our “Whisper Sling” project, aimed at reducing and muffling the noise produced by our already quiet and fuel-efficient airplanes. This project has made significant strides in making our airplanes quieter and more soothing to the human ear.”