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Seminole. The company’s certified and expe-rienced flight instructors are well equipped toteach students to fly, according to GregoryJohn, owner of Infinity Flight Group.

“We are an aviation company and flightschool,” says John. “We teach people how tofly for commercial and recreational purposes.We sell, manage and maintain each of our

aircrafts. All of our instructors are well seasoned, with several thousands of hours of flightexperience among them. We’re a growing business, and we cater to a wide variety ofclientele. Customer satisfaction and safety are always our main priorities.”

John notes that Infinity’s clientele represents an equal mix of students such as Kelly,who want to ease a business commute, and those who want to learn to fly as a pastime.

“Some people have always wanted to learn to fly, so they’re living their dream,” hesays. “There’s the personal travel side to flying; it allows people to go where they want,

Considering the distance from A to B, airtravel became a frequent, and often frustrating,part of his everyday life. He would get upearly, drive to Philadelphia International Airportand spend several hours navigating congestedsecurity lines and waiting for his flight todepart. Factor in the all-too-frequent delays orcancellations that threatened to derail his busi-ness meetings and return trips, and the processbecame next to unbearable.

So Kelly found a different way: Severaltimes a month he hired a pilot through Trenton,N.J.-based Infinity Flight Group LLC to fly himto and from work.

“Instead of getting up at 4 a.m. for myflight, I was waking up at 7 a.m. and experi-encing a much easier process,” Kelly says. “Itwas more expensive but by far a much betterway to travel.”

Kelly belongs to an increasingly robustpopulation taking to the skies with help fromInfinity Flight Group. This includes anyonefrom area professionals seeking to fly for workcommutes or other business travel to highschool and college students pursuing careersin aviation to flying enthusiasts looking tofulfill a personal dream.

Infinity Flight Group boasts a diverse fleetof of meticulously maintained aircraft madeby Cessna, the world’s leading manufacturerof aviation aircraft for more than 70 years.Infinity’s expansive fleet includes several newermodel 172SPs, G-1000 models that featuredigital glass cockpits, and a twin-engine Piper

56|PHILADELPHIA LIFE/SUBURBAN LIFE JUNE 2016

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“Some people have always wanted to learn to fly, so they’re living their dream.”— G r e g o r y J o h n , o w n e r o f I n f i n i t y

His business office approximately300 miles away from his home in theGreater Philadelphia Area, Mike Kelly had a commute one could adequatelydescribe as undesirable.

For anyone with an interest in the freedom and exhilaration that comes from learning to fly, Infinity Flight Group delivers “a better way to travel”by THEODORA MALISON | photography by ALISON DUNLAP

Above and Beyond

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when they want, and do so quickly. There’salso the business side, where business owners,executives and professionals want quickertravel between locations for events, meetings,etc. Being able to fly allows for flexibility, andmany of our students will later go on to pur-chase an airplane if they have the financialmeans to do so.”

For Kelly, his experience with Infinityencouraged him to obtain a private pilotlicense. He says taking this step dramaticallyimproved his commute but also affected hisquality of life.

“Now that I have been exposed to flying,it’s easier to visit my daughter in Long Island,”he says. “By car, she lives four and a halfhours away on a good day. My wife was ableto fly up for a work party. One time, we evenended up going to Charleston [S.C.] for aweekend, which is very hard to get to fromPhiladelphia. The travel to work has becomeless of a grind and has made my quality of lifesignificantly better because I can arrive home faster and be back forthings that are important, but without having to abide by typical airlineschedules.”

Infinity does not restrict lessons to just adults. In fact, the companyoffers a degree program through Mercer County Community Collegefor recent high school graduates who are considering piloting as a full-time occupation.

“The degree program offered through Mercer County CommunityCollege partners with American Airlines, and down the line AmericanAirlines will hire students directly from our program,” John says.“There’s a huge pilot shortage right now, so this is a great opportunityfor the students once they complete their necessary requirements.

“We also see high school students looking to fly as a résumébooster,” he continues. “It’s not only a hobby for some, but it’s also agreat résumé builder for kids applying to colleges as well, [because] itteaches and shows discipline. We see students at 14 and 15 years old,and they receive their license at 17. They’re not necessarily trying tobecome a pilot but enjoy flying for fun.”

Such is the case with Ron Barnes, whose son has started learning to fly through Infinity atthe age of 14 and has since earned a private pilot license. As a parent and pilot himself, Barnesnotes the discipline and competitive advantage his son has gained through the experience.

“[Infinity] is truly one of the best options because of their location,” he says. “You’retraining in some of the busiest airspace in the country so you’re able to develop the importantskill of communicating with a busy control tower, while you’re learning a greater range of flightmaneuvers. Although my son is not pursuing this as a professional career at the moment, wefeel that flying has provided a challenging technical experience that has generated a lot ofquestions from colleges when they see this on his résumé. He’s currently pursuing his multi-engine and commercial ratings.”

John says while someone can start accumulating flight time prior to being 17, in order toearn a private pilot license, he or she must be at least 17 years old, log a minimum of 40 hoursof flight and meet certain requirements for flight time—20 hours with an instructor, along with

at least 10 hours solo.“You have to be physically and men-

tally capable,” he adds. “If you can drivea car, you can pretty much fly an airplane.The process overall takes anywhere fromthree to nine months, depending onhow often per week a client comes in.Some come in three days a week, andsome only come in one. The generalcost is roughly $10,000 to $12,000 for aprivate pilot license.

“The Mercer County CommunityCollege program, on the other hand,takes about two years,” he continues.“It’s fairly intensive and costs up to$50,000. Students will come out with anassociate’s degree in flight technologies.”

Is it worth it? Just ask Kelly, who firstcame into contact with Infinity whenseeking an alternative for a more con-venient commute. For him, getting hisprivate pilot license has had immeasurablebenefits in terms of freedom, flexibilityand the simple exhilaration of learningsomething new.

“The process is a challenge, and forme, it puts me in a back-to-school mode,which I’m always eager to learn,” hesays. “Learning to fly truly gives accessto a better transportation model. For busyprofessionals, that is really great.” ■

INFINITY FLIGHT GROUP LLC10 W. Piper Ave. Trenton, NJ 08628

609-883-0555www.infinityflightgroup.com

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Infinity FlightGroup’s clientsinclude areaprofessionalsseeking tosimplifybusiness traveland studentspursuingcareers inaviation, as well asenthusiastslooking toachieve apersonal goal.

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