Aviation is a passion for those who work and study at Heritage Flight Academy in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. The flight school offers training for those who dream to become a professional pilot or even those who just want to fly for fun.

“We will take someone with zero knowledge [of flying] and teach them the practical skills to become a safe, competent, proficient pilot—who can now go up with friends, family…and have fun with it,” said Neil Visse, H.F.A School Director.

Most of the staff and students at Heritage Flight Academy say that they were born with the passion to fly. The Academy was ‘founded on the principle of keeping the dream of flight alive,’ according to the school’s founder, Stephen Placa.  Everyone there feels “that flying: ‘chooses you’ and all you have to do is give in and answer the call.”

Aviation has always been a part of Visse’s life. Memories of his father taking him and his stepbrother flying have led him to pursue a career in aviation. Visse started taking flying lessons at 16 and got his Pilot’s license at 21.

“I could barely drive a car but I could fly a Cessna 152 airplane,” said Visse. Greg Lettieri, a current student at H.F.A would agree by owning up to that fact that he was more nervous for his road test rather than his flight check ride, which is similar to a road test but it’s for flying a plane as oppose to driving a car.

Lettieri, who previously got his Pilot’s License upon graduating from the B.O.C.E.S. program in high school, chose to come to H.F.A to further his education in hopes to become a professional pilot someday.

“It [H.F.A] has given me a whole 360 view of aviation,” said Lettieri. “When I came here in the summer I started as a lineman, did grunt work. I cleaned planes and fueled them.” He now participates in doing office work at the academy by doing scheduling and dispatching.

Karl Findley is a Senior Flight Instructor at H.F.A. He, too, followed in his father’s footsteps, who is also a pilot.

“I get to take my students up and just fly,” said Findley.  “We get to go to all different airports and I get to teach them how to fly so it’s a very exciting experience for the both of us.”

Findley has been teaching for about 3 years now. His typical day as a flight instructor starts with meeting his student, checking the weather, going over the flight plan, and talking over the agenda for the day. The student and him then go out to the plane and do what is called a ‘pre-flight’, which involves untying the wings of the plane, checking the fuel and making sure the plane is ready for flying. Once finished they can start up, taxi out, and go flying.

Heritage Flight Academy not only offers training and lessons but also gives their students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s of Science Aviation Professional Pilot Degree. The Academy has united with Utah Valley State College to offer students the chance to experience training as well as earning the degree online.

H.F.A. strives to make a dream of flying into reality. “Flying is definitely what I love to do,” said Lettieri. “It’s my passion.”