Sling Pilot Academy Unveils Long Beach Airport Expansion, Quieter Airplane

LONG BEACH, Calif., March 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sling Pilot Academy has officially expanded into Long Beach, bringing with it the "Whisper Sling" — a new pilot-training aircraft the company has designed with community concerns about general aviation noise in mind.  Company officials, alongside other aviation industry and city representatives, gathered at Sling's new Long Beach Airport campus on Wednesday, March 5, to celebrate the expansion to unveil the new Whisper Sling.

Sling Pilot Academy, founded in 2011, has four flight training schools across Southern California, with facilities at Torrance Airport, Santa Monica Airport, Gillespie Field in San Diego — and now, Long Beach Airport. The company has been named the fastest-growing flight school in the nation by Inc. 5000 two years running.  The new Long Beach academy has been up and running for about a month, Sling's co-CEO, Matt Liknaitzky, said Wednesday. Sling has about 50 students in training at the airport currently, Liknaitzky said, though the campus can train hundreds of students at a time.

General aviation is also a massive contributor to both the U.S. and local economies. The industry contributed $339 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 1.3 million jobs nationwide in 2023, according to analysis by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.  "General aviation is a big part of our economy," Liknaitzky said. "But for us, the most important thing is that we provide a pathway for people to get into amazing, lucrative, well-paying careers as airline pilots."

Several aviation industry officials — including JetZero, the National Air Transportation Association, the FAA, the National Business Aviation Association, SkyWest, and others — attended Wednesday's event to welcome Sling to "Space Beach." "Just in this area, we're literally building the future of space; space stations are being built in Long Beach," Mayor Rex Richardson said. "We're grateful for your commitment to build a vibrant community, and we're eagerly anticipating the positive impact that you'll have on training the next generation of aviators."

About Sling Pilot Academy

Sling Pilot Academy is a premier flight training school that offers a comprehensive range of flight programs, from private pilot licenses to advanced commercial and airline transport pilot training. With 4 locations in the Southern California region, the academy utilizes the innovative Sling NGT aircraft, which are known for their safety, efficiency, and cutting-edge technology, to provide students with an optimal learning experience.

Click here for more information regarding our programs: www.slingpilotacademy.com

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SOURCE Sling Pilot Academy