Press/Media Contact

Press and media inquiries can be directed by email to David Knies or Mark Spencer or call 256-400-1088.

BBA Aviation and Signature Flight Support grant $10,000 to FlyQuest for support of Aviation Education Programs


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FlyQuest Ribbon Cutting Set for May 13

April 1, 2015, Huntsville, Al

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FlyQuest was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Huntsville, Ala. in 2013, specifically to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue aerospace education and aviation careers. This mission has been greatly enhanced by the group’s installation of the only state-of-the-art, six-axis motion flight simulator in North Alabama, enabling FlyQuest to challenge its students in a safe environment while providing cost-effective, realistic flight training.

The organization will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at its headquarters near Huntsville International Airport at 4:00 p.m. May 13, featuring aviation community leaders and members of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Special invited guests include Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison Mayor Troy Trulock, Huntsville International Airport Executive Director Rick Tucker and representatives from Precision Flight Controls, California manufacturer of the company’s flight simulator. Students who have graduated from FlyQuest’s Aviation Fundamentals high school courses will also be on hand. The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to info@FlyQuest.net.

FlyQuest’s successful start-up includes completion of two hands-on Aviation Fundamentals courses at Butler High School and also with a group of homeschool students, which provided insights into pilot, maintenance, air traffic control and airport operations careers. The organization sponsored the second annual FlyQuest Women of Aviation Fly-in/Drive-in event in March with more than 325 attendees and has hosted 90 girls and parents for two Day of Aviation sessions for the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama.

Tax-deductible donations to FlyQuest help fund scholarships for under-served students in our community, who in return are required to provide community service to other deserving organizations. Additionally, the highly versatile FlyQuest DCX MAX simulator, which can be configured for 25 single engine and 10 multi-engine aircraft, is available for hourly rental by pilots, who can perform a substantial number of their required and optional training hours for certification without leaving the ground. Two open houses to introduce the simulator and FlyQuest programs to Certified Flight Instructors have been scheduled for April 28 and April 30.

More information about these programs can be found at www.FlyQuest.net.

WHNT: FlyQuest organizers hold Fly-in to honor and inspire women in aviation

Posted March 8, 2015, Huntsville, Ala. by Kristen Conner



FlyQuest inspiring women to fly

Huntsville, Ala. (WHNT) – Organizers of a Huntsville aviation event held this weekend want to inspire women and girls to fly.

330 people came to the Madison County Executive Airport for the second annual FlyQuest Women of Aviation Fly-in/Drive-in on Saturday.

Young boys and girls were excited to take a ride in small planes, and take a look at a MedFlight helecopter and military aircraft. Guests and their families got to mingle with pilots, air traffic controllers, and skydivers. The event was all about promoting careers in aviation.

“Women can do just as much as the guys can,” explained Ramona Banks, Operational Director of FlyQuest. “The population of female pilots to men pilots is like six percent, and so [let’s] get more women out there flying for the commercial airlines and for private like we do.”

We also spoke with children who enjoyed their time in the air. “The fact that it was a small plane made it more exciting,” said Nives Myers. “You could see more, you get a view up front and you get to put on the headsets and talk to each other through the microphones!”

Other children said that from above, it was cool to see how everything down below looked so small. Event organizers say it’s that kind of wonder that still keeps them going back up in the air, too.

FlyQuest Women of Aviation March 7 Fly-in is Free to Public

February 18, 2015 Huntsville, Al

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The second annual FlyQuest Women of Aviation Fly-in/Drive-in will be held March 7, 10 am to 2 pm, at the Huntsville Executive Airport (MDQ) in Meridianville, Ala. All women, girls and their families who have ever had an interest in flying or aviation careers are encouraged to attend this event, which includes free admission, seminars taught by female aviation professionals, skydiving demonstrations, static aircraft displays and free food.

Four seminars will be conducted by special guests during the day, including Major Tina Smith, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, who will discuss her work flying with the Hurricane Hunters; Brooke Lineberry, an FAA Certified Professional Controller, who will discuss her career as an Air Traffic Controller; Blackhawk Maintenance Test Pilot Cheryl Anderson, who works at Redstone Arsenal; and Catherine Cavagnaro, chief flight instructor at the Ace Aerobatic School in Sewanee, TN.

The EAA Young Eagles is also partnering with FlyQuest again this year to offer free airplane flights for young people aged 8 to 17 throughout the day and SkyDive Alabama will have jumpers dropping in at midday as a demonstration. Several static airplanes and helicopters, including MedFlight, and their pilots will be on hand to show off their aircraft and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and FlyQuest will also have interactive displays.

Additional event sponsors include the Executive Flight Center Fixed Base Operator at Huntsville Executive Airport; Ninety-Nines, Alabama Chapter of women pilots; Media-Arts Institute of Alabama; and SubZero Ice Cream & Yogurt.

FlyQuest was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Huntsville, Ala. in 2013, specifically to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue aerospace education and aviation careers. This mission has been greatly enhanced by the group’s installation of the only state-of-the-art, six-axis motion flight simulator in North Alabama, enabling FlyQuest to challenge its students in a safe environment while providing cost-effective, realistic flight training.

Tax-deductible donations to FlyQuest help fund scholarships for under-served students in our community, who in return are required to provide community service to other deserving organizations. Additionally, the highly versatile FlyQuest DCX MAX simulator, which can be configured for 25 single engine and 10 multi-engine aircraft, is available for hourly rental by pilots, who can perform a substantial number of their required and optional training hours for certification without leaving the ground.

WHNT: FlyQuest, a Huntsville non-profit, offers upcoming programs to inspire public about aviation

Posted January 19, 2015 Huntsville, Ala by WHNT News 19.

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Have you heard of FlyQuest? If you haven’t, you soon will. The non-profit organization started in 2013 and has several events scheduled in the next few months to make the public aware of its mission.

FlyQuest was formed specifically to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue aerospace education and aviation careers. The group recently installed the only state-of-the-art, six-axis motion flight simulator in north Alabama, enabling FlyQuest to give students the chance to experience realistic flight training in a safe environment.

The organization is located at 2002 Houston Goodson Way, near the Huntsville International Airport.

On January 21, FlyQuest will host its second Aviation Fundamentals Course at Butler High School. The organization did this in 2014, graduating 10 Butler JROTC students from the course.

On March 7, the Second Annual FlyQuest Women of Aviation Fly-in/Drive-in Event will be held at the Madison Executive Airport in Meridianville. All women, girls and families who have ever had an interest in flying are invited to attend the event. Admission is free, and you can attend seminars taught by female aviators, see skydiving demonstrations and more.

On April 18, FlyQuest will hold Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Day of Aviation. This is the second year for the event.

From June 22-25, two FlyQuest board members will compete in the Air Race Classic to raise funds for FlyQuest.

Visit FlyQuest.net to learn more about this non-profit organization, or check out the group’s Facebook page.

FlyQuest Flight Simulator Gives Students Real-life Experiences

November 28, 2014 Huntsville, Ala.

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FlyQuest, a non-profit organization co-located at Huntsville International Airport, has installed the first flight simulator in North Alabama to feature 6 Degrees of Freedom, which enhances the group’s education program for young people interested in pursuing aerospace education and aviation careers.

The DCX MAX FM simulator, a newly developed and highly versatile Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD), can be easily configured for 25 single engine and 10 multi-engine aircraft. The system includes a full metal cockpit enclosure, dynamic control loading, modern avionics, 225 degree visual system is the world’s first simulator to marry the DCX MAX with a 6 Degrees of Freedom platform.

FlyQuest’s primary use of the aircraft simulator is to teach its students in a safe environment while providing cost-effective, realistic flight training. The organization conducts programs for schools, including home school students, and other youth-based organizations, on topics such as aerodynamics, aircraft systems, weather, and aircrew disciplines. One unique approach is offering scholarships, which require the students to exchange community service of their choice for aviation coursework or flight experience.

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"The primary benefits of the simulator for our students is to enable them to practice aircraft scenarios and emergency procedures in a safe environment,” notes Mark Spencer, founder and FlyQuest board chair. “It’s about training them to make informed decisions.” Flight time in aircraft is also an expensive venture, so the simulator adds value to the under-served student population, who might not otherwise have an opportunity to study flight training before making a decision to pursue an aviation career.

FlyQuest will conduct its second ground school program for Butler High School JROTC cadets next year and just completed a similar course for a group ten home school students in Huntsville. The organization has also established links with several community organizations, including conducting flight and aviation educational programs for the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama.

Their Aviation Fundamentals Program enables students to understand the wide variety of aviation opportunities by providing insights into pilot, maintenance, air traffic control and airport operations careers. “Our ultimate goal is for students to identify early on an aviation field that they would like to pursue, either as a career or a recreational hobby. This allows them to better understand what is required for a given field and take actions to pursue the necessary science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills to achieve their desires,” notes Russell Lewey, FlyQuest’s Educational Director.

The simulator is also available for hourly rental by pilots, who can perform a substantial amount of their required and optional training hours for certification without leaving the ground. FlyQuest will offer simulator rental discounts to individuals who become supporters of the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to FlyQuest also help fund scholarships for deserving students. More information can be found at www.FlyQuest.net

Home School Students Learn Aviation Fundamentals

November 11, 2014 Huntsville, Al.

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Ten home school high school students recently completed a unique aerospace education program developed by FlyQuest, a non-profit Huntsville organization whose goal is to provide opportunities for young people to pursue aviation careers and experience the joys of flight.
The unique five-day program, Aviation Fundamentals, provided the students with first-hand exposure to aerodynamic principles and aircraft components, as well as what is required to pursue one of four aviation career fields: pilot, aircraft maintenance, air traffic control and air operations. One of the highlights of the class was the opportunity to fly in the state-of-the-art, six-degree motion flight simulator recently procured by FlyQuest.

In addition to exposing the students to various aviation opportunities, FlyQuest is seeking students who have the “right stuff” to move to the next level in more area specific activities, such as ground school and pilot soloing or enhanced training and internships in maintenance, air traffic control or airport operations. From this inaugural home school program, senior Brandon Schrader, was identified and, through donations to FlyQuest, he was awarded a scholarship to pursue private pilot ground school training in January at the University of Alabama Huntsville. This scholarship was made possible by a donation from Paul Robichaux in memory of his son, David.

FlyQuest has also completed aviation education programs at Butler High School and for the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama since incorporating in 2013. Operations are made possible through tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) program at www.FlyQuest.net. For more information on aviation education or rental of Alabama’s only 6DOF flight simulator, call 256-400-1088 or e-mail info@flyquest.net.

AL.com: Butler AFJROTC cadets get introduced to aviation careers

Posted May 01, 2014 Huntsville, Ala. by Amethyst Holmes

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Capt. Chris Scott, with Huntsville International Airport's Public Safety Dept., makes Devancy Jefferson, from Butler, an honorary captain after he got into his turn-out gear during a tour of facilities and aircraft at Huntsville International Airport Friday, April 25, 2014 in Huntsville, Ala. The tour is part of an educational program to give students a chance the see career opportunities in aviation, ranging from 747 pilot to fire and public safety. (Eric Schultz / eschultz@al.com)

(AOL.com) – Butler High School AFJROTC cadets got a closer look at the world of aviation on a school field trip last Friday.

Cadets got to tour the Alabama Aviation Center at Calhoun Community College, the Huntsville International Airport, FAA facilities, a 747 aircraft and operate a flight simulator at the Wings of Eagles flight school through a program sponsored by FlyQuest, a non-profit corporation focused on aviation education.

FlyQuest Co-founder Mark Spencer knows airplane training can be expensive, but wants to get as many people involved in aviation as possible and get students thinking about careers surrounding aviation. The organization provides a 14-week school course where students learn aviation fundamentals and get introduced to aviation careers in public safety, aircraft mechanics and more.

"Even if someone dosen't want to be a pilot but they have good customer service kinds of skills or they have good math skills, we want to find the kids that have that aptitude and give them the opportunity to be able to have a career in aviation to help pave that path regardless of their economic background," Spencer said.

With the hands-on opportunities the course provides, AFJROTC Instructor Melissa Lacey gets to see her students more engaged with what they're learning in the classroom.

“Freshman Javier Garcia says he now has dreams of becoming a pilot after discovering the course on a whim. Junior Brandon Crutcher wants pursue a career aerospace engineering following his time in the class. Most of the students within the program have never taken a flight or been inside of an airplane before the course.

"It's making a difference," Lacey said. "It does motivate some students to go back and talk about it. When they go back and tell their friends what they've done, all of them want to be in ROTC." Russ Lewey, ground school instructor for the course, said all students have averaged at least four hours of community service a month in exchange for the chance to get to learn about flying.

The course comes at no cost to students, but they pay for the instruction with their time. "We want to know they feel invested that they're going to complete what they're doing," Spencer said. At the end of the course, students will get an opportunity to fly in an airplane at the Redstone Arsenal Flying Activity Open House on May 17.

WHNT: FlyQuest Offers Low-Income Students Opportunity To Explore Aviation

Posted December 30, 2013 Huntsville, Ala. by Daniela Perallon



Fly Quest Helps Underprivileged Students Fly

(WHNT) – Aviation is a pastime not often available to lower-income families. Founders of a new Huntsville organization have made it their goal to open up the world of flight to all young people, no matter their economic circumstance.

FlyQuest, in partnership with Wings of Eagles Flight School, hopes to offer free or reduced flight lessons for underprivileged Huntsville students. Mark Spencer, co-founder of FlyQuest, says not only will FlyQuest offer an opportunity many students otherwise wouldn’t have had, but it will open the door to future careers in aviation.

“There’s a tremendous amount of demand for pilots, aviation maintenance people and operations people,” said Spencer. “Here’s an opportunity for a lot of kids to take advantage of those careers if they’re given the tools they need to be successful in it.”

FlyQuest will allow students to purchase flight training. But, for those who can not afford it, they will pay for their training through community service. “Those hours will count toward their time in the airplanes, the simulator and ground school,” said Spencer.

To curb the cost for training, FlyQuest, along with Wings of Eagles, has put a down payment on a full motion flight simulator, which will allow the students to gain flight skills before ever actually sitting in a cockpit of a real plane.

FlyQuest hopes to raise $150,000 within the next few months to fund its flight simulator. If all goes as planned, they hope to begin offering lessons and training as early as January.

You can learn more about FlyQuest or donate to the organization on its website.