Safety is #1 on this list, because it is Priority #1 at Universal.

At Universal, every operational decision is predicated on cultivating, maintaining, and improving the safety of all our operations. Led by our CEO, Dr. Gordon A Jiroux, h.c., an FAA Safety Board Member with 40+ years operating flight schools in the U.S., we maintain an exemplary safety record unmatched by any flight school in the nation by flight hours.

Our comprehensive safety policies, practices and procedures are engrained in every part of our training culture. They must be learned, understood and practiced by every Universal student and instructor.

As part of our “Safety First” initiative, every operational decision at Universal Flight Concepts is predicated on teaching students the most effective Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) skills possible, heightening sense and proficiency through all phases of flight. A knowledgeable pilot with quality training, including practical ADM skills, should successfully carry out safe flight operations during every flight for a lifetime.

For over 40 years, Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c. has set the standard for excellence in flight instruction. As an FAA Safety Board member with an impeccable safety record and sterling reputation, Dr. Jiroux is widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the flight training industry.

Dr. Jiroux has received numerous accolades and flight safety awards throughout his career, including Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Flight Instructor of the Year award in 2014. He continues to mentor Universal’s Directors and instructors, and is intimately involved in all operations at Universal Flight Concepts. It is thanks to his knowledge, experience and fierce propensity for safety that Universal is uniquely positioned to provide the safest and most comprehensive flight and ground training the world.

With so many high-paying careers in the aviation industry, it is growing increasingly difficult for flight schools to retain instructors, let alone their very best. (Just check any other flight school. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any instructors with more than 1500 flight hours!)

We are very proud to say we have had ZERO turnover in key management positions for more than 20 years. Our core team of high-time, company-trained Directors, Danny Mackenzie, Dustin Suchor, Matt Hewlett, and John Lewis, are joined by our newest Director, Kelsey Lawyer and represent the very best flight training professionals in the industry. Known and respected industry-wide, most are FAA Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) with 10,000+ hours of instruction given and numerous professional accolades of their own.

Directors are tasked with overseeing all operations, and mentoring our students and instructors, submitting them to regular flight checks and proficiency reviews.

At Universal Flight Concepts, our only goal is to provide safe, extraordinary flight and ground training on an expeditious timeline. We take great pride in preparing our students with all the tools necessary to excel during their long and prosperous careers in aviation

Our proprietary FAA-Certified Part 141 and Part 61 curriculum was developed by our CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c., a 40-year veteran in the flight instruction industry. Like any great school, we are constantly evolving with the aviation market, optimizing our curriculum to provide a rich and comprehensive education to individuals wishing to be the most knowledgable and proficient pilots in the industry.

Our uncompromising high standards, proprietary curriculum, and passion for perfection ensure a rich and comprehensive education that’s led to excellent job placement for more than 1500 of our graduates worldwide.

The difference between training under Part 61 and Part 141 can be difficult for a new student who is unfamiliar with Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) to understand.

Simply put, CFR 14 Part 61 of the FARs outlines the requirements and standards for pilot certificates and ratings. Any Certified Flight Instructor may conduct training under Part 61.

CFR 14 Part 141 of the FARs is a set of requirements and standards for certified flight schools.

Becoming a Part 141 Certified Flight School comes with a long list of requirements, standards, and procedures for your school’s curriculum, personnel, facility, and aircraft. As a student at a Part 141 school, you will be subject to a more rigid training structure with optimized curriculum, efficient scheduling, and professional personnel.

There are many benefits to training under Part 141 certificates, and it is often preferred by our career-oriented students. Training under our optimized Part 141 certificates allows capable students to train at an accelerated pace and acquire their certificates and ratings in fewer total flight hours, while ensuring a very high standard of training. Receiving your Commercial Pilot Certificate from a Part 141 school is also necessary for pilots wishing to apply for a Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (R-ATP), receiving your ATP certificate in fewer than 1500 hours.

Please contact us to learn more.

With many Universal graduates in key management positions at operators worldwide, we are uniquely positioned to offer unmatched job-placement and cadet program assistance to our pilots.

We have graduates employed across the world by:

Helicopter: Intermountain Healthcare, Life Link III, Reach Air Medical, Global Medical Response, Petroleum Helicopter International, Temsco Helicopters, ERA, Maverick, U.S. Border Protection, various news and law enforcement agencies

Airplane: American Airlines, PSA Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, Skywest Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Envoy Air

…to name a few!

Believe it or not, this is a big deal.

One of the most common complaints we hear from former students of other flight schools is, “I barely flew!” Be it due to a lack of infrastructure, poor scheduling, poorly-serviced aircraft, or preoccupied instructors, barely flying at a flight school is absurd!

Universal maintains a highly professional facility, with enough aircraft and instructors to satisfy the demanding requirements of our more than 100 students.

Receiving safe, quality training goes hand-in-hand with keeping to an expeditious timeline.

Like learning to ride a bike, you’ll learn best if you do it every day.

No matter which way you look at it, flight school is expensive. You want a flight school that is honest and up-front about the cost of training.

At Universal, we offer a pay-as-you-go structure, set reasonable expectations, and keep you informed about what you’re paying for.

Many flight schools advertise a very low price, i.e., the cost of training if you earn each certificate/rating at the minimum required time, a nearly impossible feat for even the most capable student pilots. These schools also ask for a large sum of capital up front, knowing they lack the infrastructure and staff to enable even the most capable student to finish at the quoted minimums.

We cannot tell you how many individuals come to us who are yet to obtain a single pilot certificate, having spent tens of thousands of dollars with another school.

Please contact us to learn more.

At Universal we take tremendous pride in the quality of our aircraft. Featuring state-of-the-art avionics, all-glass cockpits, advanced safety systems, and industry-leading performance, every aircraft in our fleet was hand-selected by our CEO and custom-ordered from its respective factory to best suit the needs of our students during every stage of their career-oriented training.

Immaculately maintained by our team of certified mechanics and cleaned daily by our technicians, we’re confident you won’t find a nicer fleet at any other flight school in the nation.

With close contacts and graduates in critical hiring and management positions at companies worldwide, we are uniquely positioned to provide unmatched job placement assistance. The following list contains some of the airlines and operators currently employing our graduates, to name a few:

Airplane: American Airlines, PSA Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, Skywest Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Envoy Air

Helicopter: Intermountain Healthcare, Life Link III, Reach Air Medical, Global Medical Response, Classic Air Medical, Air Methods, Careflight, Petroleum Helicopter International, ERA, Temsco Helicopters, Maverick, Papillon, Rainbow Helicopters, Local Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, FOX News, CBS News, ABC News

With close contacts and graduates at many of the top regional airlines in the U.S., Universal can help you enroll in a cadet program early in your training, opening you up to tuition reimbursement, signing bonuses, internship programs, and direct-flow to many of the top airlines in the world!

We currently have graduates employed by, or enrolled in cadet programs with:
Skywest Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Envoy Air, Republic Airways, Commute Air, Mesa Airlines, Endeavor Air

We operate three, highly professional, state-of-the art training facilities across the southwest with locations in Arizona, Texas and Utah.

Housing over 70 state-of-the-art aircraft, our training centers reside at tower-controlled airports in cities chosen for their perfect weather, surrounding practice areas, diverse airspace, and cross-country destinations. Each of our 30,000+ sq/ft facilities boasts many top-of-the-line amenities that suit the needs of our instructors and students.

Our private hangers and offices house designated flight planning areas with airline-quality dispatch, FAA Level 5 Flight Training Devices (simulators), testing facilities, and more. Each location serves as a designated FAA Part 145 repair station, with meticulous maintenance personnel on site keeping our state-of-the-art aircraft in peak operating condition. Off-site housing is available upon request.

A question we often receive is, “Do you offer financing?”

YES! We are able to offer multiple options for Student Loans. Partial tuition reimbursement is also available through some regional cadet programs.

Please click below to learn more.

Each of our training locations is managed by one high-time company-trained Director working directly beneath our CEO, Dr. Jiroux. Known and respected industry-wide, most of our Directors have conducted 10,000+ hours of instruction given, with numerous professional accolades of their own. Directors are tasked with overseeing all operations, and mentoring our students and instructors.

Our Directors carefully mentor our instructors and subject them to regular flight checks and proficiency reviews, helping to maintain and extend their instructional abilities. Low time instructors are progressively signed off for more advanced training maneuvers as they gain experience. This approach reduces risk in the training environment, while ensuring our students receive the best possible training as our instructors grow.

Under the watchful eye of Dr. Jiroux and his Directors, students are paired with a single instructor and receive ongoing one-on-one time with their location’s Director for the duration of their flight and ground training.

Many other flight schools operate a classroom setting for one reason, cost-effectiveness.
This allows many new students to fall behind, and simply put, does not guarantee safe, quality training. We find that one-on-one instruction translates to a better and more cost-effective end result to our students by ensuring their comprehension and closely monitoring their progress.

Says Dr. Jiroux, “Encouraging relationships to grow through one-on-one instruction increases the safety and quality of flight training beyond that of a classroom setting.”

Universal Flight Concepts and Universal Helicopters has been providing flight training to foreign student applicants for years. We have extensive experience with the processes involved and are approved to issue authorization letters for M-1 Foreign Student Visas, as required, to receive flight training in the U.S. We also work directly with applicants regarding TSA applications and processing.

Please contact us to learn more.

When applying for a position with one of America’s premier operators or airlines, it can be difficult to stand out among the crowd.

We offer six unique courses to helicopter and airplane pilots wishing to advance their training with additional knowledge, proficiency, certificates, and endorsements.

Some examples include our Multi-Engine Instructor Course, Night Vision Goggles Courses (Initial, Recurrent, Instructor), and a Turbine-Transition Course.

Visit “Advanced Training” in our main menu to learn more.

As a graduate of one of our career programs, you’ll have all of the certificates and ratings necessary to enter the job market with approximately 200 or 280 hours of total flight time.

Before transitioning to your career position as an airline, off-shore, medevac, news, law-enforcement, or charter pilot, you’ll need a minimum of 1000 or 1500 hours total flight time (helicopter or airplane respectively) to be considered for a pilot position.

Working as a paid flight instructor is an ideal way to gain the necessary flight time and experience before applying for your dream position as a career pilot. Your time spent as a flight instructor is an excellent opportunity to reinforce your own knowledge and understanding while enriching the lives of others. Additionally, you’re being paid to build time!

It is one thing to have aircraft mechanics on site. It is something entirely different to be a Part 145 Repair Station.

Being certified by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 145 requires us to follow a much more strict set of maintenance regulations with meticulous logging of all work performed. Our Part 145 certificate enables us to conduct more specialized maintenance, inspection and alteration of our aircraft.

As we are subject to regular checks by the FAA, and biannual renewal, holding a Part 145 certificate ensures that programs, systems, and intended methods of compliance are thoroughly reviewed, evaluated, and tested by our team of A&P and A&P/IA maintenance technicians.

We proudly serve as the exclusive flight training provider to Baylor University’s Aviation Sciences Program.

In 2019, Universal Flight Concepts entered into an exclusive contract to provide all of the flight and ground training in support of Baylor University’s Aviation Sciences program. Baylor offers an undergraduate degree in Aviation Sciences with a Professional Pilot Concentration. Today, with more than 90 enrolled students, our partnership allows students to experience a one-of-a-kind integrated pilot training.

Unlike most flight schools, our staff is solely dedicated to flight training, leaving no room for our instructors to be distracted by activities such as aerial photography, tours, charters, or other Part 135 operations.