Flight School Association International Visit Highlights Hillsboro Aero Academy’s 102-Aircraft Training Operation

Oregon, USA – Flight School Association International (FSAI) President and CEO Bob Rockmaker visited member organisation Hillsboro Aero Academy (HAA) and met its President, Natalia Cimpean, at the academy’s Hillsboro campus.

• HAA operates 102 aircraft, comprising 81 fixed-wing aircraft and 21 helicopters (Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Piper Seminole, Robinson R22, and R44)
• The association said HAA averages approximately 800 domestic and international students and 85,000 flight hours annually. AFM previously covered HAA’s official 2025 review reporting approximately 86,000 flight hours and 1,357 successful airplane and helicopter check rides during the year.
• HAA operates from three Oregon locations. Fixed-wing pilot training is conducted at Hillsboro Airport and Redmond Municipal Airport, while helicopter instruction is based at the academy’s Troutdale location.
• Cimpean joined Hillsboro Aero Academy in 2007 and became President in 2020.
• The academy was founded in 1980 and provides FAA professional pilot training for airplanes and helicopters. It also offers joint FAA/EASA pathways through a partnership with Austrian training organisation RotorSky.
• HAA began its Aviation Maintenance Professional Program in September 2025 after receiving FAA Part 147 approval. The 12-month program prepares students for the FAA General, Airframe and Powerplant certification examinations.
• HAA also operates an FAA Part 145 repair station supporting its training fleet. Its maintenance organisation received the FAA Diamond Award in 2026 after all eligible technicians completed the required annual safety and technical training.
• The academy reported renewing its IS-BAO Stage 3 certification in January 2026. The certification covers a mature safety management system and includes reporting and risk-management processes used across its training operation.
• FSAI said the facility visit included discussions with staff about instructional culture, student support and maintaining training standards without creating unnecessary operational pressure.

Statements

• “Aviation is first and foremost, about people. This is especially true in flight training. Every student is different, with their own strengths, challenges and ways of learning. Our responsibility is not only to teach people how to fly, but to help them become safe, capable and confident pilots. That requires us to recognize the person before the pilot. To listen, understand and adapt. Our standards must remain high, however the way we help people reach them must reflect the care and respect that each student deserves,” said Natalia Cimpean, President of Hillsboro Aero Academy.

Source: FSAI