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Melrose, Florida, USA — Online pilot training provider AV8 Prep has announced that it has acquired 107 School and its publications. The acquisition closed in October 2024.

John Ellis, co-founder of 107 School, joins AV8 Prep as its Chief of Development, and his role will be to expand the offerings of the online ground school and test prep provider.

AV8 Prep already offers ground training for private pilot, instrument rating, and commercial pilot courses, and others, such as its Private Pilot Diary, and Tower Talk, which is taught by a career air traffic controller.

Also contributing to AV8 Prep’s new offerings are expert flight instructors Meg Godlewski and Dr. Larry Diamond, who will author articles for the company on a regular basis.

The 107 School catalog includes “Launching Your Aviation Career,” by Meg Godlewski, “Aviate & Medicate,” by Dr. Larry Diamond, and “Introduction to Part 107,” by John Ellis. New editions of all three books will be released by AV8 Prep. The company is also proud to announce that they are publishing an expanded 125-page ebook, ”How To Become A Pilot,” which details the roadmap for going from “zero to hero.” It explains the complete aviation training process from novice pilot with zero experience to becoming an airline transport pilot.

AV8 Prep intends to launch several new courses, including one focused on the Fundamentals of Instruction, a key portion of ground training for initial flight instructor certification. AV8 Prep will create mobile apps to allow learners to take its courses anywhere they choose. The new apps are scheduled to launch in Q1 2025.

AV8 Prep utilizes a team-teaching approach: The instructors that deliver training for AV8 Prep have more than 50,000 hours of flight experience, and now with the addition of Godlewski and Diamond, that figure grows to more than 60,000 hours.

“Having a career in aviation is much more than learning rules and regulations and how to manipulate the controls—no matter if it is a drone or a full-sized aircraft,” said Godlewski. “AV8 Prep joining forces with 107 School helps pilots of all genres to achieve their goals. As so many of those folks are looking for professional aviation careers, I am happy that my book, ‘Launching Your Aviation Career,’ will be part of the equation.”

“I’m very excited to be joining the team at AV8 Prep, and continuing to provide aviation training materials that will help aspiring pilots take to the skies,” said Ellis. “With their established manned aviation courses and impressive video course catalog, it will be a great expansion from the Part 107 training that 107 School has offered. I am excited to help add mobile apps to AV8 Prep’s catalog, and to bring the books that were written for 107 School to their new home. It’s an excellent portfolio of courses, and I love the fact the lessons are team-taught by such qualified flight instructors. The combination of our offerings will give new learners a wealth of resources to learn from.”

Ellis co-founded 107 School in 2024, and was the Chief of Curriculum and Director of Video Production for MzeroA.com from 2014 to 2024. “It was a wild ride growing MzeroA from next to nothing to reaching the Inc. 500 list in my third year,” said Ellis. “As employee number one, I really enjoyed the experience of the company when it was still a ‘mom and pop’ organization. With the company’s acquisition by Phoenix East Aviation, I decided it was time to depart. I wish them well in their growth trajectory.

“In my new role, I’m very thankful to experience the excitement of helping new pilots take to the skies with a team of instructors that share my level of enthusiasm.”

About AV8 Prep
AV8 Prep was established in Atlantic Beach, Florida, in 2018 to deliver high-quality pilot training content, delivered by expert instructors through a top-notch user experience. Its exclusive catalog of aviation training materials accessed online sets AV8 Prep apart from other ground-school providers. AV8 Prep stands behind its courseware with a guarantee that users who score 90 percent or higher on their final exam will pass their FAA knowledge exams on the first try.

About 107 School
107 School was founded by Karolina and John Ellis to give remote “pilots in command” the chance to learn from an Advanced Ground Instructor who flies unmanned aircraft commercially. Karolina Ellis is the company’s CEO and an elementary school teacher at a Blue Ribbon school. Both co-founders wanted to improve from the quality of the previous courses and offer a future remote pilots the chance to learn from an educator that regularly flies unmanned aircraft—and doesn’t just keep them on the shelf. For those interested in how remotely piloted aircraft can benefit the industry and are considering adding a Part 107 certificate to a resume, 107 School wants to help them study for and pass the Part 107 test. Learners can take the mobile apps anywhere, and download videos for offline viewing. Prospective pilots can study with 107 School anywhere in the world.

Source: AV8 Prep
Photo Credit: AV8 Prep