Profile on LIFT Academy and Republic Airways

Halldale Group’s Paul Preidecker recently visited LIFT Academy and Republic Airways Training Center and filed this comprehensive article.

LIFT Academy

As I entered the parking lot of LIFT Academy at the Indianapolis Airport (IND), I looked across the ramp at the fleet of aircraft warming up for takeoff. It looked like the first bank of flights departing any major airport in the US. But these were all training aircraft. Diamond DA-40 and DA-42 aircraft were about to launch with students and their instructors on another training flight.

LIFT, which stands for Leadership in Flight Training, is owned by Republic Airways Holdings Inc. LIFT has provided flight training and direct pathways to Republic Airways since 2018.

During the tour of LIFT and a subsequent visit to the Republic Airways Training Center, my host was Joseph Fleagle, Recruitment and Retention Marketing Manager. At LIFT, I met with Ed Bagden, Director of Operations and Academic Programs. At Republic’s training center, I met with longtime colleague Michael Dee, Managing Director of Flight Operations, Andrew Petry, Director of Flight Training, and Todd Hoagland, Chief Flight Instructor.

Training for Success

During the facility tour at LIFT, I saw an environment focused on aviation and dedicated to learning. Classrooms were well organized, flight training devices and simulators reflected modern technology, and instructors were available to help students with questions and advice. I also noted that the LIFT operation blends in well with the busyness of a major airport. In cooperation with airport operations and ATC, LIFT has several well-defined practice areas that accommodate flight training. They even have their own dedicated arrival procedure that does not conflict with the procedures of larger jets.

To meet the demand for training and create options for the students, LIFT has expanded outside Indianapolis. Other locations include Columbus, Indiana, Galveston, Texas, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and will soon include Tuskegee, Alabama. About 500 students are enrolled in the program at any one time. LIFT starts new classes every month with 20-30 students per class. LIFT students enjoy a favorable student to instructor ratio of about 4:1 depending on time of year and location.

LIFT has over 60 aircraft and its fleet will soon expand thanks to a large order for additional aircraft from Diamond. The aircraft are equipped with modern avionics and eco-friendly technology.

Keeping the fleet well-maintained is a big responsibility. For this purpose, LIFT has its own maintenance department. That fits in well with LIFT’s popular Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) program. Additionally, LIFT Academy has created an Aviation Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Program. These paid apprentices receive hands-on training with licensed LIFT and Republic AMTs working on LIFT’s DA40 and DA42 aircraft and Republic’s Embraer 170/175 fleet.

Discussion about barriers to entry for flight training often leads to considerations of financial support. For many, the route to a potentially lucrative career as a pilot for a regional or main line partner is paved with debt. To make the cost more manageable, LIFT partners with several financial groups to provide a pathway to yes. Loan partners include Sallie Mae, ZuntaFi, Elements Financial and Stratus Financial. LIFT also partners with organizations that provide scholarship funding. To meet another important practical need, LIFT helps students find comfortable and affordable housing through partnerships with Collegiate Housing Services (CHS).

Operations and Academic Program Director Ed Bagden shared some important LIFT metrics. Fifty percent of the students who enter the program successfully complete it. Students are closely monitored and evaluated. As with many aviation training programs (including at airlines), several factors play a role in why a student may not finish. Some do not make sufficient progress to remain. Others “self-select” out when they realize that the program requires a full-time commitment, or they simply decide it is not for them. Mr. Bagden noted that LIFT uses a robust selection process, but they are seeking improvements. They include using data to determine what makes a successful student, and then incorporating those parameters in the early processes of selection. From my own experience and from conversations with regional airline counterparts, the path to success starts early.

The Culture of Success

During the program, students learn not only the skills required to safely operate an aircraft, but also the culture of Republic Airways. Mr. Bagden, who was a line pilot at Republic before taking a leadership role at LIFT, is responsible for ensuring that the students learn from day one what life as an airline pilot is like and that they embrace the culture. A strong mentorship program, in which each student gets paired with a mentor from Republic, reinforces this aspect of training.

LIFT also ensure that culture has a direct application to training. An Embraer 175 is obviously different from a Diamond DA-40. However, LIFT and Republic have worked to align the callouts, procedures, and checklists structure as much as possible. From the very first lesson, a LIFT student learns what is expected regarding proper checklist usage and phraseology.

In addition, LIFT teaches the principles of Threat Error Management (TEM) and Crew Resource Management (CRM) early on. Knowledge of this material gives LIFT students a leg up on pilots who have never been exposed to these critical safety and risk management concepts.

The time from entrance to completion of the LIFT program ranges from 12-18 months. At the end of that time, students receive certificates up to and including commercial multiengine land, and for those pursuing the instructional pathway, an instrument flight instructor certificate.

Finding the Right Path

A graduating LIFT student has several pathways to Republic. For more information, check out these links:

• Republic Airways Career Pathway Program
• Collegiate Partnership Program
• Cape Air Partnership

LIFT provides airline quality training at the ab initio level while providing options for achieving the goals of their students. For more information, go to flywithlift.com

Republic Airways

From LIFT Academy, I visited the Republic Airways Training Center to meet with Michael Dee, Managing Director of Flight Operations. The first item on the agenda was for Mr. Dee to show me Republic’s new training center.

It’s impressive. The training center boasts numerous in-person and virtual classrooms, along with eight full-flight simulators, flight training devices, and amenities that create a comfortable learning environment. Immediately next to the training center is Republic’s own hotel. The Brickyard Hotel offers a very nice space for both new hires and current employees to call home during training. The managing director emphasized that the facility is designed for rest and relaxation, not as a training space. To give trainees a break from the intensity of airline training, the Brickyard Hotel therefore has no classrooms or workspaces for study groups.

Another portion of the training center is devoted to community outreach. The Exploration Center offers opportunities for young people to explore various aspects of aviation in an interactive, educational approach using multimedia, virtual reality, and simulator technology. It goes without saying that one purpose of this outreach is to spark interest that could eventually lead some of the Exploration Center’s visitors to airline training.

Republic conducts new hire classes weekly as the company grows its fleet and expands its operation. At this writing, Republic partners with three major carriers: Delta, American, and United. The company is one of world’s largest operators of Embraer 170/175 aircraft, with more than 200 now and plans to add more annually for the next several years. To support the volume of training, Republic has an in-house staff of more than 150 flight instructors and line pilot instructors.

An excess or a shortage?

I started our interview by asking for Michael Dee’s take on the perennial debate: “Is there a pilot shortage?”

Mr. Dee’s response: “We have a captain shortage.” That appears to be a common experience across the industry. To address this challenge, Republic, like other carriers, offers attractive sign-on bonuses for direct entry captains. Our conversation covered the reasons for the captain shortage. In some cases, first officers may not meet regulatory requirements to upgrade. Another reason is that that some first officers have gained enough seniority to bid good schedules with good pay, and they want to maintain that quality of life. A third reason is that many mainline carriers are hiring captains with check airman qualifications and experience. That puts the captain to first officer ratio out-of-sync. As with most things in aviation, though, the cycle will likely change.

Training Matters

Conversations with Andrew Petry, Director of Flight Training, and Todd Hoagland, Chief Instructor focused on key elements of the Republic training program. Republic trains under an Advanced Qualification Program (AQP). Participation in AQP helps the training center refine its curriculum based on data received from voluntary safety programs, training and checking events, and feedback from operational data. This approach helps “keep it real” for the trainees.

Petry and Hoagland noted that new hires come to Republic from a variety of places and experiences. In addition to the path from LIFT, pilots come from other airlines, flight schools, and the military. This variety can present a challenge to curriculum developers as they endeavor to create content for different learning styles, age groups, and backgrounds. Leveraging technology is an important way to manage this process.

Mr. Hoagland also stated that instructor standardization is a very critical and important part of the program. The facility uses feedback from pilots and robust standardization classes to help keep the instructor group working together as a team.

Marketing the Message

Republic’s Marketing Manager, Joseph Fleagle, discussed the company’s strong marketing efforts. In addition to traditional advertising, Republic maintains a strong social media presence. Republic also participates in trade shows and job fairs and invests in industry media partnerships. Republic’s messaging focuses on competency-based inclusion. In this connection, Joseph noted that it is important for everyone in aviation to be an ambassador for building awareness of what is possible. He went on to emphasize that although it is common to focus on pilot recruitment, the company also wants people to realize there are many opportunities for corporate, cabin crew, dispatchers, and mechanics, to name a few.

The combination of LIFT Academy and Republic Airways reveals the benefits of how close collaboration can create a path to success in aviation training.

For general information on Republic Airways, go to https://rjet.com/.

Interested in a career at Republic? Then navigate to https://careers.rjet.com/

[Editor’s note: Paul Preidecker is President, National Association of Flight instructor. He has been a flight instructor for almost 35 years. He recently retired from Air Wisconsin Airlines, where he held the positions of Chief Flight Instructor and captain. In those roles, he served as an Aircrew Program Designee, Line Check Airman, and was qualified as a simulator and ground school instructor.

Preidecker has served as a member of an FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee and was an invited speaker at the NTSB Symposium on Professionalism. He provides invaluable support and contributions in different capacities to Halldale Group.]