Pelican Flight Training is a family-managed, FAA Part 141 accredited flight school operating from North Perry Airport (KHWO) in Pembroke Pines, Florida, since 1985. Over 40 years, we have trained more than 5,000 pilots from 50+ countries, with graduates currently flying for major US regional airlines, mainline carriers (American, Delta, United, Southwest), Middle Eastern airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Saudia, Qatar Airways), Latin American carriers (LATAM, Aeromexico, Avianca), Asian operators (Japan Airlines, ANA, Korean Air, China Eastern) and helicopter operators globally.
Pelican Flight Training was founded in 1985 at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida, with a clear mission: to provide high-quality, structured FAA Part 141 flight training at a price that working students could afford. From the start, Pelican focused on serving both US career-track pilots and international students who came to Florida for FAA training and visa pathway support.
Over four decades, Pelican has been:
Dr. Ivans Kuznecovs leads Pelican Flight Training as Chief Executive Officer and Academic Director. Under his leadership, the school has expanded its helicopter program, achieved ACCSC accreditation, added country-specific student pathways for Japan, China, Korea, India, Brazil, Mexico and other markets, and built the integrated training and visa support framework that defines Pelican today.
Capt Ray Poss is the Chief Flight Instructor at Pelican, with 59 years in aviation and over 21,200 flight hours (including 4,000+ hours as a Certified Flight Instructor). Captain Poss provides editorial oversight for all flight training curriculum and instructor standards at Pelican. His career spans military aviation, airline operations, corporate flying and decades of student pilot training.
Oleksandra Kochmar leads day-to-day operations at Pelican, including admissions, student services, international student support and campus management. She is the operational point of contact for current students and prospective applicants.
Vladimirs Karols supports operational management, financial planning and partner relations.
Adrian Maupoint De Vandeul is the Chief Instructor for our helicopter program, with 2,800+ flight hours, helicopter-rated, and Schweizer 300C qualified. He leads helicopter program curriculum development and instructor training. See his profile at /adrian-maupoint-de-vandeul.
Egor Kalachev is a Chief Instructor across both airplane and helicopter programs, with 2,700+ flight hours and Schweizer 300C qualification. He provides editorial input on Pelican blog content and serves as a primary instructor for advanced students. See his profile at /egor-kalachev.
Azimjon Sobirov is an Assistant Chief Instructor at Pelican with 1,500+ flight hours, focusing on primary and instrument students. See his profile at /azimjon-sobirov.
Alex Marshall serves as an Assistant Helicopter Instructor, supporting Adrian Maupoint De Vandeul and Egor Kalachev with primary helicopter students.
For full team profiles, see /our-team.
Pelican Flight Training maintains the following accreditations and certifications:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Years operating | 40+ (since 1985) |
| Total graduates | 5,000+ |
| Countries represented in alumni base | 50+ |
| Active fleet (airplane + helicopter) | 20+ aircraft |
| Instructors on staff | 15+ |
| Total flight hours flown by Pelican aircraft annually | ~25,000-30,000 |
| Programs offered (airplane + helicopter + ratings) | 17 |
| Country-specific landing pages | 17 |
| Year-round flying days per year | ~365 |
| Languages supported in admissions | 10+ |
| Current Professional Pilot Program price | $68,310 (lowest in Florida) |
Pelican Flight Training exists to make professional pilot careers accessible to students worldwide through structured FAA training, transparent pricing, personal instructor relationships and direct admissions support.
Four pillars define how we work:
Pelican operates a maintained training fleet sized to match enrollment:
All aircraft are maintained by FAA-certified mechanics. Our facility includes ground school classrooms, briefing rooms, simulator (Frasca FTD for instrument and CPL training), admissions office, and on-site flight planning workstations.
See full aircraft details at /aircrafts and facility details at /location.
Pelican is led by a team that combines decades of aviation experience with international student services expertise:
For full bios and helicopter-specific instructor team, see our team page.
Pelican alumni currently fly for carriers and operators on every continent. Major employers (partial list):
Pelican Flight Training participates in the local Pembroke Pines and South Florida aviation community through:
Pelican Flight Training was founded in 1985 at North Perry Airport (KHWO) in Pembroke Pines, Florida. We have been operating continuously for over 40 years.
Pelican is family-managed and led by Dr. Ivans Kuznecovs as CEO. The school is independently operated and not part of any larger flight school chain or airline pipeline program.
More than 5,000 students over 40+ years, representing 50+ countries. Many of our graduates are now in mid-to-late career pilot positions with major airlines and helicopter operators globally.
Yes. Pelican holds FAA Part 141 certification (both airplane and helicopter), ACCSC institutional accreditation, SEVP certification (for F-1 and M-1 visa issuance), and TSA Flight School Training Provider approval.
Three things: (1) Lowest cost full Professional Pilot Program at $68,310 (vs $108,995 at ATP and $90,000+ at most other Florida schools). (2) Only Florida school with full FAA Part 141 helicopter pathway. (3) Strongest international student infrastructure with country-specific landing pages, multi-language admissions and SEVP support for students from 50+ countries.
Contact admissions at +1 (954) 966-9750 or via the contact form. Campus tours are available by appointment, typically Monday-Saturday during business hours. We recommend combining your tour with a Discovery Flight in either an airplane or our Schweizer 300C helicopter.
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Welcome to Pelican Flight Training, Florida's premier flight school offering one of the best training programs for pilots from around the world. We offer a structured program that will take you all the way from private pilot rank to ATP and airline readiness.
In this video, you'll learn what makes our flight school so special — the passion, the professionalism, and the world-class fleet of aircraft used for training. From your first flight to becoming a professional pilot, we will be with you every step of the way.
Take a look right now and see why training at Pelican isn't just about learning — it's about transformation.
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