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Aviation Resources & Information
Philadelphia Eagles Cornerback Jonathan Jones Visits Tailwinds
Tailwinds Academy recently welcomed a special guest whose story perfectly embodies the values we strive to instill in every student: focus, discipline, and drive. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jonathan Jones recently spent more than an hour with our scholarship students, sharing…
A Dream That Took Flight in Northeast Philly
CBS News recently covered a special Tailwinds Academy story: one of its very first high school students, Jonathan Suarez, is now a 20‑year‑old certified flight instructor who has returned to teach the next generation of Philadelphia pilots. When CBS News…
N862TW Just Got a Major Upgrade
After more than a month in the shop, our flagship trainer is back on the line with a completely modernized glass cockpit—and it is a game‑changer for both training and everyday flying. This upgrade brings the same digital technology found…
Takeoff Toward Your Dreams: Join Tailwinds Academy’s Free Aviation Webinar Series 2026
If you’ve ever looked up at a passing airplane and thought, “Maybe one day…”, now’s your chance to make that day closer than you think. Tailwinds Academy of Aviation—Philadelphia’s only nonprofit flight school—is hosting a free, three‑part webinar series designed…
About John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (1922 – 1941)
John Gillespie Magee, Jr. was born in Shanghai, China, to American missionary parents—an Episcopal priest and a British teacher. He was educated in England at Rugby School, where he began writing poetry inspired by the English Romantics. When World War II broke…
What Does it Mean for a Business to be Nonprofit?
So, being a nonprofit business means you can’t make a profit, right? Wrong! That’s one of the most common misconceptions about nonprofits. A nonprofit is not defined by whether it earns money—it’s defined by what happens to the money it…
Self-Assessment
Click here to read about why around 80% of those who begin flight training don’t complete it. When that happens, it wastes time and money. Tailwinds would like to change that by asking prospective students to do a self-assessment to…
Why People Quit Flight Training
Do you know why people quit flight training? The good news is that if you are set on becoming a pilot there is an excellent chance you can be successful. Unfortunately, for every 10 people that begin flight training, only 2…
Are You A Minimalist? Minimum Flight Requirements Explained
Are You A Minimalist? The FAA governs and regulates pretty much everything that relates to aviation. Part 61 (subpart e) of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) outlines the specific requirements to become a Private Pilot. One word that keeps popping up…
Pilot Requirements: Private vs. Commercial
Private Pilot Requirements Here are the very basic pilot requirements. Keep in mind that this is a rough overview with much of the detail omitted: Keep in mind that these are the minimum requirements and most people require significantly more flight time…
Tailwinds is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Organization
To The Tailwinds Family: I’m writing to share an exciting transformation at Tailwinds Flight Education. We have transitioned from a for-profit business to a nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) nonprofit and will now be known as the Tailwinds Academy of Aviation. Our…
Tailwinds Academy Webinars 2022
Tailwinds Academy Webinars When Sir Francis Bacon published in his work, Meditationes Sacrae (1597) saying, “knowledge itself is power”, he most likely wanted to transmit the idea that having and sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of reputation and influence, and…