How Pan Am Flight Academy is Modernizing Pilot Training with Virtual Classrooms

Airline industry pioneer, Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) ceased commercial operations in December 1991, but its name lives on within the Miami, Fla.-based flight simulator training academy recently acquired by Acorn Capital Management, a private equity firm specializing in investments in the aerospace, defense, intelligence and space sectors. 

Early on, the pilot training division was a unit of the airline. Pan Am Flight Academy (PAFA) began operations in 1980.

In early May 2022, PAFA launched a new facility near its original campus located at the Axis Park complex in Hialeah, Fla. The new center, which has 10 FFS installed already, fits nicely into Acorn’s long-term growth plans for the pilot training center.

Pan Am also has a third Building 100 facility near the main campus with six FFS.

The company provides flight simulator-based training with a fleet of 24 owned full flight simulators (FFS). It has 22 simulator bays available with ten simulators installed already at the Axis Park Campus. A second Boeing 747-400 simulator now on site will undergo a one-year technical upgrade before being put into service.

Pan Am also operates seven fixed-base Flight Training Devices (FTDs) for systems training. The Academy also has door cabin trainers, evacuation slides, rafts and a fire pit.

At present, Pan Am employs around 60 instructors on the following aircraft: 737 Classic, 737 NG, 737 Max, 747-400, 767, 757, 777, Airbus A320, A330 and the twin-engine turboprop Saab 340 regional airliner. The Academy offers type ratings for 21 separate programs, including ATP-CTP and multi-crew training.

Military-trained pilots bound for commercial airlines also are trained by PAFA.

CAT magazine recently interviewed two PAFA principals on the company’s expansion: Alex Pinho, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and General Manager (GM) Danny Looney about immediate and long-term growth plans for Pan Am.

“Acorn’s [immediate] plan for Pan Am is supporting our internal growth,” said Pinho, a flight simulator engineer, whose extensive training-related experience includes time with Brazil-based Embraer-CAE Training Services, a joint venture.

“We’re also looking for other opportunities for simulator and FTD acquisitions for business and regional jets.”

Pinho also developed pilot training centers in Mexico, Peru and Columbia. When Acron acquired Pan Am, the investment firm hired Pinho.

The COO was asked about the expanding use of  FTDs over FFS to save money and streamline training programs.

“FTDs are very close in sophistication and application to the FFS, with the only difference being the motion systems,” he said. “They are better suited for basic flight function testing.”

He added: “The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) allows training companies to use FTDs for various tasks.

Regarding new customers and partnerships, Pinho said:

“We are working on training air freight pilots. And we’re investing in strengthening relationships with universities and independent flight schools on exposing them to airline work.”

For years, GM Looney flew the Boeing 727 on the line. He’s flown the Lear 25 and 35, Beechcraft King Air 90 &  King Air 200 twin turboprops. The King Air programs are part of Textron AviationBeechcraft, a division of Textron Aviation.

Looney, a 40-year veteran of the aviation and aerospace industries, said PAFA provides training solutions in accordance with FAA Parts 91 ( general operating and flight rules for all civil aircraft); 121 (that governs scheduled air carriers); 25 ( that sets airworthiness standards for transport category aircraft); 135 (that sets operational safety rules for non scheduled commercial flights, such as charter); 141 (that certify and governs flight schools), 142 ( that sets regulations for training centers)  and 145 (that governs certified aircraft maintenance organizations).

Wet ditch training for cabin crew and pilots also is offered.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), EASA, The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), Transport Canada and the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) recognize the Academy’s certifications.

Looney was queried on who trains instructors through PAFA’s FAA-approved training program.

“Each new instructor goes through our training program and is then checked by a Training Center Evaluator (TCE) to achieve instructor qualifications, said Looney. “Our instructors are monitored and evaluated continuously for standardization and compliance.”

Nearly 50% of the U.S. airlines train at the Academy, he claimed.

While PAFA doesn’t have a curriculum or test for prospective instructors to be considered for hire, “we do have a chain of interviews with current instructors and management to see if we can detect the passion that our current instructors display with our customers…”

All PAFA instructors must possess an ATP and be typed in the aircraft model for which they will be instructing. “We do not look at total time as much as we consider the candidate’s passion for teaching,” reiterated Looney.

The Academy does not utilize Virtual (VR) or Extended Reality (XR) in training presently, “but we are evaluating several different options for future use,” he said.

One such option is already moving from evaluation to implementation.

Pan Am is in the final stages of developing a live Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) platform for its Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP), partnering with visual communications solutions provider X20 Media, whose clients include Disney, Coca Cola and the College of William & Mary.

To enhance the training experience, cameras follow the instructor around the virtual classroom. Other features include high-definition, multi-angle video streaming, interactive whiteboards, digital annotations and participation tools that include chat sessions.

"We are putting the instructor back into the classroom," said Sergio Casce, vice president of sales and marketing for PAFA.

The program can reach up to 40 students remotely and several within the classroom at the main campus near Miami. "If you're going to do remote training, the instructor has got to look at the students. The goal is to provide students with a seamless and highly interactive educational experience."

Professional pilot-tracked students can now take four days of ground school virtually. Over two days, students then come to Miami for four hours of FTD-led systems integration and automation training and six hours of FFS Level D simulator training, emphasizing upset recovery, high-altitude operations and crew resource management. CRM training focuses on teamwork, communication, decision-making and situational awareness. The flexible VILT program allows students to come in on the weekend.

In terms of obtaining regulatory approval, Casce said: "We've had to tweak our ATP-CTP courseware and resubmit it to FAA, which will observe the class and then approve the form of pilot instruction." The Academy expects to begin teaching VILT by the end of February 2026.

"VILT initiative presents a strategic move to align with the modern airline industry's expectations," concluded Casce.

There are some exceptions to the 1500-hour rule on airline pilot hiring worth noting. Pilots, who graduated from accredited universities, must hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, plus have 1,000 hrs. of total flight time. Graduates of Part 141 approved schools must have 1,250 hrs. Military pilots with 750 hours can obtain their commercial license.

“We bridge the gap for low-time pilots to become competitive in today’s airline industry,” said Looney.

In September 2025, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned of a possible pilot shortage and recommended raising the retirement age of commercial airline pilots to 67 from 65.

Asked if that concern trickles down to the need for more instructors, Looney summed: “Increased demand will require a need to increase instructor staffing, but at the present time, with enough lead-time, we have plenty of qualified instructor candidates.”