Executive Compass Flight Institute expands with new location in Calgary

Delana Hockey couldn't help but smile amid the hammers and buzzing bees that came out of her upstairs classroom renovation.

Such construction noise is disturbing, but it is easy to bear; the excitement around him drowned out the argument.

“I think 'fairly little' (excitement) is an understatement,” said Hockey, lead controller at the new Alberta campus of the Executive Compass Flight Institute (ECFI) at the Calgary/Springbank Airport.

“Everybody's very enthusiastic… they're very enthusiastic. It's a fun experience to work with and be around very happy people.”

The new Springbank campus at the foot of the Rocky Mountains is ECFI's first major expansion since the flight school opened in 2022 in Pitt Meadows, BC. The rapid growth of the company is due in part to a flood of applicants hoping to capitalize. about the global pilot shortage — both college students and older students looking for a second career.

“There are so many opportunities,” said Hockey, one of seven staff at ECFI's Springbank campus. “Once you get your license, you can have a lot of roles, like being an instructor or working for an airline or being a medvac.”

ECFI is also seeing interest from several older students who want to purchase their own aircraft, hoping to avoid the long waiting list for their private pilot's license.

Springbank already has three flight schools – the Calgary Flying Club, Mount Royal University and Springbank College – but ECFI still saw it as an ideal site for expansion.

“The day we opened those doors, people would walk in and say, 'Is there a waiting list?' How long will it take for my flight?'” Hockey said. “They're up in the air, they're doing it. They don't have to wait 18 months.”

ECFI held a grand opening for the Springbank facility on April 8, bringing approximately 75 visitors to tour its 2,000-square-foot office and classroom building, as well as a double-sided hangar that houses one Cessna 172 aircraft and a Piper PA-34. The Seneca School, which splits time between Alberta and B.C., will have five to six aircraft at its Springbank location, as well as a flight simulator.

“We use the latest and greatest technology in terms of scheduling and booking students, as well as in-flight technology,” he said. “It's been great here. We have a really good relationship with the airport management.”

There are already four flight instructors working with 30 students at the Springbank location; The plan is to increase the number of staff and students in the near future to meet demand. ECFI also believes its Alberta location will be a draw for students hoping to catch up with Calgary airlines based on their experience flying in unpredictable weather near the Rockies.

“It's a very different experience and such dramatic weather conditions that can change in five minutes,” Hockey said. “(It) gives students a chance to really convey what they need to be a calm pilot and be able to adapt.”

Renovations are ongoing at the Springbank campus, which could further expand ECFI.

“They're really looking to expand, not just in Alberta, but across the country,” Hockey said. “There's a lot of opportunity and I think there's a lot of places that could benefit from another flight school.”