Pilot Rise Opens Second Flight School Location at Dallas Executive Airport

Years in the making, the Dallas location brings Pilot Rise’s structured, flexible training model and close-knit student support to a second DFW airport.

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, August 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- After years of talking about where to grow next, Pilot Rise Flight School has opened its second location at Dallas Executive Airport.

Demand from Dallas-area students was part of the decision, but it was not the only reason. A second airport gives students another place to train when runway maintenance, a temporary closure or another local disruption affects one location. It also lets students experience two very different airport environments without changing schools or leaving the Pilot Rise training system.

At Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth, students can reach practice areas quickly from a non-towered airport. At Dallas Executive, they train with an operating control tower, two runways, multiple instrument approaches and full-service fuel. New pilots can begin building real air traffic control experience from their earliest lessons, while advanced students can practice instrument procedures without flying elsewhere for every approach.

The Dallas location came together through a local team effort. Dallas Manager Anthony Balaity found the hangar that Pilot Rise now operates out of. He and the Dallas team turned the space into a working flight school, coordinated aircraft and maintenance, established relationships around the airport and welcomed the location’s first students.

A former Pilot Rise student who owns aircraft at Dallas Executive also helped connect the team with several local vendors. For Pilot Rise, having a former student help open the new location reflects the kind of lasting aviation community the school hopes to build.

That shared approach to helping students is central to Pilot Rise’s mission. Founder Michael Forseth started the school in 2018 around a simple question: If this were my family learning to fly, would this be good enough?

“We have never wanted to produce pilots who are only ready for a checkride,” Michael said. “We want them prepared for what comes after it.”

Pilot Rise is a structured Part 61 school. The structure keeps training organized and consistent, while Part 61 flexibility allows lessons to adapt to each student’s goals, schedule, progress and learning needs. Students are not pushed through a rigid sequence simply to check boxes.

The school’s proprietary element-based training records follow individual skills, knowledge areas, trends, recency and next steps. After each lesson, students receive clear feedback and study direction. If they fly with another instructor, that instructor can see what has already been accomplished and where the student needs help.

Training records are reinforced by standardized instructor development and stage checks before major milestones. Active students also receive free access to FAA-approved Basic Aviation Training Devices under the school’s student-use policy. The simulator lets students practice procedures, instrument skills and emergency scenarios repeatedly without adding aircraft expense.

The goal is not simply to help students pass. Pilot Rise is designed to prepare pilots for the flights, decisions and responsibilities that come after the checkride. That includes developing sound judgment, learning to operate in different airport and airspace environments, and knowing how to continue learning after earning a certificate.

The Dallas location offers discovery flights and training for private pilot, instrument, commercial, CFI and CFII certificates. Students may complete one certificate or follow a career pilot program from no aviation experience through flight instructor certification. Cessna 172 and Cessna 150 training options are available, along with on-site maintenance support.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association recognized Pilot Rise as a Distinguished Flight School in both 2025 and 2026.

Michael Forseth
Pilot Rise Flight School
info@pilotrise.com
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