Award winners

For its latest awards cycle, AOPA continued its application-based review system. Aspiring pilots and seasoned aviators alike were invited to submit feedback and share their experiences from the past 12 months, which were evaluated anonymously to determine the regional winners of the 2026 awards.

The awards, administered by the AOPA Foundation, were created to recognize and promote best practices.

The awards are part of a broader effort to welcome new pilots into aviation and keep them engaged throughout their training and beyond. National award recipients were announced March 4 during Redbird Migration in Lakeland, Florida.

2026 AOPA Flight Training Experience Award Winners

BEST FLIGHT SCHOOL – NATIONAL: NoVA Pilots, Leesburg, Virginia

Comprising passionate aviators who specialize in Cirrus Aircraft and who know the realities of the most complex airspace in the country, NoVA Pilots of Leesburg, Virginia, is the top flight school in our 2026 Flight Training Experience Awards. Boasting some of the newest and technologically advanced aircraft—some 10 Cirrus SR20s, SR22s, and a Vision Jet as well as American Champion Super Decathlons—the school has highly experienced and dedicated instructors from military backgrounds and more. Leesburg Airport (JYO) is located in the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules area (SFRA), and the instructors help students get comfortable with this challenging airspace.

BEST INSTRUCTOR – NATIONAL: Tiziano Bernard, Pooler, Georgia

For the second year in a row, the top CFI in our Flight Training Experience Awards is Tiziano Bernard of Georgia. For Bernard, aviation is not just about flying; it’s about making connections, striving to be better, and fostering a community of pilots. His commitment to student mentorship and excellence captures the essence all great flight instructors possess, and rather than viewing his role as simply a source of knowledge and skills, he embraces it as an opportunity to shape the future of aviation through the students he teaches. Ultimately, he says, it is the students who make his journey so rewarding.

BEST INSTRUCTOR BY REGION

Central Southern: Ty Ashe; Notasulga, Alabama

Eastern: Grayson Bertaina; Cambridge, Massachusetts

Great Lakes: Sydney Pilling; Third Lake, Illinois

Pacific: Austin Smith; Newbury Park, California

Southern: Tiziano Bernard*; Pooler, Georgia

Western: Andrew Hamouda; Scottsdale, Arizona

BEST FLIGHT SCHOOL BY REGION

Central Southern: Neu Aviation; Benton, Louisiana

Eastern: NoVA Pilots*; Leesburg, Virginia

Great Lakes: Moore Aviation, Inc.; Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Pacific: Mike Smith Aviation International, Inc.; Napa, California

Southern: Centennial Aviation Academy; Atlanta, Georgia

Western: Sierra Charlie Aviation; Scottsdale, Arizona

For a complete list of distinguished CFIs and flight schools visit the website.
youcanfly.aopa.org

*National winner