West Chicago-based aviation training program expands to DeKalb

DeKALB – An aviation school based at the DuPage Airport in West Chicago has opened a new satellite training base in DeKalb.

The Illinois Aviation Academy, operated by Chicago-based Spartan Education Group, celebrated the Jan. 18 opening of the FAA-approved satellite location at the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport.

“We’ve received a lot of interest farther west, and this obviously is why we are expanding out to DeKalb,” said Robert Werderich, executive vice president of flight operations for Spartan and campus president at the Illinois Aviation Academy.

The grand opening event drew about 60 people from as far away as Minnesota and Indiana.

The opening of the satellite location comes about five months after the IAA started enrolling students for its new Atlas Cadet Academy.

The Atlas Cadet Academy is a training program for pilots seeking professional aviation careers. It was launched in August in partnership with Atlas Air Inc., which operates cargo and passenger aircraft.

More than 40 students have since enrolled in the program.

Focused on professional careers, these pilots are among more than 400 students in various stages of training through the Illinois Aviation Academy.

As part of their flight training, students can take classes at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn through an academic partnership. After completing their initial training, pilots work to gain experience on larger aircraft so they ultimately can take a job with Atlas Air.

Werderich said the goal is to produce pilots qualified to work for Atlas Air in three to four years.

“It’s one thing to train people,” Werderich said. “But it’s even nicer to see people get a job. It’s a tangible, applicable dream.”

The Illinois Aviation Academy’s expansion to DeKalb brings an enhanced fleet of planes, expanded staffing that benefits maintenance, a hangar for three planes and an FAA-approved advanced training device that supports instrument training for students.

Additionally, the site serves as a second location for the Atlas Cadet Academy that is farther west, with low-traffic density, multiple runways and towered airport operations as students’ training progresses.

“The part I like the most about the program is what we’re trying to do is provide the best value and opportunity for people who want to get started,” Werderich said, expressing appreciation for support from the Taylor Municipal Airport Advisory Board and DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes. “There’s a lot of places where you don’t have support, and it’s a fight to do things. DeKalb is the complete opposite, and the same for DuPage. We have a very proactive airport in both regards.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250122/business/west-chicago-based-aviation-training-program-expands-to-dekalb/