Business Aircraft Center, Danbury

Unlike swimming, nobody learns to fly by being thrown in the deep end. Instead, it takes gradual instruction to teach students the controls and feel of an aircraft guided by their hands. Luckily, instructors Antonio Ferrara and Zachary Barrett specialize in that sort of slow-burning scholarship. Both men make their living with their heads in the clouds. Ferrara flies for a commercial airline, ferrying passengers across vast distances in enormous jets. Barrett also possesses his commercial pilot's license, along with an FAA Flight Instructor certification.

At Affordable Aircraft & Flight Instruction, LLC, the duo helps fledgling flyers find their sky legs with discovery flights and group ground school. They also teach longer courses, guiding students toward certifications as private-, multiengine-, and commercial-rated pilots.