Education & Classes in Gainesville

Wanting to fly to the beat of a different drummer, a couple of flight instructors decided in 2009 to start their own training center and teach the skills their unique way. They laid the groundwork for their new business with cutting-edge safety features such as aircrafts boasting airbags and innovative weather and traffic advisories. Additionally, the duo acknowledges that cost often keeps those with sky-bound ambitions grounded, so they work with individuals to find an affordable training plan. Besides their pilot programs, the owners make their Cessnas and bundles of helium-filled balloons available for rent.

Atlantic Aviation's FAA-certified flight instructors teach students the basics of flying from the pilot's seat of a Redbird flight simulator. Digital screens wrap around an enclosed cockpit, allowing students to practice flight patterns as they experience authentic motion from a moving platform. Always tailoring training to students' needs and ambitions, pilots and advanced-instrument ground instructors can help customers achieve goals of any degree, from learning the mechanics of flight in intro lessons to completing courses toward licensing.

University Air Center dispatches its gravity-defying fleet on charter, rental, and training flights from its airborne offices located at Gainesville Regional Airport. A shiny, new Eclipse EA-500 cools its jets in the hangar bay, waiting to take its business-class passengers to their destinations at more than 400 mph, speeds once only achieved by cheetahs fired out of cannons. Trainees climb into the center's Redbird FMX simulator for ground-based training, or ride in a Cessna 172 for an actual flying experience. The aviators also tackle plane maintenance and avionics repairs as customers watch the twin big screens in the lounge or look up pilots' preferred knock-knock jokes on the complimentary computers.

Under the umbrella of The Art Institutes, The Art Institute of Jacksonville is a fully accredited branch of Miami International University of Art & Design. They offer programs and degrees in the applied arts, ranging from culinary arts and digital filmmaking, to interior design and how to convince shoppers they like wearing potato sacks. The faculty includes a diverse crew of instructors with industry experience and degrees from institutions such as The Juilliard School, the University of Southern California, Vancouver Film School, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. The Institute frequently holds art exhibitions, gallery showings, and student showcases of projects such as films and shorts.

The University of Florida Alumni Association helps Gator fans stay in the know on university happenings and make new connections in the Gator nation. Association members can commingle at special on- or off-campus events, such as the Gator Nation tailgate before each home football game or meet up at events organized by their local chapter of the Gator Club. Membership also nets them a slew of other benefits, including discounts from both local and non-local merchants.