Education & Classes in Leesburg

Licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, Shenandoah Flying Adventures leads students skyward through training options that range from introductory flights to full pilot-certification programs. The squadron's 60-minute Discovery flight gives aeronautical novices a feel for all that flying entails, beginning with a lesson and preflight aircraft inspection and culminating with the student's taking control of the plane as a certified instructor looks on. The program offers a way for curious cloud-gazers to give flying a try without committing to all the resources necessary to earning a pilot's license, such as changing your first name to Captain. Should students wish to pursue aerial studies further, the time spent aloft can contribute to a full certification, which Shenandoah Flying Adventures offers among its slate of courses.:m]]

Ron Layman's decorative indoor-painting instruction harks back to thousands of years of artisans' decorative and faux-finishing techniques. Drawing from the colorful traditions of neoclassical plaster finishes and trompe l’oeil techniques, his methods build on the past while incorporating modern styles of glazing and color washing. His commissioned work can be seen in private homes and commercial locales, and when he's not imbuing work and living spaces with his talents, Ron teaches multiple-day workshops in The Faux School studio.

Drawing on 20 years of experience as a master painter with the North American Decorative Artist Association and boasting the ability to spell Michelangelo, Ron guides artists of all levels through basic and advanced home-design techniques, incorporating paint, textured finishes, and lime-based Venetian plasters, which add depth to plain walls and floors. Ron also helps his students to explore new approaches to home decoration, with lessons that help students to take control of their environments or take steps toward forming their own home-decorating businesses, regardless of prior artistic experience.

Light Cessna planes soar over the rolling green fields surrounding Freeway Airport before making their landing at the FAA-approved repair-and-maintenance facility. Staffed by FAA technicians and certified flight instructors, the aviation center services professional pilots with 24-hour fuel access, charts and plates, and other pilot supplies, and also educates budding aviators in the art of flight. For almost 50 years, the training center has supported pilots in their quests for sport, recreational, private, and instrument licenses as well as advanced commercial flight certificates. Staff instruct pupils with toolssuch as a Redbird FMX with a 200-degree wraparound visual cockpit displayand up-to-10-week ground classes teach flight principles and the best jokes to tell during passenger-safety briefings. Alternatively, during hands-on discovery flights, they let students take the helm of light aircraft to experience basic flight under their watchful instruction.

If the main objective of the glamour photographer is to make the model look attractive, there are probably more challenging subjects than Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera—but that doesn't mean David Blecman is complaining. The Positive Negatives founder and longtime shutterbug—he was named the photo editor of his county newspaper before his 20th birthday more than 30 years ago—has a history of plucking these plum gigs, having snapped pictures of celebrities such as Jimmy Buffett and Gene Simmons and worked for commercial clients including Sears, JCPenney, and Bath & Body Works.

At his studio, Blecman applies his skills toward shooting everything from headshots for models and actors to portraits of kids and teens. He also shares his expertise during workshops that cover both photography and modeling, so students can know what it feels like to be on both sides of a lens without giving their neighbors a turn with the binoculars.

The team at Pottery n More eschews cookie-cutter designs in favor of rampant creativity. They help guests select plaster items including tableware and holiday-, garden-, or pet-themed figurines to be covered with a choice of 15 different glitters and easy-to-use acrylic paints. The studio hosts parties for kids and adults, and programs such as summer camps, parents' nights out, and home makeovers for bottled genies. In the new game room, children bounce on inflatables or play board games while watching cartoons.

From their home base at Carroll County Airport, Dream Flight School's FAA-certified flight instructors take aspiring pilots above northern Maryland for instruction and training. The flight school’s creator, Jeremy Etzkorn, has more than 600 hours of flight time inside the cockpit of the school's Cessna 172s and Liberty XL2 aircraft. Instructional classes include one-on-one discovery flights, where potential pilots can get a taste of aviation, from the preflight checklist to the postflight interview with the landing gear. The school also offers full pilot's certification, as students work with a flight instructor with at least 350 hours of flight time.