Greenville’s busiest professionals interested in flying will now have the time to learn, thanks to a new flight school’s modern curriculum. Dimitri Partafyllas has launched Stratos Aviation at the Greenville Downtown Airport for students who wish to study at their own convenience.
The school’s training program will utilize a computer-based curriculum and contain an online syllabus for students to access prior to their upcoming flight lessons, Partafyllas said.
The program involves the use of a DVD containing study materials and is considered the most time-efficient manner of teaching future pilots, he said. The study materials can drastically shorten the one-on-one time with the flight instructor during live lessons.
Partafyllas said the innovative program allows the student to study on his own time or when weather does not provide ideal conditions for flight.
“This method of teaching will allow students to remain connected with the material so the instructor does not have to spend a great deal of time on review,” he said. “This program will use both online study materials and live lessons with a flight instructor.”
Partafyllas said Stratos Aviation offers introductory discovery flights, pilot training and aircraft rental.
Stratos Aviation is a Part 61 flight school of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with flexible hours to accommodate any schedule, he said. The school offers both primary and advanced flight training for private instrument and commercial pilots.
Upon completion of the program, the student must take the FAA’s written pilot exam before a license is issued, Partafyllas said.
The written exam will include questions on FAA regulations, meteorology, flight planning, airplane systems, navigation and physiological matters, he said.
A native of Greece, Partafyllas began learning to fly in 1996 while working as a mechanical engineer in Bavaria, Germany.
“I have always had a passion for aviation,” he said.
After being transferred to the U.S. in the late ’90s, Partafyllas said he completed his pilot training in Greenville and became a flight instructor in 2007.
“I have been flying over Greenville for 13 years and I really enjoy teaching people to fly,” he said. “Now that my daughters are 19 and 21, and along with my wife’s support, I am able to follow my dream.”
Joe Frasher, director for Greenville’s downtown airport, said the city is becoming more diverse because of the region’s international companies and the many well-educated, adventuresome people who love to travel and now call it home.
“Dimitri Partafyllas is a great addition to the city and is helping others with similar interests learn to fly,” he said. “As Greenville moves further into the global marketplace, there will be many others who wish to explore our country by air.”
According to Expansion Management Magazine, the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson region was ranked as a top area for European expansion in the U.S., while Site Selection Magazine rated Greenville No. 1 in the nation for both new and expanding international firms over the past decade, Frasher said.
“If these trends continue as they are predicted to, this longtime instructor should have sunny skies ahead for his new company,” he said.
