United Flight Systems

One checkride stood between Jacob O'Leary and a Private Pilot certificate — and they absolutely crushed it. 🛫

The Private Pilot is where every aviation story truly begins — the cert that opens up the sky and turns a dream into a destination. The dedication it takes to reach this milestone is no small thing, and Jacob brought it every single day of training.

None of this happens without Ross Hornback — the instruction, the preparation, and the confidence to climb in and own the moment. Incredible work to both of them.

Wheels up on an incredible future, Jacob — welcome to the UFS pilot family!

Five years in, and we're just getting started. ✈️

United Flight Systems is proud to celebrate 5 years as a Liberty University Flight Training Affiliate — and what a ride it's been. Over 100 Liberty students have launched their aviation careers right here with us, logging hours, earning ratings, and chasing their dreams one flight at a time.

Liberty's commitment to equipping the next generation of aviators lines up perfectly with everything we stand for at UFS. This partnership has made a real impact — on our students, our instructors, and our community — and we couldn't be more grateful for it.

Here's to the next five years… and to picking up that 10-year award before we know it. 🏆

The sky has this way of making everything else look small. Wingtip out, worries gone. That's the deal we made with aviation.

📸 Photo by Royce Howley

One pilot. One plane. Zero instructors. ✈️

That's what Craig Freeman did on May 24th — took to the skies completely solo for the very first time. First solo is a milestone every aviator remembers for the rest of their life, and Craig absolutely delivered.

Shoutout to Kevin Hunter, CFI, CFII for putting in the hours of instruction and knowing exactly when their student was ready to fly alone. That trust in a student means everything.

Can't wait to see where this takes you, Craig — the sky is just the beginning!