Acadian Aviation Pilot Training Centre (also marketed as Acadian Pilot) is Acadiana's longest-running dedicated flight training operation, founded in 2007 and based at Lafayette Regional Airport (KLFT) in Lafayette, Louisiana. The school is owned and operated by Raja Gharazeddine, a Gold Seal Certificated Flight Instructor with ATP ratings who also holds advanced ground instructor credentials and teaches private pilot ground school at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Gold Seal CFI designation is awarded by the FAA to instructors who demonstrate consistently high first-time pass rates among their students — a meaningful quality credential in a market where instructor experience varies widely.   Acadian Pilot's most prominent differentiator is its full-time instruction model. In a market where most flight schools employ part-time CFIs who are building time toward other career goals, Acadian Aviation's instructors teach because it is their primary occupation and professional identity. Raja Gharazeddine has been explicit about this distinction in the school's messaging: students schedule on their terms, not around an instructor who has to be at an airline simulator the next morning. This flexibility — available seven days a week — is particularly valuable for working professionals, helicopter pilots seeking fixed-wing transitions, and students coming from outside the area for intensive training blocks.   Training programs cover the full certificate and rating pathway: Recreational Pilot, Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor (CFI​/​CFII), Multi-Engine Rating, and a Professional Pilot Program designed for students targeting airline careers. The school also offers upset and spin training — a safety-oriented addition that goes beyond the standard syllabus and reflects the school's emphasis on developing pilots who can handle the full range of in-flight situations. Fixed-wing transition training is available for helicopter pilots. VA benefits are accepted, making the school accessible to veterans.   Acadian Aviation operates a FAA-approved testing center, maintains on-site simulator facilities, and has a classroom, pilot briefing room, and administrative offices at its KLFT campus. A secondary location at Alexandria International Airport (KAEX) extends the school's reach across south-central Louisiana.

Home Airport(s)

Lafayette Regional Airport ​/​ Paul Fournet Field ICAO: KLFT | IATA: LFT | FAA LID: LFT   Located approximately two miles southeast of downtown Lafayette in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Owned and operated by the City Parish of Lafayette. The airport covers approximately 746 acres at an elevation of 40–42 ft MSL. Lafayette Regional is home to one of the world's largest helicopter companies — Petroleum Helicopters International (PHI) — reflecting the airport's deep ties to Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas aviation. It receives scheduled regional jet service to Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas​/​Fort Worth, and Houston.   Runways: Runway 04R​/​22L — 8,000 ft × 150 ft (primary; asphalt; ILS​/​LOC approaches; RNAV​/​GPS both ends; HIRL; lighted distance remaining signs) Runway 11​/​29 — 5,400 ft × 148 ft (crosswind; asphalt; RNAV​/​GPS approaches; returned to active service in mid-2024 following rehabilitation and FAA clearance) Full-time ATC tower. Class C airspace. ATIS on field.   For flight training, KLFT is a richly layered environment that stands out in the Gulf Coast region. The 8,000-foot primary runway gives training aircraft abundant room on every takeoff and landing, eliminating runway length as a limiting factor even in summer density altitude conditions. The Class C airspace with a full-time tower means students coordinate with professional ATC from their earliest flights, building radio discipline and situational awareness that directly prepares them for the Class B airspace environments common in airline operations. The airport's heavy helicopter traffic — PHI alone is one of the world's largest offshore helicopter operators — creates a truly mixed-use airspace environment that challenges students to maintain constant traffic awareness and pattern discipline. South Louisiana's weather is predominantly favorable for VFR flying, with long stretches of clear, warm conditions and manageable humidity, though Gulf Coast weather systems, convective activity, and coastal fog can create genuine IFR conditions that make instrument training authentic and operationally relevant. The flat coastal plain terrain and proximity to the Gulf provide straightforward cross-country routing options and a compelling regional navigation environment.

Fleet and Facilities

Acadian Aviation operates an all-Piper fleet, deliberately selected for training characteristics that develop skills transferable to larger aircraft. The fleet includes: Piper Tomahawk (PA-38) — Two-seat primary trainer; honest, responsive handling characteristics famously modeled to match larger aircraft control feel; excellent visibility; well-suited to early primary training including spin training. The Tomahawk's flight characteristics were designed in consultation with professional flight instructors specifically for training. Piper Warrior (PA-28-151​/​161) — Four-seat trainer; standard VFR and IFR training platform; widely used for Private Pilot through Commercial training; familiar to instrument examiners nationwide. Piper Archer III (PA-28-181) — Four-seat advanced trainer with ergonomically designed flight deck; 180 hp; used for instrument, commercial, and advanced VFR training. Piper Arrow III (PA-28R-201) — Retractable gear; complex aircraft used for complex endorsement and commercial pilot requirements. Piper Twin Comanche (PA-30) — Twin-engine aircraft used for Multi-Engine Rating training; cruise speed up to 170 knots; capable of extended cross-country flights including Gulf Coast and Southeast destinations.   Two simulators are on-site for instrument training, procedure practice, and pre-checkride preparation. TAA aircraft are available in the fleet, meeting the commercial pilot TAA requirement. On-site facilities at 123 Grissom Drive include a 20-seat classroom, pilot briefing room, simulator room, testing center, and administrative offices.

Additional Notes

Acadian Aviation occupies a distinctive position in the Louisiana flight training market. The all-Piper fleet is a deliberate pedagogical choice — the Tomahawk, Warrior, Arrow, and Twin Comanche form a coherent training progression with consistent handling philosophies and increasingly complex systems, making aircraft transitions within the school straightforward. The Piper family's reputation for training-specific design and large-aircraft handling similarity is well documented, and Acadian Aviation has built its entire training philosophy around exploiting those characteristics.   The school's location at KLFT is particularly notable given the helicopter aviation culture that surrounds the airport. South Louisiana is one of the most active offshore helicopter markets in the world, and KLFT's daily mix of fixed-wing training, regional jets, and heavy helicopter operations creates an ATC and traffic awareness environment that few GA training airports can replicate. Students who earn certificates here graduate with genuine mixed-traffic airspace experience.   The school's upset and spin training offering is worth highlighting for prospective students — it reflects a safety philosophy that goes beyond the minimum FAA requirements and specifically addresses the aerodynamic scenarios responsible for a disproportionate share of fatal GA accidents. That this is offered by the chief instructor personally, with Gold Seal credentials, gives it added credibility.