Ace Pilot Training, Inc. is a Part 61 and Part 141 flight school based at Lehigh Valley International Airport (KABE) in Allentown, Pennsylvania, operating since 1992. The school is led by President and Chief Flight Instructor Gus Yialamas and offers airplane flight instruction and aircraft rentals from Private Pilot through Multi-Engine Airline Transport Pilot. Training is conducted entirely within the Class C airspace environment at KABE, with full-time ATC on the field — a meaningful advantage for students who want professional airspace exposure from their first lesson.   Both FAA Part 61 and Part 141 programs are available across the full certificate and rating progression: Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot (single and multi-engine), Certified Flight Instructor (CFI, CFII, MEI), and Multi-Engine Add-On. Part 141 programs carry the benefit of reduced minimum hour requirements for instrument and commercial certificates and are structured under FAA-approved curricula — relevant for students on career tracks or those whose hours benefit from the 141 hour reduction. The school's career programs include a job placement pathway with a premier East Coast jet charter service, providing a direct pipeline for graduates seeking professional flying employment.   Ace Pilot Training is SEVIS-certified and fully M1 Student Visa approved through the U.S. Department of State, making it accessible to international students pursuing professional pilot training in the United States. Student housing is available for those relocating for training. FAA and FCC knowledge test administration is offered on-site. Sightseeing flights are also available, and the school's positioning at KABE — with airline, cargo, and military traffic regularly visible and active on the field — makes the school's marketing tagline "more than just learning to fly, this is Ace PILOT training" meaningful in context.

Home Airport(s)

Lehigh Valley International Airport ICAO: KABE | IATA: ABE | FAA LID: ABE   Located in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, approximately three miles northeast of Allentown and four miles northwest of Bethlehem. Owned and operated by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority. The airport covers 2,278 acres at an elevation of 393 ft MSL. KABE is the fourth-busiest passenger airport in Pennsylvania and the third-busiest by total operations, handling over 81,000 flights and more than 1 million passengers in 2025. Scheduled commercial service is provided by American, Delta, United, and Frontier. FedEx and Amazon Air operate significant cargo operations on the field. Full-time ATC tower; Class C airspace.   Runways: Runway 06​/​24 — 7,599 ft × 150 ft (primary; asphalt; ILS​/​LOC both ends; RNAV​/​GPS; MALSR; HIRL; noise abatement procedures for turbojet aircraft; preferential runway) Runway 13​/​31 — 5,800 ft × 150 ft (secondary; asphalt; ILS​/​LOC Runway 31; RNAV​/​GPS both ends; HIRL) Traffic pattern altitude: 1,400 ft MSL (1,006 ft AGL) for reciprocating props; 2,000 ft MSL for turbine aircraft. Birds, groundhogs, and deer on and in the vicinity of the airport.   For flight training, KABE provides one of the most professionally demanding training environments in Pennsylvania. Training directly alongside scheduled airline jets, FedEx A300F cargo aircraft, Amazon Air 767s, and regular military traffic — including C-130s — means students at KABE develop ATC communication fluency, wake turbulence awareness, and runway sequencing discipline that simply cannot be replicated at a quiet GA field. Class C communications protocol becomes second nature within the first few hours of training, and students graduate with genuine multi-traffic situational awareness. The 7,599-foot primary runway provides extensive margin for all piston training aircraft and introduces students to real-world runway length judgment against an airport-grade standard. The Lehigh Valley's geographic position — within the New York ARTCC footprint, approximately 60 nm west of Philadelphia International and 75 nm north of PHL's Class B airspace — places students in one of the most consistently busy ATC environments in the northeastern U.S.

Fleet and Facilities

Ace Pilot Training maintains a fleet of 14 aircraft covering primary, instrument, commercial, complex, high-performance, and multi-engine training: Cessna 152 (×6: N47108, N10VF, N25899, N68329, N89980, N94577, N6596P) — Two-seat primary trainers; used for initial dual instruction and solo work; economical platform for high-frequency pattern practice. Piper Cherokee (×4: N8543E, N15037, N32177, N586FL) — PA-28 family four-seat single-engine trainers; used for Private Pilot through Commercial training; standard VFR and IFR configurations. Cessna 172P (N55264) — Four-seat single-engine; used for Private Pilot, Instrument, and cross-country training. Mooney M20J (N6887U) — High-performance, retractable-gear single-engine; used for complex​/​high-performance endorsements and commercial training; cruise speed well above the Cherokee and 172, providing an efficient cross-country training platform. Beechcraft Duchess 76 (N760A) — Light twin; used for Multi-Engine Rating and MEI training; standard twin-engine trainer with conventional Piper​/​Beechcraft cockpit environment. ELITE RC-1 Flight Simulator — FAA-approved flight training device used for instrument training, procedure practice, and pre-checkride preparation. Hours loggable toward Instrument Rating and other certificates under Part 61 and 141 requirements.   Facilities are located at 600 Hayden Circle, Suite 4, on the KABE field. FAA and FCC computerized testing is conducted on-site. Student housing is available for out-of-area students. Gift certificates and student financing are offered.

Hours of Operation

Monday through Sunday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Additional Notes

Ace Pilot Training's location at a Class C commercial service airport is the central differentiator from the many Part 61 schools operating out of quieter GA fields in the region. The consistent exposure to airline, cargo, and military traffic at KABE produces graduates who are genuinely prepared for the operational reality of professional aviation — not just checkride standards. Students who train here regularly hold short of runway for arriving Allegiant or Frontier jets, monitor wake turbulence procedures for departing regional aircraft, and navigate coordinated Class C transitions on cross-country flights. That experience is difficult to replicate at a lower-activity airport and has direct value for pilots headed toward airline or charter careers.   The M1 visa and SEVIS certification, combined with on-site FAA testing, student housing, and the job placement pipeline to East Coast jet charter, positions Ace Pilot Training as a credible end-to-end professional pilot training pathway — from zero time through multi-engine commercial with a clear next step. The 14-aircraft fleet gives the school meaningful redundancy for keeping students on schedule, which is particularly important for career-track students managing financing and timeline commitments.