ACES Aviation — Aviation Certification & Education Solutions, Inc. — is a FAA Part 61 and Part 141 approved flight school based at Beaver County Airport (KBVI) in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, founded in 2009. The school serves student pilots, recreational flyers, and career-track professionals across western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and northern West Virginia, and is one of the contracted flight training providers for the Community College of Beaver County's (CCBC) nationally recognized Aviation Sciences program.   ACES offers the full professional pilot certificate and rating sequence: Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Rating, CFI, CFII, and MEI. A defining feature of the school's curriculum is its integrated instrument program — instrument training is woven into the primary training progression rather than treated as a standalone add-on, and the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit fleet ensures students develop glass avionics proficiency from early in their training. The commercial pilot program is structured to build multi-aircraft experience across three aircraft types, with a multi-engine add-on available in the Beechcraft Baron. ACES was identified in press releases as the only Western Pennsylvania flight training provider operating the Diamond DA40-180 at the time it entered service with the school.   The CCBC partnership is a central part of ACES's academic positioning. CCBC offers an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Aviation Sciences with concentrations in Professional Pilot and Air Traffic Control, and the college operates the only on-campus air traffic control tower among any college in the United States. CCBC students completing the Part 141 professional pilot program qualify for the FAA's Restricted ATP (R-ATP) pathway, which reduces the minimum flight hours for airline employment from 1,500 to 1,250. Pennsylvania residents enrolled in CCBC programs also benefit from the PA Flight Discount Fund, which provides partial per-hour reimbursement toward flight training costs. ACES students can pursue bachelor's degree pathways through articulation agreements with Geneva College, Southern Illinois University, Robert Morris University, and other partner institutions.   Beyond CCBC students, ACES serves recreational and private students directly as well as local pilots seeking instrument ratings, commercial certificates, or advanced training. Discovery flights are available for prospective students.

Home Airport(s)

Beaver County Airport ICAO: KBVI | IATA: BFP | FAA LID: BVI Note: The FAA LID is BVI, while the IATA code is BFP — an unusual split that exists because the IATA code BVI was already assigned to Birdsville Airport in Queensland, Australia.   Located approximately three miles northwest of Beaver Falls in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. County-owned public airport. The airport covers 297 acres at an elevation of approximately 1,252–1,253 ft MSL. Full-time ATC tower with ground control, tower, and clearance delivery. Class D airspace. AWOS​/​ATIS on field at 118.35 MHz. Noise abatement procedures in effect for departures; contact airport manager 0800–1600 for details. The CCBC Aviation Sciences Center is located directly on the airport grounds at 125 Cessna Drive. In 2019, the airport averaged 181 operations per day, all general aviation, with 114 based aircraft.   Runway: Runway 10​/​28 — 4,501 ft × 100 ft (sole runway; asphalt; ILS​/​LOC approach; RNAV​/​GPS approaches both ends; PAPI; MIRL)   For flight training, KBVI offers a well-structured controlled environment at moderate elevation on the western Pennsylvania plateau. The controlled Class D airspace with a full-time tower ensures students develop standard ATC communication discipline from their first lesson, and the airport's integration with the CCBC aviation program — including an on-site ATC tower staffed by CCBC students — creates a genuinely educational operational environment. Pittsburgh International Airport (KPIT, Class B) is approximately 18 nm to the southeast, making Class B airspace transitions and cross-country navigation to a major hub airport readily accessible for advanced students. Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport (KBTP, Class D) is approximately 20 nm away for additional controlled airspace cross-country experience. Western Pennsylvania's four-season Great Lakes-influenced climate — including lake-effect precipitation, regular low IFR conditions in fall and winter, and genuine icing potential — produces instrument students with authentic all-weather experience that prepares them well for professional operations.

Fleet and Facilities

ACES Aviation operates an all-Diamond primary fleet with a Beechcraft Baron for multi-engine training, plus two FAA-approved simulators: Diamond DA20-C1 Eclipse — Two-seat composite primary trainer; used for primary flight training and initial instrument work; the same aircraft type used in the USAF Academy primary training program; excellent visibility, stick controls, and efficient aerodynamics make it a modern alternative to Cessna 152​/​172 for early training. Diamond DA40-180 Star (G1000) — Four-seat composite single with Garmin G1000 glass cockpit; TAA-qualified for commercial certificate; GPS​/​moving map, synthetic vision, ADS-B, and integrated autopilot; used for instrument, commercial, and cross-country training. The G1000 suite gives ACES students glass experience that directly translates to turboprop and jet operations. Beechcraft Baron BE58A — Six-seat twin-engine multi; used for Multi-Engine Rating, MEI, and commercial multi-engine training. The Baron is a high-performance, fully IFR-capable twin with retractable gear and counter-rotating engines, providing a demanding and professionally relevant multi-engine training platform. ACES's multi-engine instructors are noted to have tens of thousands of hours in military and commercial airline aircraft. Diamond F2S1 Mate AATD (DA40 platform) — FAA-approved Advanced Aircraft Training Device configured as a DA40 with glass cockpit; used for instrument training, procedure practice, and pre-checkride preparation; hours loggable toward Instrument Rating under Part 61 and 141 requirements. Redbird MCX AATD — Full-motion FAA-approved AATD; configurable for multiple aircraft profiles; used for instrument training, emergency procedures, and simulator-based instruction.   Facilities are located at 7 Piper Street, Suite 1, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, on the KBVI field.

Hours of Operation

Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Monday by appointment.

Additional Notes

ACES Aviation's most distinctive characteristic in the western Pennsylvania market is its all-Diamond fleet for primary training. The DA20 and DA40 bring a level of aerodynamic sophistication, composite construction, and glass cockpit technology to early flight training that is genuinely unusual at a small regional school. Most comparable schools in the area train on Cessnas or Pipers; ACES's decision to build around Diamond aircraft reflects a deliberate philosophy that students should learn on modern aircraft from the outset rather than transitioning to glass later.   The CCBC connection is also significant beyond just student referrals. CCBC's standing as one of the top ATC-CTI schools in the nation — with the only on-campus ATC tower in U.S. higher education — means KBVI hosts a uniquely concentrated aviation training environment. Students at ACES fly in the same airspace as CCBC ATC students who are learning to control traffic; the result is a campus-wide aviation culture at the airport that reinforces professional habits and situational awareness in a way that isolated flight schools simply cannot replicate.