SIMPRO Flight Training, Inc. is a simulator-focused FAA-approved aviation training center operating on Aurora Municipal Airport (KARR) in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The facility traces its origins to the Glass Simulator Center, which was established in 2001 and built a two-decade reputation as one of the Midwest's most reliable destinations for recurrent and type-specific simulator training. In November 2017, ownership under Thomas Hakes, President of Flight Logistics of Green Bay, Wisconsin, rebranded the operation as SIMPRO Flight Training, coinciding with a facility renovation that added an updated pilot lounge and a new classroom equipped with full audio-visual capabilities.   SIMPRO operates as a simulator-primary training center rather than a traditional flight school offering primary instruction in actual aircraft. Its market is working pilots — corporate aviators, charter pilots, owner-operators, and instrument-rated general aviation pilots — who require recurrent training, insurance-mandated proficiency checks, aircraft type transitions, or initial qualification in higher-performance equipment. The center holds approvals from the FAA and from most major aviation insurance underwriters, and it maintains a stated 100% success rate in securing training approval from carriers that did not previously recognize the facility. Discounted rates are available for company groups, and a second pilot can be accommodated at a reduced rate.   Training programs are structured around three delivery formats: an accelerated single-day program with home study, a standard two-day recurrent program, and multi-day initial training scheduled around the student's calendar. A Turbine Transition Course is also available for pilots moving from piston to turbine platforms. SIMPRO is affiliated with the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and it uses Frasca International flight training devices exclusively across its simulator fleet. The center serves a geographically broad student base drawn from across the Midwest and beyond, filling a market gap for professional-grade simulator access in the Chicago suburban corridor without the cost or logistical burden of traveling to major Part 142 training centers in other states.   The center is managed by Arthur "Art" St. Arnaud, who serves as Chief Simulator Instructor. St. Arnaud has accumulated nearly 10,000 hours of total flight time with approximately 5,000 hours of dual given across a career spanning both corporate and airline operations. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. His tenure at the facility predates the 2017 rebrand, and his name is specifically cited by past ownership as a central reason for retaining him during the transition.

Home Airport(s)

Chicago​/​Aurora Municipal Airport (IATA: AUZ, ICAO: KARR, FAA LID: ARR) is a publicly owned, public-use airport located in the village of Sugar Grove, Kane County, Illinois, approximately 8 miles west of the city of Aurora and 35 to 50 miles west of central Chicago, depending on the reference point used. The airport sits at an elevation of 712 feet MSL and covers approximately 1,100 acres. It is owned and operated by the City of Aurora. The FAA designates KARR as a reliever airport for Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport, reflecting its capacity and infrastructure relative to the primary commercial hubs to the northeast.

Fleet and Facilities

SIMPRO Flight Training operates no training aircraft. The center's program is entirely simulator-based, using a fleet of five Frasca International Flight Training Devices. All FTDs are FAA-approved. The facility is located in the large red hangar east of the control tower on the KARR field, addressed at 43W450 U.S. Highway 30, Sugar Grove, IL 60554. Following the 2017 renovation, the physical space includes a dedicated pilot lounge and a full-capability classroom with modern audio-visual equipment for ground instruction. Frasca King Air 200 Flight Training Device The King Air FTD replicates the flight deck of a Beechcraft King Air 200 and supports training across the full King Air family, including the 90, C90, E90, F90, 100, B100, 200, 300, and 350 series. The device features a TruVision 170-degree wrap-around full visual display capable of rendering day, dusk, and night conditions along with simulated weather including clouds, precipitation, reduced visibility, and crosswinds. The simulated avionics suite includes the KFC 200 autopilot system, the KLN 90B GPS, and the KNS 80 navigation system. A Jeppesen navigation database is installed. The device incorporates dynamic control loading and a DSP-based sound system. Aircraft systems modeled include engines, electrical, fuel, hydraulic, pressurization, air conditioning, pneumatics, propeller, and flight controls to the extent required for normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures. Aerodynamic effects are modeled using a manufacturer data package that accounts for attitude, thrust, drag, altitude, temperature, gross weight, and center of gravity variations. This FTD serves as the primary device for King Air type transitions, initial training, and recurrent proficiency.   Frasca 142 Single Engine and Multi Engine Flight Training Device The Frasca 142 is a versatile FTD that can represent both light twin-engine and single-engine aircraft through the addition of a single-engine conversion kit, installable in minutes. In its standard multi-engine configuration, the cockpit accurately replicates a typical light multi-engine flight deck and is capable of modeling pressurized and turbocharged piston aircraft. The device uses a TruFlight 170-degree wrap-around visual system rendering day, night, and dusk conditions with full weather simulation. Avionics include an actual Garmin GNS 430 GPS​/​NAV​/​COM, a King KLN 94 GPS, and the KFC 150 autopilot system. Electric trim is standard. The Jeppesen navigation database is installed. Multi-engine type coverage includes the Aerostar, Aero Commander, Beechcraft Baron, Beechcraft Duke, Cessna 310, 340, 402, 414, and 421, Piper Chieftain, Piper Cheyenne, and Piper Navajo. Single-engine type coverage includes the Beechcraft Bonanza, Cessna Skyhawk, Skylane, Stationair, Centurion, Mooney, Piper Arrow, Dakota, Malibu, and Saratoga, as well as Cirrus aircraft.   Frasca Cirrus SR22 Flight Training Device The Frasca Cirrus SR22 FTD is a type-specific device representative of the Cirrus SR22 aircraft and is one of only a small number of such devices in operation nationally — SIMPRO has identified itself as one of only four facilities in the country operating this specific Frasca-manufactured SR22 FTD. The device incorporates actual Avidyne flight deck hardware, including the Avidyne FlightMax PFD, the Avidyne EX5000C MFD, dual Garmin GNS 430 GPS​/​NAV​/​COM units, the Garmin GMA 340 audio panel, and the S-TEC 55X autopilot. Actual Cirrus side yoke assemblies are installed, and second-seat copilot flight controls are present. The visual system is a Frasca TruVision 180-degree wrap-around LCD display at high resolution. The device is certified as a Level 4 FTD with Level 6 visuals and includes operable circuit breakers. Simulation of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) deployment and parachute descent is available — a capability unique to this platform and relevant for both initial and recurrent SR22 training. Programs offered include a two-day initial course covering approximately eight hours of simulator time and eight hours of classroom instruction, a half-day recurrent option, and a non-flying companion course designed to increase passenger confidence and emergency preparedness.   Frasca Mentor G1000 (WAAS) Flight Training Device The Frasca Mentor G1000 is a single-engine procedures trainer built around actual Garmin G1000 avionics hardware and designed specifically for glass-panel proficiency and technically advanced aircraft (TAA) operations. The device uses a TruVision 37-inch LCD display rendering day, dusk, and night environments with cloud, visibility, and weather variation. Installed avionics are the actual Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck system and the actual Garmin GFC 700 autopilot system. Full WAAS capability is incorporated, and the Jeppesen navigation database is installed. Full-sized flight controls and a reconfigurable visual database complete the package. This device is suited for pilots transitioning to G1000-

Hours of Operation

SIMPRO Flight Training does not publish fixed daily hours of operation in the conventional sense. The center's scheduling model is built around the student's calendar rather than a standard office schedule, consistent with its positioning as an on-demand professional training facility. The tagline used across SIMPRO's marketing materials is "We're on your schedule," and the center explicitly offers multi-day programs structured around individual student availability. Ground school and simulator blocks can be arranged on weekdays, weekends, and evenings. Prospective students are directed to contact the center directly to schedule a training event.

Additional Notes

SIMPRO occupies a distinct and underserved position in the Midwest general aviation training market. Most simulator-only training centers of comparable equipment quality are concentrated at major aviation hubs — FlightSafety, CAE, SimuFlite, and similar Part 142 operators serve the upper end of the turbine market in locations like Dallas, Atlanta, or Denver. SIMPRO functions as a regional alternative: a facility with legitimately FAA-approved Frasca FTDs, insurance-accepted training records, and experienced ATP-credentialed instructors, accessible to Midwest-based pilots without the need to book a flight, hotel, and rental car in another city. For owner-operators of King Airs, pressurized Cessnas, Pipers, or Cirrus aircraft, the geographic convenience is a meaningful operational advantage.   The Cirrus SR22 FTD distinction is worth noting separately. At the time of SIMPRO's public communications, the center identified itself as one of only four facilities in the country operating a Frasca-built type-specific SR22 FTD — a claim that, if current, would make this one of the more difficult-to-access training devices in the GA simulator ecosystem. The inclusion of CAPS deployment simulation is not available in most general-purpose FTDs and has direct relevance to Cirrus accident prevention, where parachute system familiarity and decision-making under pressure are among the most critical pilot skills. Cirrus owners anywhere in the Midwest would have limited alternatives to SIMPRO for this level of type-specific device access.   SIMPRO also serves a meaningful role for insurance compliance, particularly as underwriters continue to tighten requirements for high-performance and complex piston aircraft. The center's documented 100% approval rate with insurers who initially did not recognize the facility reflects an active working relationship with the underwriting community — a practical differentiator for pilots whose insurance mandates specific simulator training before renewals or after aircraft transitions. For corporate flight departments and charter operators managing recurring training cycles for multi-pilot crews, the discounted group and second-pilot pricing structures offer a cost-effective alternative to full-service Part 142 centers for aircraft types where the Frasca FTDs at SIMPRO provide adequate procedural fidelity.