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Patriot Pilot Academy celebrated its grand opening in Panama City Beach

Data Communications Data Comm technology, lower right, is seen in the cockpit of an UPS Boeing 767-300F aircraft at Dulles International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower in Sterling, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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FR170079 AP
Data Communications Data Comm technology, lower right, is seen in the cockpit of an UPS Boeing 767-300F aircraft at Dulles International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower in Sterling, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Patriot Pilot Academy celebrated its grand opening on Saturday.

There’s a new flight school in Panama City Beach. Patriot Pilot Academy celebrated its grand opening on Saturday.

Officials hope the program will help attract more pilots and big airlines to the Florida panhandle.

"We're not limited to just career pilots," Patriot Pilot Academy Director of Operations and owner Chad Kotajarvi said. "We'll get your individual rating up, if you just want your private pilot certificate."

Kotajarvi says he opened the school last August, but the Federal Aviation Administration has just awarded the full accreditation to train aspiring pilots to fly private and commercial planes.

The new pilot training program is located right beside Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The academy offers a total of 6 flying programs.

"We're smacked between Tallahassee and Pensacola, there's one or two schools and I think we make the second one that's a career minded school," Kotajarvi said. "To get a good school out here with a good reputation, is extremely important to me."

For more information on Patriot Pilot Academy, call 850-900-9900 or click here.

Adrian Andrews is a multimedia journalist with WFSU Public Media. He is a Gadsden County native and a first-generation college graduate from Florida A&M University. Adrian is also a military veteran, ending his career as a Florida Army National Guard Non-Comissioned Officer.

Adrian has experience in print writing, digital content creation, documentary, and film production. He has spent the last four years on the staff of several award-winning publications such as The Famuan, Gadsden County News Corp, and Cumulus Media before joining the WFSU news team.