Ortega Aviation To Open Single-Engine Turboprop Training Facility

WICHITA—Ortega Aviation Services, based in Wichita, has begun construction of a $2.2 million turboprop training facility, Turboprop Training Solutions (TTS), to provide initial, recurrent and proficiency training for single-engine turboprop aircraft.

Training is expected to begin in the spring of 2027 for Cessna Caravan 208B and Pilatus PC-12 aircraft using FAA-approved Advanced Aviation Training Devices. The company’s five-year plan is to have a total of six simulators, with future models based on demand.

Despite a growing need for training across the industry, few facilities nationwide offer the specialized training. Demand is driven in part by insurance companies requiring yearly simulator-based proficiency checks and by a nationwide increase in pilot certifications, said Kirby Ortega, Ortega Aviation Services co-owner and chief pilot.

TTS is expected to initially attract more than 400 trainees a year, or about 10% of the national market. In five years, the facility is expected to train 2,000 pilots a year.

“The new venture will offer real opportunity for turboprop airplane owners and operators with an innovative approach specific to their mission and location,” said Teresa Ortega, co-owner and managing partner. “Operating a Part 61 organization, we will have a unique ability to tailor the training scenarios to the specific customer.” A Part 61 facility trains students on aircraft that do not require a type rating, such as single-engine turboprops.

Adding turboprop training will help pilots wanting to step up from other aircraft. “Their big jump is from a single [engine aircraft] into a turboprop of some sort,” Kirby said. “We can do the training for them. Not only that, but if they haven’t really decided on what make or model, we can do the sales consulting with them.”

For the Ortegas, a husband-and-wife team who began their careers at what is now Textron Aviation, turboprop training is a natural step, because of their work with business jets. Owners and operators of single-engine turboprops naturally step up into small jets, such as the Citation Mustang or the Citation 525 series, Kirby said.  The goal is to create a customer for life.

“That’s what we’re hoping for,” Kirby said. Kirby, who served as chief pilot for single-engine aircraft at Textron Aviation, has more than 28,000 incident-free flight hours, has provided more than 16,500 hr. of dual instruction and has received numerous honors, such as the FAA National Flight Instructor of the Year, induction into the National Association of Flight Instructors Hall of Fame and the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame and the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.