Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Parrish.
Hi Jack, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Parrish Aviation started with me attending a large national flight school where I had a mixed experience in 2016. I saw some specific things that I thought the school could do better without compromising its bottom line that would improve the customer experience and quality of training significantly.
So in 2020 I started the flight school with one airplane and one student and grew it to where it is today with 12 aircraft and 70-120 students at any given time.
In 2022, I resigned from Envoy where I was flying as a first officer on the Embraer 175. This was a huge step for me to go full-in on the flight school and was the best decision I ever made. Up until that point, the school was a side-gig for me, but since then I have fallen in love with the goal of making Parrish the best flight school in the country, and I think we are well on our way to accomplishing that.
In 2025 we acquired another flight school and are now an FAA Part 141 Certificated flight school with airline and lending partners, an impeccable safety record, and in-house maintenance.
Due to my background in tailwheel, glider, and aerobatic flying, we have created an airmanship course that is the only one of its kind in the country. The course was inspired in part by the USAF pilot training, and has been implemented to create the best pilots possible without increasing the timeline or cost of training for both Private and Career program students.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was a significant challenge to scale to the size required to justify in-house maintenance. Before having our own maintenance crew, the cost and logistics to outsource is a serious challenge for any young flight school. Thankfully, we quickly grew beyond that threshold and have had internal maintenance since 2021. This is necessary to compete long-term as a flight school in an industry that is competitive and operations heavy.
Also, my younger brother and I started the business together, he was to instruct and I was to run the business side of things. We quickly realized that I was where he wanted to be (the airlines) and that he was where I wanted to be (operating the flight school) so when he reached his hours to be hired by the airlines, we arranged a buy out and switched places in 2022. He is currently flying for a regional airline and has a training date scheduled with one of the major airlines next month.
As you know, we’re big fans of Parrish Aviation Flight Academy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Parrish is a flight school located at the Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, TX. We specialize in primary flight training for Private through Multi-Engine Instructor ratings. We have a Career Program for the student with their eyes set on flying for a living, as well as tuition financing, airline partnerships, university partnerships, and Part 61 & 141 training.
We are known for our corporate efficiency combined with a mom n’ pop experience. We function like the biggest flight schools do in many ways operationally yet we care about the customer and want them to be the best pilot possible.
All of our students are known by name here, we have regular airport cookouts, and a positive training environment.
Our training program is unique because of the airmanship course that every student completes at the beginning of their training. This includes glider, tailwheel, and upset recover training. This goes above and beyond the FAA minimum standards in a way that no school in the nation is doing. We don’t just want to make pilots, we want to make the best pilots we possibly can in the fixed timeframe they are with us. At Parrish, we understand that the training a pilot receives at our school will act like a safety net for the rest of the pilot’s career.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
At present, we have a 100% pass rate in multi-engine and glider ratings since the inception of the flight school.
Also, students can get their bachelor’s degree with us through Purdue Global online. The degree, flight training, and time building can all be accomplished in three years time. This is the fastest way to become an airline pilot and also have a backup plan.
Pricing:
- Private Pilot starting at $12,500
- Career Pilot starting at $81,950
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.parrishaviation.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parrishaviation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParrishAviation
