Coast Aero Ventures
Located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, our Part 61 flight school proudly serves the entire Coastal Mississippi region, including Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. We specialize in personalized pilot training with a strong emphasis on foundational stick and rudder skills, using a fleet of well-maintained light sport aircraft. Our passionate instructors are dedicated to tailoring each student’s experience to their goals—whether you’re flying for fun or pursuing a career in aviation. From sport pilot to commercial pilot, or learn about becoming a sport pilot instructor! We welcome students of all ages and experience levels who are ready to take to the skies.
Flight Instructors
Mark enjoys sharing the joy of flight with others, and has been instructing over 30 years. He began flying with his dad at age 7, and hasn't stopped yet. After serving 30 years in the USAF as a Navigator with the Hurricane Hunters, he continues to assist those interested in aviation achieve their goals.
You can find Mitch out at the airport almost every day giving lessons in one of the CT's. He is passionate about flying and tries to widen his experience by flying as many different types of airplanes as he can. He is from Maine and now calls Ocean Springs home!
One of our newer instructors, Allison started as a Sport CFI and is working her way to her "Initial" CFI. She started flying later in life, and has fulfilled a life long dream. She enjoys travelling in her spare time.
Troy is an excellent flight instructor with many years of experience. He is a Civil Air Patrol check pilot.
Ocean Springs Airport (5R2)
Coast Aero Ventures is located at 5R2 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi – right on the Gulf Coast. The airport features one runway (18/36) that’s 3,500 feet long.
5R2 provides a great training environment as it is a quiet, non-towered airport with close access to several towered airports, a large Class B airspace, and a Special Use airspace that provide excellent training opportunities. Not only do you get a varied training experience, but you also get to see the beautiful Mississippi coastline, river deltas and barrier islands from above! It’s not uncommon to see schools of fish or dolphins while you fly in the area.
