In the summer of 2019, I attended the LSA show at KMVN and inquired about where I might find an LSA school that provided living accommodations and concentrated flying instruction.
The airport manager and owners of SRT said “Well, why don’t you just do it here?”. So, for the first time in 20 years I took the summer off from my teaching job in Burlington, IA to focus on getting my Light Sport License. I arrived in early May 2020 with my ground school completed and finished by the end of July. The experience was amazing, and the location was perfect as the Midwest summer weather provides abundant time to receive instruction as well as flight time. The onsite accommodations afforded me the ability to study in a quiet environment when I was not in the air with my instructor preparing for my check ride. The field has three runways, two paved and one grass strip. The meals and service from the onsite restaurant are first rate. The Mt. Vernon area has a lot of additional activities when I needed a break from the intense and condensed training. Nearby recreational and cultural activities include first-class sculpture park, art museum, multiple lakes, and Southern IL is the home of the beautiful Shawnee National forest.
KMVN has two new LSA Aeroprakts, a group of instructors, and have recently hired a flight director. The Airport has made a commitment to providing quality instruction on a reasonable time frame with competitive pricing. SRT and Sink Aviation are committed to maintaining a student-centered service through on-line scheduling, timely aircraft fueling/towing, and maintenance timing. The aircraft are new and in great condition.
I learned much more than how to fly from my new KMVN family. I gained an abundance of information by being immersed into the everyday activities of airport operations. I was invited to attend airport board meetings, a couple of the EAA meetings and assisted with their experimental aircraft project. I also found ways to volunteer with airport projects and FBO projects.