New flight school found for Schaumburg airport

The flight school at Schaumburg Regional Airport has closed, but officials are aiming to find its successor soon.

Schaumburg trustees have chosen Wheeling-based Windy City Flyers to succeed Northwest Aviation, which went out of business for financial reasons in May.

Schaumburg's Transportation Director June Johnson said Northwest Aviation's owner has told her the company is working through its financial difficulties, but the village hasn't seen evidence of any resolution.

No one from the company could be reached for comment.

Windy City Flyers has been based at Wheeling's Chicago Executive Airport, formerly Palwaukee, for 17 years, and Schaumburg would become a second location for the school.

An ad hoc committee of Schaumburg officials recommended Windy City Flyers over two other applicants, Illinois Aviation Academy and Travel Express Aviation, though any of the three would have done a fine job, Johnson said.

"One of the things that put (Windy City Flyers) that little bit of a hair over the other flight schools was the recommendations they received," Johnson said.

The next step will be a review of a lease agreement by the village's transportation committee on Aug. 5 before the village board's formal approval.

Northwest Aviation had been in operation since 2001. There has long been a flight school of one name or another at the Schaumburg Regional Airport, and certainly since the village purchased it in 1993, Johnson said.

Though theoretically there could be more than one flight school at the airport, practically speaking there's only one room available to rent, she added.