Amid a global pilot shortage, Fort Myers-based Paragon Flight Training doubled down on its commitment to training more pilots. It took possession of the first of 10 Piper aircraft slated for delivery this year as part of the flight training academy based out of Page Field’s fleet modernization that will include the purchase of 40 more Piper aircraft over the next five years, company president and owner Christopher Schoensee said.

Following the January groundbreaking of Paragon’s expanded 9,000-square-foot learning center at Page Field, Schoensee said he hopes to triple the size of the current fleet with the additional purchase of up to 50 Piper aircraft by the end of 2027. Founded in 2006, Paragon offers commercial, military and recreational pilot training using both aircraft and advanced simulator technology.

The new training platform is the Piper P100i, a modernized version of Piper’s time-tested Archer training aircraft. Paragon Flight Chief Flight Instructor Jeff Wolf and Flight Administrative Director Sarah Schoensee took delivery of the aircraft from Vero Beach-based Piper.

“The addition of the Pilot 100i to the Paragon training curriculum will help enable them to provide a cost-effective training solution while working to cultivate a well-trained pilot pipeline for the airline industry,” Piper Aircraft President and CEO John Calcagno said.