Cascade Air

Cascade Air is a family-owned flight school and FBO at Southwest Washington Regional Airport (KKLS) in Kelso, Washington. It took over the airport's FBO on 1 April 2021 under a 25-year contract with the City of Kelso. The owner, Jessica Statham, runs it with her family. Her husband and her father are pilots too. The company says its aim is to keep general aviation alive in the region.

Flight training

Cascade Air trains pilots under FAA rules from the first discovery flight to the instructor certificate. Courses on its website include private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, certified flight instructor (CFI) and multi-engine rating. It also offers ground school, flight reviews, instrument proficiency checks, and complex and high-performance endorsements. There is a youth and high school aviation programme for local students.

Kelso is a quiet airport south of Portland, so students spend less time waiting and more time flying. The school says this keeps training costs down compared with busy Portland-area airports.

Aircraft rental

The rental fleet is listed on the website with hourly rates. It has seven aircraft:

• Cessna 172K (N7163G), IFR, dual Garmin GI 275, GTN 650
• Cessna 172M (N64250), dual Dynon displays, Garmin 340
• Cessna 150L (N17203 and N7932G)
• Cessna 152 (N49149)
• Cessna 182RG (N2373C), Garmin 750, retractable gear
• Beechcraft Travel Air BE95 (N95WT), twin engine, for multi-engine training

All aircraft have ADS-B In and Out. Posted rates run from US$115 an hour for the Cessna 150 and 152 to US$315 an hour for the Travel Air, plus US$58 an hour for an instructor. Renters complete a checkout first.

FBO services

As the airport's FBO, Cascade Air sells full-service Jet A and self-serve 100LL. The airport says self-serve 100LL is available 24 hours a day and Jet A is delivered by truck in working hours. The FBO building was renovated and has a private lounge, free Wi-Fi, coffee, snacks and pilot supplies. Crews get a crew car, secure overnight parking, ramp-side help with parking and baggage, and rental car drop-off. Day-use tie-down parking is free. Hangars are rented through the City of Kelso.

Maintenance

The in-house maintenance shop has A&P and IA mechanics. It does annual inspections, routine maintenance, repairs and owner support for piston aircraft.

Location

Southwest Washington Regional Airport sits between Kelso and Longview, about 50 miles north of Portland, Oregon, and just off Interstate 5. The FBO is at 2215 A Parrott Way, Kelso, WA 98626. Cascade Air has a 4.9 star rating from 42 Google reviews at the time of writing. Reviews praise the instructors, the maintenance team and the lower fuel prices since the family took over.