Skynet Academy

For more than six decades, Skynet Academy has built its name on one principle: every pilot it trains must be ready to fly, not just to log hours. Founded in October 1962 the Tokyo-based aviation company has grown from a modest training outfit into a fully integrated general aviation provider connecting Tokyo and Sendai.

Its portfolio spans pilot training, charter operations, aerial photography, and aircraft maintenance. Each area reflects the same rigorous standards of safety, precision, and technical mastery that have defined the organization for generations.

Now a proud member of the SBC Group, Skynet Academy continues to uphold its legacy through its Three Safety Principles, a philosophy where safety is not a protocol but a culture. Every decision, from flight planning to maintenance checks, reinforces that mindset. It is the kind of consistency that sustains credibility in a sector where trust is earned one flight at a time.

At the helm is President and CEO Hiroyuki Hattori, a veteran aviation leader whose career spans the whole altitude range of commercial flight. Before founding Skynet Academy, Hattori created and led Skynet Asia Airways (now Solaseed Air: B737-800) and later served as President of IBEX Airlines, overseeing Bombardier CRJ700 operations for over a decade. Having earned both FAA ATP/CFI and JCAB certifications, he brings a rare dual-system understanding that informs every aspect of the academy’s design. Alongside COO Hirokazu Ogawa, Hattori leads a team dedicated to setting new benchmarks in flight readiness and operational excellence.

When Hattori built Skynet Academy, he envisioned a training environment that would feel less like school and more like an airline. The result is a program that mirrors real-world operations, complete with the structure, accountability, and rigor of commercial aviation. Operating under JCAB Part 135 certification, the academy meets higher standards than Part 91 institutions and undergoes annual audits by JCAB to ensure compliance and excellence.

Building Judgment Before Flight Hours Pile Up

Skynet Academy reverses the conventional approach. It trains from the hiring standard backward. Having personally hired pilots, Hattori understands what airlines value most: judgment, consistency, and technical reasoning. Each segment of the syllabus is built to cultivate those qualities deliberately.

The academy’s structure balances efficiency and affordability, designed to help students progress without unnecessary cost or delay. Ground training is not treated as a regulatory hurdle. It forms the foundation for situational awareness and critical decision-making. Students learn why maneuvers matter before they take off.

Simulation plays a major role in that learning loop. The academy operates two Level 3 Flight Training Devices (FTDs), both approved by JCAB. Students master instrument procedures in simulators first, where they can fail safely, correct immediately, and internalize standards before stepping into a cockpit. This method reduces costs, but more importantly, it embeds precision early.

The fleet is strategically balanced. Three Cessna 172S aircraft provide the foundation for early flight training, while two Diamond DA42s are used for multi-engine proficiency. The simulators complement these. This deliberate mix eliminates idle time and keeps training momentum intact because, as Hattori puts it, “stalled learning is a safety risk.”

Scholarships extend that same philosophy of responsibility. Candidates are personally interviewed and selected by Hattori himself, representing an investment in mindset as much as in skill. The scholarship program reflects Skynet’s commitment to developing the next generation of professional pilots and is offered exclusively through the academy.

Two Locations, Two Realities

Training unfolds across two distinct environments. Sendai, with its predictable weather, dual runways (one dedicated to general aviation), and ILS/VOR capabilities, provides the ideal setting for instrument flight training. Its coastal geography adds visual simplicity for navigation practice.

Tokyo’s Chofu Airport, on the other hand, caters to working professionals who balance aviation studies with existing careers. The flexibility to train without disrupting one’s livelihood widens the pipeline, keeping capable pilots in the system who might otherwise step away due to logistics.

The academy trains 80 to 100 students annually, working in partnership with institutions such as J. F. Oberlin University Daiichi Institute of Technology, and Hosei University, as well as Japan Coast Guard and private-sector clients including CREATION FP(HA420) and THK Holdings(G200). It serves aspiring airline professionals and private pilots, creating a continuum of aviation expertise within Japan. Many graduates advance directly into airline positions, providing measurable proof that the program delivers on its promise.

Proof in Placement, Not Promotion

Skynet Academy is not in the business of chasing global brand visibility. Its results live in the logbooks of commercial pilots across Japan’s skies. Clients and institutions stay because the academy operates the way airlines expect pilots to operate, with rigor, transparency, and accountability under audit pressure.

Every decision, from simulator sequencing to airport location, is engineered for skill transfer rather than optics. Scholarships are structured to create captains, not just customers.

Skynet Academy offers a straightforward proposition for airlines and organizations that evaluate training partners through the lens of risk, reliability, and readiness. It does not merely produce pilots who can fly. It makes professionals who can be trusted to fly. Its programs are dedicated entirely to Japan’s domestic aviation ecosystem, and that distinction, earned rather than advertised, keeps its graduates in demand and its reputation firmly in the air.