For more than two decades, Ascension Aircraft, LLC has bought, sold, and leased general aviation aircraft at volume — single-engine trainers through corporate jets — and served as a trusted fleet partner to collegiate flight training programs across the country.
Standing up or expanding a collegiate aviation program is capital-intensive and operationally demanding. Ascension places aircraft on lease with creditworthy operators — flight schools, universities, and corporate users — through programs structured around institutional budgets, fixed curricula, and predictable utilization.
Training aircraft, placed with programs that fly
Purpose-matched training fleets leased into university-anchored programs — not spec inventory sitting on a ramp. Structured to align with enrollment growth and academic calendars.
Flexible lease terms that let Part 141 and Part 61 operators add capacity fast, manage utilization, and keep aircraft flying — so seats stay full and revenue stays predictable.
We source, acquire, and return-to-service quality aircraft — a capability proven when banks engaged Ascension to remarket and re-lease distressed aircraft through the 2008–2009 credit crunch.
Operating leases, lease-to-own paths, and fully managed arrangements — no aircraft purchase, no maintenance burden, no staffing overhead required on your side.
Two decades of fleet work for named institutions — from overhauling one of the country's largest training fleets to guiding a storied university's flight program into its next era.
Hampton University's legacy in aviation reaches back to the 1940s, when it was one of only six HBCUs selected for the Civilian Pilot Training Program — training aviators who went on to instruct the Tuskegee Airmen. For decades, Hampton's collegiate aviation program has trained the next generation of aviation professionals.
When Hampton needed to secure a new modern fleet of aircraft, improve the student flight training experience, and provide more financial resources to its students, they called Ascension. Today, Ascension is serving as program originator and integrator for the program's next chapter — structuring the enhanced program, selecting and contracting the flight training provider, and providing ongoing oversight as the expanded program welcomes its first cohort in Fall 2026.
Ascension is excited to help guide the next chapter of Hampton University's rich aviation legacy.
When private investors acquired the Part 141 flight academy built by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University — one of the largest aviation universities in the world — Ascension was engaged to overhaul the entire training fleet.
When Andrews University's aviation program needed multi-engine trainers, its first call was to Ascension — aircraft sourced, inspected, and placed to match the program's curriculum.
When Coast Flight needed to expand its Cirrus fleet, Ascension delivered a solution for multiple SR20s — sourced and delivered training-ready.
Acquisition and resale of piston aircraft through midsize corporate jets, for a clientele that has included Fortune 100 companies, Black Enterprise BE 100 members, universities, and private owners. One asset class, known cold — from both the operator's and the lender's side.
Named America's #1 young entrepreneur — profiled for building Ascension into a national aircraft sales and leasing business.
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Featured in Black Enterprise's 40th-anniversary "40 Next" list — and named BE Next Company of the Year.
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A profile of a life spent in aviation — from one of America's youngest airshow performers to one of the industry's youngest aircraft dealers.
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▶︎ Video · NBAA
Invited to Washington to speak for the industry — on why business aviation is a critical asset for America's small businesses, including the flight training organizations Ascension serves.
Watch the testimonyAlso recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 · Goldman Sachs 100 Most Innovative Entrepreneurs
Jamail Larkins took his own first flight at 12, through EAA's Young Eagles program — and he has spent his career holding that door open, working with the industry's leading programs to enable the next generation of aviation professionals to enter the industry.
Jamail Larkins — advocating for the next generation of aviation professionals
Ascension Aircraft is that mission at a much larger scale — helping flight training organizations access safe, modern aircraft through economical leasing solutions.
Tell us about your program's needs or the aircraft you're looking to buy or sell. We'll follow up personally to scope a leasing structure or transaction that fits.
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