Welcome to the pattern
Owner-led. A shared love of flight.
In The Pattern brings students, instructors, mechanics and aircraft together around a simple idea: flying is something worth sharing.
The people who make the pattern. Read Sherman’s original account
How it began
From one airplane to a flying community.
In 2015, brothers Darren and Sherman bought their first airplane, Gertie (N7678W), to enjoy flying and help Darren learn. They were not planning to open a flight school. When a friend asked to rent the airplane, they decided to make it possible—and a new direction began.
A second airplane, Princess Lima (N8431L), followed. What began with one aircraft and a favor for a friend grew into a Denton aviation community supported by instructors, staff and maintenance professionals.
The team describes its approach as “Experience Aviation”: learning to fly should be more than logging hours. ITP’s three National Best Flight School recognitions belong, in the school’s telling, to the people who teach, maintain, fly and support one another here.
Owner-led. People-focused.
Darren and Sherman’s school serves an aviation community in Denton, from first-flight curiosity to advanced training conversations.
Recognition built over time
AOPA has recognized ITP as National Best Flight School in the 2021–2022, 2023 and 2025 award cycles. See all nine school-displayed award badges on the homepage.
Your goals belong in the conversation
Maybe flying is personal. Maybe it is the future you want to build. The first step is understanding you—not fitting everyone into the same story.
