About Us Vern and Opal Mitchell began training pilots in 1961 at Midstate Aviation, Inc. in Ellensburg, Washington. Wide open spaces and Eastern Washington weather combine to provide an ideal environment for flight training. Over the years, thousands of pilots have earned their wings at Midstate, and a large percentage of these pilots are currently flying in military, commercial or corporate aviation. Midstate has always been dedicated to producing the very best professional pilots possible, and our graduates success in the wide world of aviation speaks for itself! Today, under the direction of Ron and Sonja Mitchell, and a lot of extremely well qualified and dedicated flight instructors, our experience and training provide the continuity and quality of flight training required to produce the exceptional pilots we have come to expect as graduates of our courses.