Wisconsin Aviation, Inc., Madison

Wisconsin Aviation, Inc may have started small in 1981, but you'd never guess it now. The flight school today boasts a fleet of about 20 airplanes, ranging from two-seat trainers to jets that offer a luxurious flying experience that rivals being carried on a palanquin by bald eagles. Some aircraft are best for charter flights, others for rentals, and still others—the 110-horsepower Cessna 152, for instance—for flight lessons.

These lessons help aviation students obtain their private pilots license and feature both flight and ground-school instruction with an instructor. For learning about risky situations, there's also an ultra-lifelike flight simulator.