ABOUT

DIVERGENT

Our Story

Originally founded in 2014 under the name of PILOTNICK Publishing, Ltd., a Denver, Colorado Company. We wrote and published a single product known as The Complete CFI Binder Series. A Teachers Manual for Flight Instructor Certification. In early 2019, PILOTNICK Publishing was rebranded as Divergent Aerospace, a Pennsylvania Company located in the Laurel Highlands, Southeast of Pittsburgh. This rebrand was necessary as we as a company collectively began to grow in other areas of Aviation Education and Training.

For more details on our name change and rebrand. Please read our full Press Release.

We exist to develop specialized training content for aviation students who crave clear and concisely structured training material, who have the desire to be taught the fundamental concepts of flight using creative, innovative, training techniques. We develop Online Courses, Textbooks, and other training materials for Pilot Certification. We create products that teach our clients' what they need to know, and want to know, without over complicating what is being taught.

We are a small company run by a group of professional pilots and normal people (non-pilots) who are passionate about training the future generation of pilots that will inevitably replace us. Our content has been developed by individuals who’ve “been there, done that.” As our leadership has worked in many facets of the civilian and military aerospace industry: In both flying and non-flying capacities. We have diverged from our careers as professional airline pilots to professionally teach the future generation of pilots.

We take a radically different approach to aerospace education. As out-of-the-box thinkers, we exist to create a divergence or shift in the Aviation Education Certification and Training Industry. Creative Thinking and Innovation are the two fundamentals of our company.

The word “Divergent” is defined as “moving or extending in different directions from a common point” and “differing from each other or from a standard.” At Divergent Aerospace, our mission is to Inspire Greatness by diverging from the normal, more traditional methods of aviation training, by educating our clients using a truly unique, creative and innovative approach.

Skills & Expertise

The Divergent Aerospace team has a wide variety of skills that range from diverse flight experience, aircraft maintenance, human psychology, human factors, and public health. Our team possesses a unique and diverse skill set.

We are aerospace professionals with a cumulative fifty years of flight experience. Our flying skills range from Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 flight in geographically challenging areas of the world. From mountainous terrain at high altitude to Island Hopping in the Caribbean and the West Indies at sea level, we've done it. Our team also has a background in military aviation and brings experience from The United States Air Force.

Leadership

Nicholas Schvabenitz

Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer

Nick is the founder of Divergent Aerospace. Nick has been in Professional Aviation for the past 12 years. He started his aviation career in The U.S. Air Force, working as a C-130H Aircraft Mechanic. Later, he began working as a Flight Instructor in the Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado area. Nick is incredibly passionate about Teaching and sharing his dream of flight with those who want to learn. After teaching for many years, Nick moved on to the Airlines, where has spent the last few years working as an Airline Pilot. Aside from flying, Nick enjoys an Adventure, Deep Philosophical Conversations, Traveling without any plans, Running and Cooking!

Michelle Schvabenitz

Co-Founder, Chief Financial Officer

Michelle is a Colorado Native who met Nick in 2013 when he moved to Denver while in the U.S. Air Force. If the last name didn't give it away. Michelle is married to Nick. Michelle is a normal person, who is not in Aviation. Her primary field of expertise is in Public Health. Michelle co-founded the company with Nick in their small one-bedroom apartment in Lakewood, Colorado in 2014. She brings many talents to the Divergent team, primarily in the area of Analytical Decision Making, Financial Accounting, Human Factors, and day-to-day office management. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys Cooking Asian Cuisine, Traveling, and spending time with her K9, Layla.

Layla Schvabenitz

Corporate and Cyber Security Officer

Layla is a Weimaraner native to the Erie, Pennsylvania area. She began working as the first Divergent Aerospace Corporate Security Officer in October of 2019. Layla is fairly new to the Aviation Industry and is just learning the ropes. Even though she doesn't hold any airman certificates, she offers the Divergent team a strong security skillset. She has deep experience in security protocols such as Intrusion Detection and Removal, Positive Authentication ID, Interrogation, Malware Removal, Firewall Hardening, and Zero-Day Vulnerability Detection and Removal. In her spare time, Layla enjoys long walks outside, camping in the Laurel Highlands, spending time with her human, Michelle, and training her new apprentice, Olive.

Olive Schvabenitz

Corporate and Cyber Security Officer Apprentice

Olive is also a Weimaraner native to the Erie, Pennsylvania area. She began her apprenticeship as a newly recruited member of the Divergent Security Team in June of 2021. Olive is brand new to the Aviation Industry and is starting to figure things out. Like Layla, Olive also does not hold any airman certificates, but she is learning the critical security skillset that the Divergent Team relies on every day! Layla has taken the initiative to train Olive on all of the key functions that she will be expected to perform after she emerges from her apprenticeship training. In her spare time, Olive enjoys long walks outside, exploring the Laurel Highlands, spending time with her human, Michelle, and her K9 buddy Layla!

Connect With Divergent Aerospace

Tower of Voices, Flight 93 National Memorial.

Talk With Us

Divergent Aerospace does NOT offer any end-user (consumer) Sales, Customer Service, or Product Support inquiries by telephone, under any circumstances.

The quickest way to get in touch with us for Sales, Customer Service, Product Support, or any other questions is via our online support system. Please contact us by submitting a support request via our Support Site.

To submit a support request, click here.

For critical issues, we monitor our support system during daylight hours, seven days per week. For general, non-critical requests, we monitor and respond to all support requests between the hours of 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

If you are an end-user (consumer) and you are confused as to why we don't offer telephone support. Please review our Support Policy.

Mailing Address

We're headquartered in the Laurel Highlands (Southeast of Pittsburgh) minutes away from the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. Our entire team of professionals work remotely from various corners of the country, in many different time zones. Our headquarters is not open to the public. Our mailing address is available below.

DIVERGENT AEROSPACE, LTD.
1070 Mountain Laurel Plaza
PMB # 305
Latrobe, PA 15650