• About Us

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    Delivering the Dream

    AAoA is Growing!

     

    We are happy to announce we have new offices here at the airport!  We will have room for more instructors and students!  There is also a large classroom available to instructors and students who would like a nice place to teach, study and learn aviation.  We plan on using the classroom to hold training events, such as Private Pilot and Instrument Rating ground school sessions.  These will be for our students, but also open to anyone interested in aviation who would like to learn more.

     

    Virgil Kennedy founded the Academy in 1993 after flying more than 11,000 hours with the U.S. Air Force. Over the past 28 years, Virgil and his instructors have helped over 3000 people realize their dream of flying solo while maintaining an outstanding safety record. Our students have celebrated the receipt of more than 1000 certificates. More than 60,000 flight hours have been accrued under the AAoA icon. In addition to flying for personal business and pleasure, the Academy's students have gone on to fly for the airlines,corporate/charter aircraft, military and law enforcement. Virgil's no-nonsense approach to maintenance keeps his fleet of aircraft in excellent condition. They're available at San Marcos Regional Airport, just waiting for you to come check them out!

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    What We Offer

    Whether you're seeking a career in aviation, or just want to find out what it's like to fly an airplane, we have a program for you! We offer the full spectrum of certification levels to get you where you want to be:

    • Private Pilot -- Fly for pleasure or personal business

    • Instrument Pilot -- Increase your skills, increase your opportunities to fly

    • Commercial Pilot -- Become a professional pilot

    • Online Scheduling -- We use FlightCircle for our scheduling and account management.

    • Aerial Photography

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    Introductory Flights

    Come fly a Cessna Skyhawk for 45 minutes or more. Learn what it feels like to add full power, take-off, perform climbing and descending turns, put in flaps, and land. Intro flights are commitment-free, and are available for $260. We can also email you a gift certificate if you would like to gift an intro flight to someone special! Give us a call at 512-216-6615 (office) or 512-789-6320 (cell.)

  • 1827 Airport Drive, San Marcos, TX  78666

    1827 Airport Drive, San Marcos,

    TX 78666

    Our primary location is at the San Marcos Regional Airport, where we have the majority of our aircraft, as well as, a Redbird Full Motion Flight Simulator and a Frasca G-1000 Flight Simulator. The airport is easily accessed off Texas Highway 21, and the school is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with some holidays by appointment only. Our normal hours of operation are 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, every day.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I fly?
     

    You must be at least 16 years old to solo, and 17 years old to get your license. In addtition, you must read, speak, and understand the English language. We happily prepare younger pilots for their solo and/or checkride. And it's never too late to start. Students from 9 to 90 years old have trained at the Austin Academy of Aviation.

    Do I have to be in good health?

     

    In order to be a pilot you will have to undergo a medical examination with an FAA approved physician. Medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, deafness, blindness in one eye, certain cardiac conditions, and even amputations can be granted a waiver by the FAA if they are demonstrated to be under control or are otherwise shown as not to interfere with your ability to operate an aircraft.

    How many hours will it take to get my license?

    The number of flight hours needed to get your license varies from student to student. The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours (10 solo, 20 dual, 10 additional of either). Most students who fly on a regular basis get their license in about 50 to 60 hours.

    When will I train?

    The flight training is the most obvious part of learning to fly and is certainly the most exciting. In order to facilitate a timely completion of your rating we recommend flying at least twice a week for two scheduled hours each lesson. This not only minimizes gaps between lessons and consequently lost proficiency, it also helps reduce the delay in training that may occur should bad weather force lessons to be canceled. If ground school is taken concurrently with flight training you should be able to get your license in about six months. AAoA employs full-time and part-time instructors. Day or night, weekday or weekend, what is convenient for you?

    How is ground school conducted?

    Ground training is individualized. The more you study on your own, the less expensive your training will be. If you prefer, our instructors will be happy to teach you everything you need to learn. We encourage you to use the Computer Based Instruction (CBI) kit to minimize the cost and increase the efficiency of your training. 

    What are the final steps in obtaining my license?

    After completing flight training and ground school, you will have to pass a FAA written exam. After you pass, you will be given an oral exam by an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. After the oral exam, you'll go up in the air to show the examiner you are competent and safe to fly. After passing the check-ride you will receive your Private Pilot License.

    What happens in the air?

    We'll teach you the basics: climbs, descents, turns to headings, take-offs and landings. We'll teach you how to handle emergencies: what to do in the event of an engine failure, what if there is a fire, what if my electronics fail. We'll teach you how to recover from a stall, how to perform a steep turn, who has the right of way. We'll teach you how to navigate using pilotage, dead reckoning, navigation frequencies, and GPS. And much, much more.

    How much will it cost?

    There is no easy answer.  Cost of training depends on which plane you fly, how often you fly, what the weather is like (to a limited extent), how hard you study, and how quickly you learn & gain proficiency in the cockpit.  

  • Our Professional Team

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    Virgil Kennedy

    Owner and Chief Instructor

    Virgil is the owner and Chief Instructor for the Austin Academy of Aviation. His Air Force flight training and decades of flight instruction with specialization in the Cessna 172 make him uniquely qualified to own the longest running flight school at any Austin area airport. His commitment to clean, well-maintained aircraft, professional instructors, and service to the customer are his mark in trade. Come by and experience his honest smile for yourself.

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    Brian Kennedy

    Chief of Operations for Aerial Photography

    Brian has been involved in aerial photography for many years and has accumulated many hours in the cockpit. If you need a high quality photograph of practically anything on the ground such as (but not limited to) real estate or construction projects, Brian is your man!

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    Jonny Warren

    Flight Instructor

    Jonny has had a passion for aviation since childhood. If he's not up flying, you'll probably find him exercising at the gym. Jonny has an amazing attitude and we have been lucky to have him with us as long as we have.

  • Our Fleet

    All of our aircraft are ADS-B and Auto-Pilot equipped, and IFR certified.

  • Hourly Rates

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    C-172S Skyhawk with G-1000 Glass Cockpit

    $209/hr. by credit or debit

    $199/hr. by cash or check

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    Instruction

    $74/hr. by credit or debit

    $70/hr. by cash or check

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    C-172S Skyhawk with Conventional Instrumentation

    $182/hr. by credit or debit

    $172/hr. by cash or check

     

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    Red Bird Full Motion Simulator - Beechcraft Baron (56 or 58), Conventional or G1000

    Training hours in this AATD (Advanced Aviation Training Device) can now be counted toward your ratings.

    $93/hr. by credit or debit

    $89/hr. by cash or check

     

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    Frasca C-172S G1000 Simulator

    Training hours in this AATD (Advanced Aviation Training Device) can now be counted toward your ratings.

    $75/hr. by credit or debit

    $70/hr. by cash or check

     

  • Contact Us

    (512) 216-6615 office

    (512) 789-6320 cell