I originally went to Above & Beyond Aviation for my Commercial Single-Engine license. I did a fair amount of research on flight schools in the area before choosing, and I couldn't have been happier with my decision. Bobbi and Kierra in the front office made getting set up in their system and starting with an instructor a breeze. All their planes are Cessna 172s, including a couple with G1000s. Availability isn't a challenge, and the aircraft are well kept by a friendly maintenance team. Every instructor I interacted with was friendly and knowledgeable. I most recently worked with Landyn, who I highly recommend. He truly cares about his students and wants them to succeed. For career-minded pilots, being able to fly out of KAUS and get comfortable in a busy Class C airspace alongside airline traffic is a huge bonus. I can easily recommend Above & Beyond for anyone starting their path to the airlines or who simply wants to learn to fly. read more

I cannot say enough good things about my experience so far at Above and Beyond. Bobbi was very communicative in getting me signed up with Flight Schedule Pro and making sure I had all the documents I needed to start training. Any time I needed clarification, I received a prompt and helpful response. As for the flight training, I am only a couple of lessons in, but my instructor Landyn has been excellent and very flexible with scheduling. I am really looking forward to completing my training here. read more

Very bad experience to get an aircraft check out at this place. I just sold my 2022 Cessna 182 and wanted to rent airplane to stay current. I got instructor Tylor who failed to do proper procedures/aircraft briefing and I had to file complaint with the office. The office used it against me despite having all the facts/witness presented to them regarding what happened. I have brought all the problems I encountered with instructor to the office attention , but the office would not look in to the instructor and decided to blame me customer/pilot . . (With over 700 hours total flight time). If you will have a problem with this school don't dare to speak up because you be the blame and it will be used against you :( I did have aircraft check outs done previously and instructors did proper job to make you familiar and comfortable with aircraft , but not at this school. I also asked twice to give me a call to discuss the situation and they would avoid communication and wont give me a chance with another instructor/aircraft either. Also Aircraft Cessna N904CP this school used to do the check out some of the equipment did not work at all, pilot door wont open to get out from the aircraft(HAZARD), Radio on Com2 is a problem and you cannot hear controllers or be able to communicate at all. Aircraft itself was in bad condition and I brought this to the instructor attention, he disregard it and said I failed communication. This review for people to be AWARE of this place. read more

Extremely poor communication skills from Bobbi & George. The biggest one being that they literally don't want to talk to you. They're the only flight school in Austin and they know it. So many red flags during the application process that I decided to go to Georgetown and get my PPL at Genesis. Pilot's Choice is also a great option. Both have much better maintained planes than A&BA. I safety piloted one of A&BA's planes for a buddy after getting my PPL. The initial plane he had scheduled was down for MX. Not that they told him, he had to call once we couldn't find it. The backup wasn't fueled up and the interior was in really poor condition. The faux leather on the door was all torn up and cut up my elbow. And the door wouldn't open without opening the window and using the outside handle. Bottom line, if you don't want to drive to Georgetown, I get it. This is the only school in town so you're stuck with them. But, if you don't mind driving a bit you not only get better service and maintained planes, you also don't have to compete with KAUS traffic, so you get to do more flying. And KGTU also has radar service, so you aren't relying on ATC with binoculars to give you separation. The choice to operate a school out of an airport (KEDC) without radar service should tell you as much as you need to know about how much this school cares about their students or CFI's. read more

This is a great place to rent a plane for the weekend. They rent by the wet Hobbs time instead of by the day, so it makes it very economical for a private pilot who wants to fly to the coast an hour and a half away on a Friday afternoon, stay for the weekend, then come back on Sunday afternoon. I understand they also offer pilots to fly you to a destination for an extra charge if you give them enough notice. They take safety very seriously, so make sure you keep impeccable logs and have all your medical clearances ready for inspection. read more

Above and Beyond Aviation - Little man on his first flight. We in that Cessna boi!!! - Flight Instruction Near Me

I recently completed my private pilot certification at Above and Beyond. If you're looking for a flight school in the Austin area, I recommend coming here. First, you'll need a flight instructor--a CFI. This is a personal choice; they're all qualified, but each has their own teaching and communication styles. While my primary instructor was George (the owner), I've also flown with several others. Since you're going to be spending a lot of time together in a small airplane, consider flying with several before committing. Next, you'll need an airplane. The school has several Cessna 152s and 172s to choose from. Between the two it doesn't really matter; choose the one that fits you comfortably (physically) and/or is in your budget. I went with the 152 because it's cheap to fly and I fit fine. The planes are all well-maintained; any issues were always quickly resolved. Scheduling for both is easy. Once you're set up online, just find a time that works for you, the instructor, and the plane. If you can set up a meeting in Outlook, you'll know how to use this. No emailing, no phone tag--just click and go. The school stays busy, but I was typically able to book my preferred times as long as I did so a week in advance. On cost, there's no getting around it; flying is an expensive hobby. However rates here are very reasonable, especially for being at a major airport. The minimum to become a private pilot is 40 hours of flight time plus instruction, but plan on 50-60. As a student pilot, weather is often the limiting factor, but if you schedule for three times a week, you're likely fly at least two. Fly as often as you can. The more often you fly, the less time and money you'll spend knocking off rust. On the location, you'll share space with big airliners. This was actually one of the main reasons I chose the school. While it's intimidating at first, part of being a pilot is pushing your comfort zone in a managed way. Learning alongside professionals will in turn make you a better pilot. Lastly, make sure you qualify for an FAA medical certificate, preferably before you start. You'll need one to fly solo and there's a long list of disqualifying medications and conditions. Save yourself possible heartache and money and do this ASAP. Austin Aerospace is conveniently next door. For me, this fulfilled a lifelong goal and has been one of the best decisions of my life. I'm looking forward to continuing my training here in the months to come! read more

I've been a student at Above and Beyond for several months now. After doing a lot of research on flight schools in the area, I can say that I made the right decision. It's clear that George, the owner, does this because it's what he loves. He just wants to bring safe, affordable flying to everyone and share that passion with central Texas. He fights hard to keep prices low for students and keep flying accessible - but, as anyone familiar with aviation knows - it's clear it's an uphill battle. The prices here are just about the best in central Texas if you're looking to learn to fly. The planes are well-loved and dependable: Skyhawks and 152's are staples. If you're looking for brand new planes with G1000's, you'll probably want to fly somewhere else - though you'll undoubtedly pay for the privilege. I've been flying with Lada as my flight instructor for my PPL. Lada is patient, intelligent, and genuinely wants his students to succeed. During my time flying with him it's been made clear he's laser focused on making sure his students are safe, competent pilots with good decision-making skills. He knows how to have fun even while cooking in the summer Texas heat. I'd highly recommend him if you're looking for a flight instructor. A&B is the best value in the area for instruction and rentals. I encourage friends and family to fly with them and will continue to do so in the future. read more

Although I wasn't able to attend A&B Aviation due to the fact that I am not a US Citizen, Bobbi was nice and provided detailed explanation in her response. read more

This is a top notch flight school and rental company. Though I completed my private pilot license elsewhere, I have been working on my instrument rating with Mike Roche, a former fighter pilot. He is a great instructor who loves to teach and share his passion for aviation. Renting at ABA is the most streamlined process I have dealt with. Once you do a checkout, its super easy to rent. Simply login online and schedule if the aircraft is open. Show up, present your credentials to the nice folks at Atlantic Aviation and sign out the keys. Need fuel? No worries! Call into Atlantic and they'll send a fuel truck out right away. When you return, simply sign the keys back in and you're done. Billing is easy, as you put your credit card in the schedule portal and it will be billed sometime in the next few days when your time is entered into the system. You can't beat the rates either. Planes are in great mechanical condition and the companies mechanic is just a few feet away if you have an issues or questions. read more

Where to begin with this incredible flight school? George and Bobbi have played a significant role in making my lifelong dream of flight become reality. If you polled area pilots, you'd probably hear something similar from many of them. It's hard to overstate their commitment to this area's aviation community. It started with a discovery flight. Sometime in 2011 I finally dug down and decided to pursue a longtime dream of earning my private pilot certificate. George and his team of instructors guided me through the process. I enrolled in their ground school course, which was offered by UT's Informal Classes, and in no time I earned my certificate. Years later, I continue to be a proud customer. I regularly use George and Bobbi's team of skilled instructors for flight reviews, instrument training, and just whenever I need to "knock the rust off" my flying skills and go up with an instructor. I rent planes regularly to take my wife and friends on day trips for BBQ, down to Port Aransas, or quick hops to neighboring airports for touch-and-gos. These planes are well cared for and receive regular upkeep and maintenance. Their Facebook group is a powerful community of area pilots, students and customers who share insight and information. I recommend Above and Beyond for their commitment to safety, prudent instruction, availability and affordability. Their location at Bergstrom makes it great for flight training; I know so many pilots who trained at other smaller airports and as a result are very uncomfortable flying in Class C and Class B airspace. By training at Bergstrom, pilots develop proficiency and confidence in flying and operating alongside commercial, military, law enforcement and airline aircraft and controllers. As someone new to aviation, you may feel overwhelmed with questions and uncertainty about where and how to start training. I strongly recommend signing up for a discovery flight with Above and Beyond. It's the first step, and the process is designed to accommodate your uncertainty and answer your questions. read more

George is super nice! I feel like most pilots I meet are all really calm, cool and collected people and George is one of them. I bought a discovery flight off groupon for my bf and I. I've done one of these years ago but wanted my bf to experience being in the pilot's seat and he loved it!!! I took a timelapse video of the whole thing sitting behind them and got some great freeze frames out of them. Would definitely recommend this to anyone! He has a groupon deal going on right now. From previous reviews, you can see that he still accepts them 2 years later. Here's the link: https://www.groupon.com/deals/above-beyond-aviation-3 Tip: bring sunglasses if it's a sunny day! read more

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I purchased a discovery flight to surprise my boyfriend and we were finally able to fly this past weekend! He travels a lot for work and I had to keep rescheduling, but Bobbi was so sweet working with me (for months!). I was super late because my phone took me to the wrong side of the airport, but Jordan managed to get me to the right place and had us up in the air right away. Boyfriend loved the experience and I had so much fun riding and documenting from the back. Now I want to go back and try :) AWESOME experience! Just make sure you call and get the address (the one here on Yelp is right, but typing it into Apple maps is not!) read more

My son was interested in becoming a pilot and I found these guys via a web search. It was an awesome experience for him and his love for aviation has grown even more due to the people and instruction. Because of medial reasons he did not become a pilot but again because of this experience, he is shifting gears to become an engineer - while he can't fly planes (thanks to the FAA), he will work on them and keep them flying. :-) read more

I recently needed to complete a Flight Review (aka BFR) and went to Above and Beyond on the advice of a fellow pilot, and I was glad I did. The school is well organized, and the fleet of aircraft is well-maintained. My instructor was professional, helpful and knew his stuff. This flight school also has the advantage of using the Atlantic FBO as its gathering spot, so you meet your instructor and do your pre-flight and post-flight briefings in a comfortable spot. You also have advantage of flying in and out of Austin Bergstrom, which gives new pilots valuable experience dealing with Class C airspace; it's also very familiar and comfortable for those of us who are used to it. Next time I need a refresher or a currency flight, I'll go back read more

Above and beyond is a great place to learn how to fly. George and Bobbi (the owners) are friendly, considerate, and know what they're doing with a good system in place. My instructor, Lada Cisar, has been fantastic as well. He's got a good sense of humor while being meticulous and aware of various aspects of aviation that really enriches the learning process. He keeps a good pace and aims to get you a PPL in no time! George is also a great instructor to fly with if you can get some of his time. He enables the student to be knowledgable and relaxed which allows the student to get comfortable with the basics of flying and learn incrementally. read more

Very professional. Very solid. Very safe. Over the past year, I took some time off in Austin from startups. I wanted to get my pilot's license. I worried that I was underpaying. Nope. These guys are just affordable and they work with great maintenance techincians. Are the planes as nice as a Towncar? Nope. Do you need that for learning? Nope. I became a safe and solid certified pilot with Above and Beyond. My instructor, John Prickett, an older gentleman with 30 years experience as an instructor was 2nd to none and ensured that I was safe to fly and - to be honest - my landings and procedures have gained more and more finesse with him as time has gone on. I liked them so much that after I passed my certification exam, I even went back to brush up on a few skills before moving. What can I say - want to get your private pilot's license? Look no further. read more

Absolutely fantastic! The owner, Bobby, was very informative and welcoming. The instructor, Meagan, was top notch. Incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful in how to give pointers and ensuring we were comfortable as well as had every question answered. Her calm steadfast demeanor definitely put me at ease for our first flight. I will be taking more lessons from Above and Beyond with Meagan! read more

I bought a test flight for a present for my wife and it was great. It is a real mom and pop organization and it gave us a great feel for what it is to fly a plane. Super fun and not very expensive. I highly recommend it. read more

If you're looking for a place to learn how to fly in the Austin area, this is by far the best place in my opinion. They have many well maintained aircraft (C172s, C152s and a complex Piper) that are almost always available due to the size of the fleet, and many highly skilled instructors who are regularly available and flexible to your schedules as well. Even though all of the instructors here are incredibly skilled and fantastic, I personally highly recommend the instructor Lada. I worked with him on my Private Pilot certificate, and he made it simple, straight forward and easy to understand, while also making sure you learn in a safe and positive environment. As long as you show up to your lessons ready to learn and have done what ever studying you have to do, your lessons are fun and you'll want to keep coming back. The best way to see if flying is right for you is to book a "Discovery Flight" from their website. They let me bring my girlfriend and she absolutely loved it as well and may help ease the mind of a nervous spouse.. If you do decide it's your thing, they will (at least they did for me) put the money you paid for the discovery flight towards your flight training making it a no-risk deal. All in all this is the best flight training experience I could have hoped for and Lada was especially helpful in reaching my goals. read more

Above and Beyond Aviation - One of my first lessons. - Flight Instruction Near Me

George and Bobbi run a fantastic flight school! I'm so glad I completed my flight training here at Above and Beyond- the instructors are great, the planes are well-kept, and the commitment to student pilots is outstanding. read more

Just took the 2.5 hour Introductory lesson with George Farris on Tuesday. George is a calm, cool, knowledgeable flight instructor with over 8,000 hours time. His nine available aircraft hit several price points for age and equipment so you can get what you need at a price you can afford. We were having such a good time I think we flew longer than I was a alloted by my Groupon voucher. I highly recommend Above and Beyond, but don't just take my word for it, check in with www.youtube.com/user/MrAviation101 to see the fruits of George's labor. read more

Above and Beyond Aviation - At 3,000 feet somewhere over West Austin. - Flight Instruction Near Me

So far I've been on two flights with them and everything has been fantastic. George thoroughly explained everything that was going on: pre-flight checklist, walk around of the plane, safety procedures, how things worked, etc. We flew for awhile and I enjoyed every single minute of it and I'll definitely be doing this again. I still can't believe I was the one flying the plane! read more

I found this place on Groupon and loved our instructional flight this past weekend. Our pilot George knew everything about piloting and was super friendly the whole trip. Highly recommend this experience! read more

Bought a discovery flight for my hubs last year as an anniversary present. What an unforgettable experience! So much fun. George was calm and cool with me even though I was a nervous wreck! My hubs flew the whole time, George was a great instructor. It was a windy day and the flight was very bumpy and a little wild. I thought I might die. Again, I am a very nervous flyer! Don't know why I insisted on riding along, I'm kind of an idiot I guess. Despite my anxiety, we both had a great time and I have recommended and will continue to recommend George to anyone interested in flying! read more

Above and Beyond Aviation - Da plane! Da plane! - Flight Instruction Near Me

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I made an appointment to use my Groupon I'd purchased on a Sunday and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, two days before, I came down with a sinus infection and ear infection and was feeling miserable. To be fair, I completely forgot about my appointment (mainly because I was sleeping and being miserable) until George called to remind me. I called him back to tell him I'd gotten sick and to ask if I could reschedule - who wants to learn to fly when they've got an ear infection? George was INCREDIBLY rude, told me I couldn't reschedule and I should have called earlier, I told him I'd only recently gotten sick, and he replied, "oh what, five minutes ago?" He wouldn't let me reschedule and I'm out $100 because he was such a jerk. I wouldn't want to learn to fly from him now anyway! read more

I recently went to Above & Beyond Aviation to use a groupon that my parents bought me for my birthday. It was good for a 2.5 hour flight lesson, and Randy Blair was my instructor; he was phenomenal! Super friendly and outgoing, and he made flying the most incredibly and fun thing that I have ever done. He was encouraging, and didn't make me feel like I was being hand-held. We flew around Austin for about an hour and then we landed. I can definitely say that I will be returning in the near future to continue learning how to fly, and I would recommend Randy to anyone interested in learning how to fly without hesitation. :) read more

Went for a intro flight with Geroge it was an experience! It was so much fun. It has sparked my curiosity to possible pursue my license.

George is a great guy! He's very patient and he's willing to talk to you about any questions or concerns you might have. He's full of great stories too! If you're curious about flying this is a great place to go to scratch that itch and see if it's for you. Highly recommended! read more

Whether you are someone who just wants to go fly in a small plane to see what it's like, or if you are training for a license or rating, this is the place to go. I recently obtained my private pilot certificate though Above and Beyond, and found the experience enjoyable and rewarding. They have several instructors on staff, so you are able to "try out"different ones to make sure that there is a good fit (which is important, trust me). Same with their planes. Their fleet is well-maintained and affordable, and renting is a breeze with their online scheduling. George and Bobbi are both very helpful with any questions that you may have. Highly recommended for the first-timer or experienced pilot! read more

I've been flying with Above and Beyond Aviation for a few years now. I can't say enough good things about them. George is awesome a great guy with a great team of instructors on hand. The fleet is great, maintained well and as far as availability I have my pick of the litter of 172's. My instructor Zach Carline is awesome. I have had a few instructors in my day and I really like Zach. Zach is very relaxed, super safety conscious and has a strong passion for aviation and instructing. I have flown with John Prickett and George as well, also great instructors. For folks doing research, I know the Austin airport might feel daunting however it's a great place to learn to fly. Training at a big airport like ABIA is a great experience. They have a simulator in the school that is very cool and a nice affordable way to practice your moves. The web based scheduling tool makes scheduling easy, likewise billing and getting alerts/texts make the experience very easy once you get familiar with how to use. Above and Beyond is not a gigantic flight school however not a small one either. I have been in the industry for years and used so many flight schools that come and go and or lack the equipment, experience and knowledge to run a safe, reliable top notch flight school. read more

They are awesome, perfessional and so easy to work with!

George took my girlfriend and I up on a flight this weekend and it was awesome. 1 hour loop around Austin and a basic flight lesson. Guys, my girl was super stoked to be the one getting the flight lesson while I was in the back seat chillin. Lesson: take your girl on a flight and you will get major brownie points. This is tons of fun and not expensive like I thought it would be. George is great and we will be back! read more

I found George to be very dismissive and completely uninterested in us as customers. I had to interrupt his conversation with an airport staffer upon leaving to even say goodbye. I would have ordinarily just left but I wanted to ask that he send information on licensing lessons (which he said he would email but never did). Even before our flight, I had to chase him down to make an appointment - he canceled once and then never called back to reschedule (though he said he would) until I sent numerous emails and made several calls. Very disappointing because we had been excited about this opportunity. We still plan to pursue licensing but will look elsewhere for instruction. read more

I bought my boyfriend a Discovery flight for our 5 year anniversary - it was the most amazing experience. Our pilot George was kind, funny and a great teacher. Take off was exhilarating, and the views from the plane were stunning. The whole experience was above and beyond our expectations. Now we both want to take lessons! read more

I have been flying with Above and Beyond Aviation for almost 2 months now and I am very happy with my experience. I started out on a Discovery Flight with George and was immediately hooked. I have since taken lessons with George F. and Mike R., both of which are very professional and I can not recommend them enough. I highly recommend taking a discovery flight to which you will actually get some real time behind the "wheel" for a very reasonable price. read more