The Above & Beyond Mission
Above &
Beyond Aviation was founded by longtime Austin resident George Farris
with the idea that everyone should be able to enjoy the rewarding and
exciting experience of flying lessons. We are committed to offering
safe, affordable Austin flight instruction,
as well as ground school training. Our flight school's instructors and planes
offer a wide spectrum of technical experience and training.
How Our Flight School Began
Above
& Beyond Aviation first began with a 1977
Cessna 172N, also
known as Cessna 733CP (pictured). George Farris was a new instructor working with the University Flying
Club at UT. George purchased 3CP because the club had difficulty leasing a Cessna
172, and he wanted a dependable airplane in which he could instruct his growing base of instrument students. 3CP
came equipped with dual nav/com radios with glideslope and ADF. Farris added
an IFR approved enroute GPS and DME. With this avionics setup, Farris and his students could
fly ILS, Localizer, VOR, VOR/DME, VOR/DME arc and ADF approaches. They could also fly GPS enroute (point to point).As Above & Beyond Aviation has grown, we have added a 1979 Cessna 152 Aerobat, a 1997 Cessna 172R, and another Cessna 152.
Four other
instructors, Barbara MacLeod, Lindsey Moreland, Jamie Jackson,
and Dakota Zigrang, have joined with Farris to teach flying. We currently
operate out of Atlantic Aviation at Austin Bergstrom.
About George Farris
George Farris is the owner of Above & Beyond Aviation and also a flight instructor.
Farris started flying in 1967, when his friend who owned a plane first took him for a sightseeing flight, but at the time was unable to pursue his private pilot's license due to a lack of money. After going to college, starting a family and creating a successful video game business, Farris finally had time in 1995 to return to aviation. He started by taking the UT Informal Classes' Private Pilot class (which he now teaches). He then joined the University Flying Club, and earned his private license and instrument rating flying their Cessna 152s.
Farris believes that everyone should have an opportunity to take a flight, which is why he offers affordable "Discovery Flights" for those interested in flying lessons.
Come take a Discovery Flight in a Cessna 172R today!