Cobb County Airport KRYY 1723 McCollum Pkwy NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Learning to Fly
Reviews
Karina S.
Woodstock GA
7/1/2020
Brian Smith is a *fantastic* CFI/CFII, professional, knowledgeable, and fully prepares his students for their checkrides. He has a top of the line C-172, one of the nicest planes I've ever trained in, affordable, and his flexibility with your schedule as a student is unmatched anywhere else in Atlanta. I highly recommend Aerosmith Aviation.
Larry H.
Marietta, GA
3/18/2020
I just started flying with AeroSmith Aviation and I am very impressed. Brian is focused on my success and building my flying skills through the program. He is an excellent instructor. The equipment is also very nice with up to date avionics. I highly recommend Aerosmith.
Jayton E.
Midtown, Atlanta, GA
1/18/2020
I chose Brian as my CFI after reading a few great reviews on his website, and I am very happy I did. I was looking for a more personal training experience compared to other flight schools in the area that have less opportunity for tailored instruction. Brian has been an incredible instructor, going above and beyond to train me to be a competent and safe pilot rather than just meeting the minimums. He is easy to get along with and makes you feel comfortable in the airplane while encouraging you to ask questions when you aren't sure of something. His training style is great, he lets you make reasonable mistakes to help you learn from them and learn how to avoid them in the future. As a third-generation pilot, I've had some experience with other instructors and I have been nothing but impressed with his competence as a pilot and instructor. I have professional pilot goals, and I will undoubtedly be training with Brian for my IFR and Commercial ratings. His C172 is in amazing condition with advanced avionics, GPS, autopilot, and a great engine monitor. You will learn to fly in a great aircraft and gain valuable experience with more advanced avionics. I can't recommend him enough, great experience, and great rates compared to the alternatives in the area. You will have fun training, but also feel confident as a more competent pilot. Highly recommend!
Steve W.
11/25/2019
Brian has been one of the best instructors I've been lucky enough to take a class from. I have been to 4 different schools trying to find the right place for my training and none of them challenged me. Brian has tailored his to meet my needs and spent many hours off the clock calling, texting, and emailing me study work above and beyond what I paid him for. I have been extremely impressed with his knowledge and devotion. All this I'm saying comes from a 25+ year physical skills trainer and teacher (myself). I have trained 100's of thousands in 28 different courses that I train (unrelated to flying). I would recommend this school to anyone who wishes to fly at any level of learning.
Testimonials
Jamie Matthews - N321AG
"I was lucky enough to spend several days with Brian completing my initial training in the PA46. We spent a couple days together in Atlanta doing ground work and flying his plane. He then met me in San Diego the following week to help me fly my PA46 back to Texas and do more training there. Brian knows the PA46 backwards and forwards, and has been flying his own for over 5 years. I have worked with many instructors over the last few years. Brian stands out among them as knowledgeable, flexible and patient. The entire experience was challenging... and fun. Through my training with Brian I was reminded that learning to fly my plane safely should be an enjoyable, meaningful experience... not one where an instructor spends all his efforts showing you how smart he is. The general aviation world needs more instructors like Brian."
Brett Divine - N92521
Brian Smith helped me purchase our new ’95 Malibu Mirage, as well as initial training for the PA46. I was AMAZED by Brian’s knowledge of the PA46 and his understanding of the market in order to find the right plane for me. He was also thorough and completely available throughout the entire buying process to handle all questions and issues between me and the buyer, as well as the various sellers we worked with to track down the right plane. Furthermore, the training I received was very good, not only was it some of the most thorough training I’ve had to date, Brian again made himself available to drive to our airport numerous times, spend ample time with both ground and flight instruction and held me to a high standard as to what his expectations were for me.
Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend anyone looking for a plane or training to contact Brian. Quality guy that cares about people, and takes care of them.
God bless,
Brett Divine
Mark Cutright N64MB
I’m a MMOPA member who recently completed the purchase of a 1985 Malibu. I did my post-purchase training with Brian Smith and am writing in support of his instruction.
He is very knowledgeable regarding the Malibu both from a mechanical and operating standpoint. We covered systems, limitations, emergency procedures, decision making, weather during our discussions. We then went over a pre-flight with emphasis on the special issues regarding the PA46. We then proceeded to the flying portion including maneuvers, emergency procedures, engine management, approaches/holds/missed and go-arounds, high altitude and pressurization issues.
Overall it was a very positive experience. He is passionate about the PA46 and teaching.
Matrix 186ST - Magnus and Nils
Brian Smith at Aerosmith Aviation is clearly one of the most competent PA-46 instructors in the southeast US. His devotion to every aspect of owning and flying the PA-46 made it an easy choice for us when we needed a PA-46 instructor. In May-June 2019, Brian helped us through the final stages of purchasing a Malibu Matrix and then taught us to fly it. He was super flexible in accommodating our tight time schedule when we came over from Europe and needed intense training before starting our ferry trip back to Sweden. We also had great fun in the process!
Brian went through not only the usual VFR and IFR training steps, but also gave us a lot of insights into engine and power management, how to run the turbo-charged Lycoming TIO-540 in the most economic way, how to analyze data from the engine logs and how to get maximum lifetime out of our engine.
I can definitely recommend Brian and Aerosmith Aviation to anyone needing training on the PA-46, whether it's a complete course or just a touch-up to stay current.
Magnus Nilselid, West Coast Aviation, Sweden
John Brewer N117BM
Brian's flexible schedule and willingness to help me fly my new plane home sealed the deal, when Kevin M's pre buy inspection fell through, Brian offered his mechanic's information and it worked out perfectly, keeping my timeline on track. As a Professional 757 Pilot, I was impressed with his excellent instruction and systems knowledge, it was icing on the cake.
Patient, knowledgeable...patient, and said the right things at the right time.
John Huss - N711XL
Brian Smith was a tremendous resource from beginning to end in my buying process. Beginning with an initial Malibu Familiarization flight then several hours discussing pros and cons of different model years and equipment. Once a plane was chosen he negotiated purchase price with the seller’s broker, set up and evaluated the pre-buy inspection. We renegotiated final price and Brian then flew a final acceptance flight then delivered the plane to me.
Brian also conducted ground training and flights in my plane to meet insurance requirements and pilot proficiency. I am certain that having Brian’s guidance through the full process saved me at least 20% of the purchase price. His continued assistance will keep my plane flying for many years to come. I highly recommend having Brian in your corner as you look to purchase your plane.