Who's Magnolia
Aviation Academy
Your training at Magnolia Aviation Academy is shaped by more than aircraft and lesson plans. Visit our team page to know more about the people who will guide your next step in aviation.
Built by Airline Captains.
Led by Real Standards.
Magnolia Aviation Academy was built by active airline captains to produce the disciplined, situational-aware First Officers that the aviation industry actually needs. Read our core values below.
Ramp-born Passion:
Our Founding Legacy
Magnolia Aviation Academy wasn't born in a corporate boardroom - it was born on the active flight line. Long before becoming a professional airline pilot, our CEO and founder, Brian Simmons, took his first introductory lesson right here in Georgia.
He still remembers the raw, unforgettable thrill of lifting off the runway and seeing the horizon open up. That pure, lifelong love for the sky is the foundation of everything we do. We built Magnolia to keep that magic alive for the next generation of aviators, ensuring every student who steps onto our ramp is treated like a future captain from day one.
From Passion to Professionalism: Training to an Airline Standard
As Brian Simmons and our Chief Instructor, Philip Montalvo, advanced into their careers as commercial airline captains, they noticed a gap in general aviation training. Most schools train you just to pass a test. Together, they built Magnolia Aviation Academy to bridge that gap.
By combining our founders' real-time airline experience with a fleet of seven modern glass-cockpit aircraft, we ensure you build the Crew Resource Management (CRM) and split-second decision making that airline recruiters demand.
Our Core Values:
The SKI Framework
Safety, Knowledge, Integrity. At Magnolia Aviation Academy, these are not wall decorations. They are the standards through which every cockpit decision is made and every training lesson is structured. Discover our professional flight programs.
Safety First
S - Safety
Safety is not a section in the syllabus - it is the way we think. From rigorous pre-flight inspections to emergency scenario-based training, we instill the disciplined practices of professional pilots in every single flight at Magnolia. Learn more about our flight school training.
Deep Understanding
K - Knowledge
Understanding is more powerful than repetition. We connect the 'why' to the 'how' in aerodynamics, regulations, weather, and systems so that your knowledge sticks, travels beyond the checkride, and executes perfectly under pressure. Learn about our training pathways.
Absolute Honesty
I - Integrity
We tell you exactly what to expect, give transparent up-front pricing, and maintain firm prerequisites at Magnolia Aviation Academy. We offer honest timelines because we want you to succeed as a qualified career pilot, not just to enroll. Read our financing options.
Launch Your Instructing Career inside Our Flagship CFI Academy
Teaching is the ultimate masterclass in aviation, the bridge between holding a commercial pilot license and landing a professional airline job. Our intensive, cohort-based CFI & CFII course at Magnolia Aviation Academy develops the exact mentorship, flight precision, and systems command required to lead future pilots and build ATP hours with confidence. Learn more about our flight school courses.
- 50 hours of intensive, in-person ground instruction specifically structured to conquer the FAA oral exam
- 18 flight hours in standardized, modern glass-cockpit aircraft (with additional hours available at market rates)
- All study resources, FAA textbooks, and standardized lesson plan outlines fully provided on arrival by Magnolia
- FAA checkrides coordinated and scheduled by our team to avoid examiner delay friction
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Founded by Airline Captains
Driven by Professional Standards
We started Magnolia Aviation Academy because we saw a significant gap in flight training. Most flight schools train you to pass a test and build logbook hours. But active airline captains know that what separates pilots who thrive from pilots who struggle isn't a number in a logbook: it is judgment, situation-based decision making, and Crew Resource Management (CRM).
Our active airline captain founders bring real-world cockpit standards directly into our cohort classrooms. Every program, from modular Private Pilot training to our structured Professional Pilot Academy, is built around the discipline, checklists, and CRM procedures modeled by commercial airlines. Learn more about our leadership and active pilots.
Meet Our Elite Flight
Training Staff
Flight training at Magnolia Aviation Academy is a serious step, and who stands beside you on the ramp matters. Get to know the active airline captains and certified flight instructors who will guide your progress under standard-setting professional discipline. Learn about our flight team.
Brian Simmons
CEO
Lawrenceville, GA
Bud DeWayne
COO / CTO
Lawrenceville, GA
Carina Allen
President
Lawrenceville, GA
Philip Montalvo
Chief Instructor / Co-Founder
Lawrenceville, GA
Eren Molyneux
Front Desk
Millington, TN
Who's Magnolia
Madison Raesly
CFI
Millington, TN
Madisen Sims
Base Manager (Lawrenceville, GA)
Lawrenceville, GA
Drew Brown
CFI
Millington, TN
Jake Preston
CFI
Lawrenceville, GA
