Your Discovery Flight. You fly the plane.
A real first lesson, not a sightseeing tour. A proper brief on the ground, then the left seat of the Cirrus over East Tennessee, with your instructor beside you the whole way.
- Flight
- Discovery
- Aircraft
- Cirrus
- Your seat
- Left · pilot
- Logbook
- It counts
A Cirrus SR on the ramp Nobody forgets their first takeoff. Yours is about ten minutes in.
- Hold shortYour instructor runs the checklist out loud. Nothing is skipped.
- ThrottleThrottle forward, and the runway blurs.
- RotateAt rotation speed, you pull back. Gently. That’s all it takes.
- LiftoffThe ground lets go of you.
- 500 feetMost people are grinning before 500 feet. You’ll see.
The left seat is the pilot’s seat. It’s yours.
Everyone’s nervous.
The first-timer in the parking lot right now is nervous. The airline captain was nervous on her first lesson too.
Your instructor’s hands are on the controls with yours — they never leave.
Nervous means you’re paying attention. Good. Pilots pay attention.
The pre‑takeoff checklist.
Every item self-checks. There is nothing to prepare and nothing to prove.
Discovery Flight · all items checked
- Experience None needed. That’s the point of this flight.
- Medical Not required for a discovery flight.
- Nerves Normal. Expected. Handled.
- Weather Your instructor’s call. If it’s not right, you reschedule.
- Camera Bring it. The view is yours to keep.
Your Discovery Flight, step by step
- 01
Before you fly
You walk around the Cirrus with your instructor and go through the checklist together. Before the engine starts, you see the cabin, the panel and the red CAPS handle overhead, and what it is for.
- 02
In the air
You take off from Tri-Cities Airport, and once you are clear of the field the controls are yours. Your instructor talks you through turns, climbs and descents over East Tennessee, with a full set of controls on their side.
- 03
Back on the ramp
Back on the ground, your instructor walks through what you flew and what the path to a certificate looks like for you. Then you decide in your own time.
Evening cloud Aviation New Generation · Discovery Flight
No experience needed · you take the controls
Tri-Cities Airport (KTRI)
A real introduction, not a joyride
A Discovery Flight is designed to help you experience the aircraft, the instructor, and the training environment before committing to a larger plan. If you decide flying is for you, it’s also how you judge us: the airplane, the instructor, and whether our approach fits how you want to learn.
Mountain ridges · East Tennessee
A runway at dusk Your first flight is one call away.
Send us a note or call 423-794-9870. One flight, one instructor — nothing to commit to.
Serving Johnson City · Kingsport · Bristol