American Air Flight Training Inc. (AAFT) is celebrating our 40th year in the flight school business at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. We are one of the oldest flight schools in the Atlanta metro area. Steve Shaner, the founder and owner of AAFT, conducts all of the ground, simulator and flight instruction at our school. He accepts only a few students at a time and conducts all training one-on-one. Our training programs are custom-tailored and personalized for each individual student. Steve has been a pilot for over 57 years, a full-time flight instructor for over 50 years and he was a former FAA-Designated Pilot Examiner for over 32 years. Over the past decades, Steve has developed and taught a pilot course for wheelchair pilots in a specially-modified airplane, given hundreds of hour of aerobatic and tailwheel airplane instruction and taught Citation Jet type rating courses. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate with a CE-500 type rating, a flight instructor airplane certificate (CFI-A), CFII and CFIME. Steve has given over 10,000 hours of flight instruction. Steve has over 52 years of successful flight school management experience. Steve previously served as a liaison between the PDK airport management and the interested neighborhoods with aircraft noise concerns to build trust and understanding on both sides of this issue and work out acceptable solutions. Steve has done a lot of volunteer work for several years at PDK airport on the “Good Neighbor Day” open house and airshow. Steve has been working full-time at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport since 1971 in various jobs including aircraft ramp line service, customer service, flight dispatching, flight and ground school instruction, banner towing pilot, charter pilot, flight school manager and FAA-Designated Pilot Examiner.
AAFT has a 2022 Piper Archer LX airplane for flight training on all of our courses. The airplane is equipped with the latest safety features and is meticulously maintained to the highest maintenance standards. The Archer LX is equipped with the Garmin NXi glass cockpit, autopilot, traffic, weather and terrain avoidance displays, air conditioning and many other features. We also conduct some of the training in our courses in our state-of-the-art simulator.
Our training center is located in the airport administration building in the center of the field. Please click on other sections on our website to see details, links and images of our courses, resources and equipment. American Air Flight Training is open Saturdays thru Wednesdays by appointment and closed on Thursdays and Fridays.
AAFT provides students with hands-on training experiences in many ways – using several training tools, such as our simulator, aircraft parts and components on display, classroom demonstration equipment and other training aids. We also provide interactive DVDs, Power Point presentations, reference books, computers, and study areas. Students who graduate from AAFT are all exceptionally safe pilots. The standards of safety, skill and knowledge that we train and test our students to are much higher than any other flight school. Our courses are much more in-depth and we teach a lot of safety procedures and skills well beyond just what the FAA requires that are not taught at other flight schools.
American Air keeps up with the latest flight safety techniques, teaching aids and materials. The instructor – Steve Shaner, is highly-experienced in how to get the maximum benefit from this equipment in teaching and evaluating you in your training. The use of these training aids also makes learning easier and more interesting for you as you advance through the courses. Our syllabus, handout materials, training aids and teaching techniques are constantly reviewed and often revised as appropriate to give you state-of-the-art training on the latest equipment and pilot techniques. This is also why you will be as safe as you can be as a pilot when you train here.
Our flight training center also stocks all of the student pilot books, materials and other training supplies that you will need which can be purchased at our reception counter. We can also advise you on the purchase of optional personal pilot items, such as flight bags, headsets and watches/timers. Our facility is also a great place to relax before or after your flight lesson and interact with other pilots. If you decide to purchase an airplane sometime down the road, we can give you expert advice on that as well.
Steve also provides instruction in customer – owned aircraft. He can provide initial transition training to check you out in your new airplane as well as conduct regular proficiency instruction to help you maintain a high pilot skill level.
American Air is one of the most expensive flight schools as it requires a greater investment of time and money to do this right. We are the total opposite of a “quick and cheap” or “pilot factory” flight school. All of our graduates have indicated that in spite of the high cost the training and equipment here, they were provided with the highest value for each dollar spent. All of our students graduate with great confidence to go and take their family and friends flying and know that their passengers are in good hands. American Air has an excellent safety and regulation compliance record with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We also have an excellent reputation in the industry for good business ethics and excellent customer care.