Straight answers before you book.
Everything students ask us most — the aircraft, the training, the location, and how to start. If your question isn't here, call 423-794-9870 and ask a person.
Do I need any previous experience to start?
No. Most people who learn to fly have never touched an airplane before their first flight. On day one you need a photo ID and the wish to fly it yourself; the rest comes later, and we help with each step.
What happens on a Discovery Flight in a Cirrus?
You fly the SR yourself, with an instructor beside you the whole time. The controls are yours in the air, and it is a real first lesson at Tri-Cities Airport, not a sightseeing ride.
Is it safe?
Yes. Every Cirrus carries CAPS, a parachute for the whole airplane, and your instructor has a full set of controls. We cancel for weather without apology. Our factory-new G7+ SR20s add Safe Return: press one button and the airplane flies itself to a suitable airport and lands.
How long does it take — and can it fit around work?
Three to four months is typical at two lessons a week, and it fits around a business because the lessons are scheduled around you. Our airplanes fly from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, and accelerated programs are available if you want to go faster.
Do I need a medical certificate?
Yes, before you fly solo, but not before your first lesson. A private pilot needs a third-class medical certificate from an FAA aviation medical examiner, and we can point you to one.
Which Cirrus will I train in — the SR20 or the SR22?
Our turbocharged SR22T is flying now, and two factory-new G7+ SR20s join the line in Q4 2026. Which one you train in depends on your goals and the airplane you plan to fly afterwards, and we decide it with you.
Are you a Part 61 or Part 141 school?
Part 61. That lets us shape your training around your schedule and the experience you already have, and accelerated programs are available.
Can I finance my flight training?
Aviation New Generation does not offer financing. Call us on 423-794-9870 and we will talk through how training here works.
Where are you located?
At Tri-Cities Airport (KTRI), 350 Aviation Dr, Blountville, TN 37617, between Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol. We serve East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina.
Can flight training be a career?
Yes. We train past the private certificate through the instrument rating, the commercial certificate, and the CFI and CFII instructor ratings, with the checkrides taken with our in-house examiner.
Why learn to fly in a Cirrus instead of a basic trainer?
Because it is the airplane you will fly afterwards. Every hour in the SR is an hour in type: the parachute, the panel and the procedures are already yours on the day you own one. You learn in a brand-new Cirrus instead of a 50-year-old trainer.
How do I get started?
Book a Discovery Flight. It is a real first lesson in the Cirrus with an instructor beside you, and it tells you whether this is for you.
What is a Cirrus Training Center?
A flight school Cirrus Aircraft has approved to train pilots in its airplanes. Aviation New Generation is an independent, approved Cirrus Training Center at Tri-Cities Airport.
What is CAPS?
The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System: a parachute for the whole airplane, standard on every Cirrus. Pull the red handle in the ceiling and the airplane comes down under its canopy with everyone aboard.
Which airport do you fly out of?
Tri-Cities Airport (KTRI) in Blountville, Tennessee, the airport between Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol.
Take your time with it.
There is no rush and no wrong question. Work through the list above — then call, and a person will answer the rest.
A runway at dusk Still have a question?
Reach out through the contact page — or just call. We'll help you determine the best next step.
Serving Johnson City · Kingsport · Bristol