About Magnolia Aviation Academy

Located in the heart of the Mid-South and surrounded by a rich aviation history, Magnolia Aviation Academy aims to be the premier flight training center for our future aviators.

Our school was founded from our popular Flight Instructor Academy. Boasting a large success rate training Flight Instructors from all over the United States, Now Magnolia aims to bring the same level of Safety, Knowledge, and Professionalism we use to teach our Instructors to the Private through Commercial level.

With the use of a new and growing modern fleet, state of the art pre and post flight technology, and a custom curriculum, our goal of training the future professional Pilot has become a reality. Call today and come experience the difference.

Small white aircraft with black and green accents, labeled 'Magnolia Aviation Academy,' parked on a concrete surface.

Our Core Values Set Us Apart

Magnolia Aviation Academy is an organization that believes it’s highest priorities drive our culture, safe decisions, and team behavior.

  • Simplified green icon of a person running with a ball, representing sports activity.

    Safety

    The safety of our pilots, students, and all team members is critical for success. We will model safe practices and expect the same from each participant.

  • Outline icon of a person with short hair, no facial features, on a dark green background.

    Knowledge

    Correlation is key. Our objective is to combine prior knowledge with current information and experiences to create the most effective learning environment.

  • Icon of a document with a shield symbol in the center, representing data protection or cybersecurity.

    Integrity

    We believe that honesty and strong moral principles are the foundation of professionalism. We build trust through responsible actions and honest relationships.

Our Leadership Team

A smiling pilot wearing sunglasses, a white uniform, and a headset inside an airplane cockpit, making a shaka hand gesture.

Brian Simmons
President / Co-Owner

I am an experienced pilot with nearly 20 years of flying experience and ~6,500 hours of accumulated flight time. I currently serve as a Captain for one of the largest fractional jet operators in the country.

As Magnolia’s Aviation President, I am committed to delivering outstanding service and ensuring safety on every flight while our students enjoy the best flight training experience possible. Outside the cockpit, I enjoy mountain biking, riding motorcycles, working on computers, and working on cars.

Man in airline pilot uniform sitting on airplane stairs, smiling, wearing sunglasses, with airplane door open behind him.

Sean Hamilton
VP of Business Development / Co-Owner

With over a decade of flight instructor experience, Sean has primarily focused on training CFI’s. He holds multiple type ratings and has years of experience in airline and corporate aviation. Sean believes in investing in each pilot fully and states, “Let’s stop making the flight training so hard, let’s take the time to train our pilots to not just pass a check ride, but to be safe, knowledgeable, and professional aviators for the industry.”

A diagram of a business card with a green background and a white outline of a blooming flower. The card has spaces for a name, job title, company, phone number, email, and website.

Steven Wood
VP of Safety & Compliance / Co-Owner

I have been involved in the aviation industry for nearly 20 years, with over 5,000 hours of experience flying and instructing in various aircraft types. I am currently serving as a Captain for one of the largest fractional jet operators in the country. As Director of Safety & Compliance at Magnolia, I must ensure that all of our instructors are providing you with the utmost quality of instructor that we can, so that your experience with Magnolia Aviation is fun, productive, and most importantly, safe. When I am not flying, I spend my time riding motorcycles, working on computers, 3D printing or restoring vintage cars.

Diagram of a solid circle with petals, labeled as a flower, with a note about its shape, structure, and symmetry.

Scott Simpkins
VP of Operations

A drawing of a flower on a dark green background with lines of text below, resembling a botanical illustration or educational graphic.

Jennifer Hamilton
Director of Human Resources

A stylized logo featuring a flower with thick petals and leaves, drawn in black outlines on a green background with a diagonal edge.

Susie Dixon
Director of Maintenance

A line drawing of a flower with petals and leaves on a green diagonally striped background.

Taylor Earhart
Chief Instructor

Our Memphis Instructors

A smiling man with brown hair and a beard, wearing a dark green polo shirt with 'Magnolia CFI Academy' logo on the chest, standing against a plain off-white background.

Nick Scruggs

Assistant Chief Instructor | 2M8

A man with short brown hair and light facial hair, wearing a black collared shirt with the word "MAGNOLIA" embroidered on it, smiling at the camera against a plain light background.

Jonathan Clark

Senior Instructor

A man wearing sunglasses and a white polo shirt standing next to a small airplane, holding a rolled-up document or map.

Jeff Martin

Senior Instructor

A young man with brown hair and a beard smiling outside in a yard with green trees, wearing a green polo shirt with "Magnolia CFI Academy" embroidered on it.

Spencer Beck

Instructor

A diagram of a rose plant showing parts labeled as roots, stem, leaves, and flower, with a green background behind the flower.

Mavrick Chandler

Instructor

A stylized line drawing of a rose on a dark green diamond-shaped background, with lines of explanatory text below.

Warren Kuntz

Instructor

Diagram explaining the care instructions for delicate fabrics, including washing, drying, and ironing guidelines, with an illustration of a fabric or garment and symbols indicating appropriate methods.

Ashlyn Murphy

Instructor

A man outdoors with a blurred green landscape and blue sky background, wearing a dark green polo shirt with 'MAGNOLIA CFI ACADEMY' logo.

Daniel Oppenheim

Instructor

Instructional diagram for dry cleaning of a fabric with a flower pattern. Shows steps for preparing, cleaning, and drying fabric.

Francisco Garcia

Instructor

A diagram of a flower with labeled parts and blank lines for descriptions, titled "Flower parts".

Daniel Massee

Instructor

Our Atlanta Instructors

Diagram of a flower with labels describing its parts, including the petals, sepals, stigma, style, and ovary.

Titus Matthews

Assistant Chief Instructor | LZU

Sustainable practices chart with a plant logo, emphasizing conservation, collaboration, and innovation.

Adam Dockstader

Instructor

A diagram illustrating a rose in bloom with labeled parts, including petals, sepals, stem, thorns, and roots.

Clay Willis

Instructor

Our Maintenance Department

Diagram of a plant leaf with a depiction of a flower, showing nutrient and water absorption, with instructions for proper watering, light, and temperature for plant health.

Mavrick Chandler

Mechanic

Our Administrative Staff

Diagram of dew formation on a leaf, showing water vapor condensing into droplets, with labels indicating temperature, humidity, and dew point.

Taylor Timaeus

Base Manager | 2M8

Diagram showing the parts of a plant with labels for seed, root, stem, and leaves.

Scott Simpkins

Base Manager | LZU

Diagram showing basic flower arrangement steps, including selecting flowers, preparing them, arranging in a vase, and final placement.

Clay Graham

Front Desk | 2M8

Line drawing of a rosa silk moth on a green triangular surface, with spaces for text below.

Connor Jayroe

Front Desk | 2M8

A black and white line drawing of a flower on a dark green rectangular background, placed at an angle.

Ethan Palmer

Front Desk | LZU

Our School Affiliates

Logo for Van's Aircraft with the text 'Van's Aircraft Total Performance' on a light pink background.

Van’s Aircraft

Logo of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) with gold and black text, featuring a globe and an airplane, and the words 'LWA Luke Weathers Jr. Flight Academy' in bold gold lettering.

Luke Weathers Jr.
Flight Academy

Blue logo with the text "BWI FLY" and a stylized airplane wing and circular design beneath the text, on a light blue background.

BWI Aviation Insurance Agency, Inc.

The logo of Spotify with a blue background, featuring a stylized circle and sound wave icon to the left of the word 'spotify'.

Sporty’s Pilot Shop

Jax Beach Aviation logo with a stylized airplane graphic on a blue background.

Jax Beach Aviation

JX Aero logo with a graphic of an airplane inside a circle featuring red, white, and blue colors. The text reads "JX Aero" with the tagline "Fly safely. Train seriously. Have fun."

Jax Aero

Orange and white single-engine aircraft parked on tarmac with hangars and trees in the background.

Become An Affiliate

Book a Discovery Flight

Thinking about a flight career or just want to have some fun? Come and join us for a 30-minute flight in the sky! Take the controls with one of our authorized instructors, and enjoy an experience you will never forget.