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.

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.

  • 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.

  • Knowledge

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

  • Integrity

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

Meet Our Team of Professional
& Experienced Staff

Sean Hamilton
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.”

Brenda McArthur
Student Coordinator

No organisation can run well without the support of an amazing staff and Brenda definitely does not fall short. She obtained a degree in Biochemistry in 2022 and after college, she decided to begin flight training. She currently possesses a Private Pilot Certificate and is working on her Instrument rating. Throughout your time at our school, many of you will get to know this friendly face. She deeply cares for our students and enjoys the fulfilment of seeing every student succeed.

Jeff Martin
Chief Instructor

Jeff has an extensive career in aviation. He began his passion as a flight instructor in 1979, joined a corporate company soon after, and landed his lifelong career at Federal Express in 1987. He recently retired from FedEx after thirty-four years of service, including twenty-six years as a Captain and seven years as a Line Check Airman. He enjoys leisure trips in his Cessna airplanes and has a great love for teaching.

Jacob Pennell
Assistant Chief Instructor

Jake currently holds a CFI, CFIl, and MEl. After graduating from Southern Illinois Carbondale with a degree in Business Management, he started his aviation career in Smyrna, TN and finished in Olive Branch, MS.. After receiving his MEl, he started working as an instructor and is currently the Assistant Chief Flight Instructor for Magnolia CFI Academy. Jake's love and passion for teaching have driven him to have a very successful career as a flight instructor.

Jonathan Clark
Senior Instructor

Jonathan holds a CFI, CFII, MEI rating, and was a check airman.  Born and raised in the Memphis area, after college he did his flight training here.  With over 1,000 hours of flight instruction given, Jonathan has a passion for teaching and helping students succeed in achieving their aviation goals!

Cameron Graeber
Instructor

Cameron holds a CFI and CFII.  He began his training in South Africa and has training experience under FAA and ICAO regulations.  He has worked in the aviation training industry as a dispatcher, operations manager, and flight instructor.  He has a deep passion for aviation.  He loves to learn and share his knowledge and life experience with the new generation of pilots.

Nick Scruggs
Instructor

Nick holds a CFI and CFII. Nick has been flying since the beginning of 2021. He started his aviation career here in Memphis and is a veteran of our CFI Academy. Nick's passion for aviation shows in his instruction. He is always willing to help any student in their aviation journey and is eager to grow his own aviation knowledge.

Daniel Oppenheim
Instructor

Daniel has always enjoyed General Aviation and travelled to many places around the country in the family airplane. After many years in the corporate world, he made the shift to aviation and began acquiring his ratings up through CFII. He has enjoyed putting the skills acquired as a manager in the corporate world into use as an instructor to help develop pilots.

Spencer Beck
Instructor

Spencer first became interested in aviation when his dad took him to see the Blue Angels as a kid. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and has been flying since late 2020. He holds both CFI and CFII certificates and looks forward to sharing his passion for aviation with future students.

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.