In August 2001, I pursued a lifelong dream - I learned to fly. The airplane that helped me achieve that dream was a late-model Cessna Skyhawk SP - one of three at a flight school called Stinson Air Center. The age-old design of the Skyhawk (unchanged for decades) coupled with the latest avionics provided an effective blend of old and new. I learned to fly in a Skyhawk like thousands of other pilots before me but also learned how to navigate with modern avionics like color moving maps using global-positioning systems (GPS).

As pilots we are always learning and before long we earn the certificates that grant us the privilege to fly. Since earning my private pilot certificate, I've logged more than a hundred hours of recreational flying - sharing my newfound right to fly with friends, family members and others...sharing the spirit and adventure of aviation to inspire and educate.

Sharing my love for aviation, unfortunately, keeps getting harder and harder in San Antonio. When Stinson Air Center closed its doors, it took with it the availability of two late-model Cessna Skyhawks. Desperate to continue flying, I searched throughout San Antonio for another flight school that had late-model Skyhawks available for rental. I had heard many good things about a flight school called Wright Flyers and visited their web site to find FOUR late model Skyhawks and a single Skyhawk SP available.

I contacted the staff at Wright Flyers to arrange a check-out but soon learned that all five of their Cessna Skyhawks were not available for rental. I received an e-mail from Rand Goldstein (President of Wright Flyers) stating, "Our written policy restricts all of our training aircraft to pilot training...I appreciate your contacting Wright Flyers and hope you understand that our policy is intended to help keep our students on schedule."

While I certainly respect their desire to keep their flight students on schedule, I also question how difficult it would be for them to make one or two airplanes available to renters. Just this morning (July 17th), I drove by the Wright Flyers hangar to find five or six Skyhawks on the ground. A morning of clear, blue skies and calm winds. I would have been flying had an airplane been available to me. Flying to spread the good news about aviation and flying to put money back into a well respected flight school.

I was fortunate enough to find another flight school - The International Flight Center - that had a single Cessna Skyhawk SP available for rent. With their help, I was able to continue my recreational flying and went on to earn an Instrument Rating. Without IFC, a local San Antonio pilot has no options when it comes to finding a late model Skyhawk available for rent. This is a disturbing fact. Disturbing that local flight schools do not realize the great benefit of "graduated" pilots that still want to fly reliable, late model airplanes like the Skyhawk.

Was it not just a few weeks ago that we learned that San Antonio surpassed Dallas, Texas in population? At just one flight school in Dallas - Monarch Air at Addison Airport - not one but TEN late model Skyhawk SPs are available for rental. Clearly our friends up North realize that the health of a flight school involves student pilots AND renter pilots who, together, fund the future of general aviation so that others can take to the skies...

I hope that San Antonio flight schools, like Wright Flyers, will realize the business benefit and demand for Cessna Skyhawk rentals and will help establish San Antonio as an aviation-friendly city that takes care of all those student pilots that want to share their aviation experience after earning their wings!

You're looking at the only late-model Cessna Skyhawk available for rental in San Antonio! This 2000 Cessna 172S is available for rental from International Flight Center. The airplane makes fun flights - like this one to Leakey, Texas - safe and enjoyable.