Over The Mountain Aviation

Over The Mountain Aviation is a flight school and aircraft rental business at Shelby County Airport in Calera, Alabama. The site lists its address as 265 Weathervane Road, Calera, AL 35040. The owner and chief flight instructor is Barry Franks.

The school offers Discovery flights for people who want a first flight. A Discovery Flight starts at $155, and a fuel surcharge may apply. The site also lists Pinch Hitting training for non-pilots at $1,500, a Light Sport course with a minimum of $5,100 and no medical needed, and gift certificates.

The rental fleet includes a Piper Arrow II, N55088, with a Garmin 650 WAAS and IFR certification. It rents at $230 per hour wet. A Cessna 172, N12887, rents at $185 per hour wet with a Garmin 430. The site says the school has five airplanes for instruction, including Cessna 172s and PA28s.

Private Pilot training requires a minimum of 40 hours of total time. The site lists at least 20 hours of dual instruction, including cross country, night flying, and instrument training. Instructor rates are $55 per hour for primary training. The site also lists recurrent training and flight reviews.

The site says the owner has more than 30 years of flying experience. Barry Franks holds Airline Transport Pilot, Commercial Multi Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, Certified Instrument Instructor, and Multi Engine Instructor ratings. The site says past instructors moved on to flying jets, King Airs, and Cirrus aircraft.

The site also invites flight instructors to apply. It describes flexible schedules, competitive hourly pay, a ground school study room, and on-site maintenance. Applications go to the owner by resume.

Contact is by phone at (205) 670-6359. The site also has Facebook and Instagram pages and a contact form.