Apex Aviation is built for pilots at every stage — from your first lesson through Private, Instrument, and Commercial training — who want real proficiency, not just a certificate. Start today with our free member portal and 300+ question DPE Checkride Prep System. Apex Advantage live Ground School is running now — $25 per class or $400 for the complete program — and simulator-based training opens in Austin, January 2027.
The Austin simulator facility opens in 2027 — but you don't have to wait for any of this. Every one of these is real, working, and available right now.
Create a free portal account today and get instant access to the guide every Private Pilot applicant should read before checkride day, plus a dashboard to track your training.
A full DPE-style question bank covering every ACS area of operation, each with a model answer and the mistakes examiners actually watch for — plus scenario training and progress tracking.
A live mock oral exam with an Apex instructor — real DPE-style questioning and honest feedback, the closest thing to checkride day before checkride day.
Live, instructor-led Private Pilot ground school — a real class with a real CFI, delivered virtually so it's available nationwide. No cohort, no required starting point.
Traditional flight training puts students in the aircraft to learn — at $145/hr, in real weather, with no rewind button. Apex reverses that model. Once our Austin AATD simulator opens, every maneuver, procedure, and emergency scenario will be introduced there first. Students learn under controlled conditions, repeat without burning fuel, and debrief after every pass. By the time they step into the aircraft, they already know exactly what to do.
That same philosophy already shapes what's live today: our free member portal and 300+ question DPE Checkride Prep System are built around the same ACS-based, scenario-first approach — so you can start training the Apex way before the simulator doors ever open.
From first flight to commercial certificate — every Apex program is built around one principle: you learn it in the simulator first, then apply it in the aircraft. Maximum AATD hours, minimum wasted time, and a curriculum designed for pilots who want to get it right.
Start to checkride with scenario-based dual instruction, AATD simulator prep, and solo endorsement. Built for working adults.
Up to 20 of 40 required instrument hours in the AATD. Approaches, holds, partial panel, and IFR cross-country in a sim that doesn't care about the weather.
Up to 50 AATD hours toward your 250-hour total under §61.129. Commercial maneuvers, advanced XC, and ACS standards.
Whether you're earning a certificate, maintaining currency, or building real proficiency — every Apex session is built around deliberate practice and an honest debrief. No filler hours.
Create a free portal account today for the "10 Questions DPEs Love to Ask" guide, an optional 300+ question Checkride Prep System, and a 1:1 Mock Oral with an instructor. Live, instructor-led Ground School is running now — $25 per class.
Private, Instrument, and Commercial certificate training built around the simulator-first model. Every skill is taught in the Redbird FMX before it's applied in the aircraft at our Austin-area facility.
Stay legal and actually sharp. IPC, Biennial Flight Reviews, Rusty Pilot reintegration, and in-person workshops — all built around scenario-based work that reflects the flying you actually do.
Book the Redbird FMX by the hour for self-directed practice, aircraft transition training, or owner proficiency work. AATD-certified — every hour counts toward FAA requirements.
At Apex, the Redbird FMX AATD won't be a supplement — it will be the primary classroom. Every maneuver, procedure, and emergency will be trained in the sim first. Once it's automatic, students take it to the aircraft. That's how you build real proficiency without burning through a Hobbs meter.
Every lesson at Apex will start in the Redbird FMX. Students brief the maneuver, fly it in the sim with real-time instructor feedback, and debrief before ever touching the aircraft. You show up to the plane ready — not learning on the clock.
Struggling with steep turns? Reset and fly them again — immediately, at a fraction of the cost of aircraft time. Apex instructors will use the sim's pause and replay tools to isolate exactly what went wrong and fix it before moving on.
Austin weather won't dictate your training schedule. IMC, thunderstorms, night approaches, partial panel, engine failures — all of it on demand in the Redbird FMX. No cancellations, no waiting for the right conditions.
Andrew Serrazina founded Apex because the training he wanted as an active IFR pilot didn't exist in Austin — focused, scenario-based recurrent work without the student-pilot machinery around it.
Andrew's view is simple: most instrument pilots are not as current as they think they are, and most recurrent training is too easy to actually change that. He built Apex because he wanted a place in Austin where a working IFR pilot could get an honest assessment, a hard scenario, and a debrief that didn't pull punches — without having to wade through a flight school structured for private pilot students. Every aspect of the Apex curriculum reflects what he would want as the pilot in the left seat.
Every Apex session is built around realistic scenarios — not rote maneuvers. We train the decision-making, situational awareness, and automation management that differentiate a current pilot from a safe one. Currency is the floor. Proficiency is the goal.
We're currently in lease negotiations for our Austin-area facility, purpose-built for serious simulator training. It will be quiet, focused, and equipped with a full AATD suite — including glass cockpit avionics, high-fidelity flight modeling, and a complete national airport database. No distractions. No student traffic. Just you and the work.
“I had an amazing experience training with Andrew as my Certified Flight Instructor. From day one, he made everything feel approachable and stress-free, even when learning some of the more challenging concepts. He's incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and knows how to explain things in a way that actually sticks. What really stood out to me was how much he genuinely cares about his students' progress and confidence.”
Yes. Our free member portal is live today, including the "10 Questions DPEs Love to Ask" guide and an optional 300+ question DPE-style Checkride Prep System covering every ACS area of operation for Private, Instrument, and Commercial candidates. Apex Advantage live Ground School is running now — $25 per class or $400 for the complete program — and our Austin-area AATD simulator facility opens January 2027.
No. The free portal and checkride prep system are open to student pilots through commercial candidates today. Apex Advantage live Ground School is also open to all certificate levels. The Austin AATD sessions opening January 2027 are primarily designed for instrument-rated pilots pursuing IPC or flight reviews, but contact Andrew if you have a specific need.
Ground school and checkride prep sessions are conducted via video call. Andrew shares his screen for diagrams, charts, and ACS task walkthroughs. Sessions run on a fixed weekly schedule — Monday and Wednesday for Private Pilot, Tuesday for Instrument Rating, Thursday for Commercial. Checkride prep is scheduled individually.
Yes. The Apex AATD is FAA-certified, which means an IPC conducted in the simulator with a CFII satisfies the requirements of FAR 61.57(d). Approaches flown in an AATD also count toward the 6-approach currency requirement under FAR 61.57(c). The simulator opens in Austin in January 2027.
Currency means you meet the FAA's minimums to act as PIC. Proficiency means you can actually handle what real IMC throws at you. A pilot can be legally current after six approaches in a simulator on a clear day and still be dangerously unprepared for a partial-panel situation in actual conditions. Apex trains for proficiency — currency is a byproduct.
Create a free portal account to get the "10 Questions DPEs Love to Ask" guide today. To talk with Andrew directly about ground school, checkride prep, or upcoming Austin training, send a message through the contact page — he responds within one business day.
We open in Austin in January 2027 with 24 founding member slots. Tell us about your flying and we'll confirm your spot before public enrollment opens.
Welcome to Apex Aviation. We'll be in touch before our January 2027 Austin launch with priority access details.