About Us
The Solid Ground Aviation Story
Founded by professional pilot Todd O’Brien in 2020, Solid Ground Aviation provides advanced, simulator-first flight instruction in Fort Meade, Maryland. The company was created to bring professional aviation training standards to the general aviation community using a custom-built, FAA compliant Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD). With programs spanning private pilot to instrument, commercial, and instructor certifications, Solid Ground emphasizes safety, efficiency, and realism. Their in-house designed SG-2 and SG-2 simulators replicate real cockpits with configurable touch panels, allowing highly tailored and repeatable training without weather or maintenance interruptions.
About Us
Our Mission
To provide quality and cost-effective training to pilots of all experience levels through immersive simulation, bridging the gap between professional and general aviation training standards.
About Us
Our Vision
To become the trusted national standard for simulator-based flight training, where every pilot, from student to professional, chooses Solid Ground Aviation to enhance safety, proficiency, and confidence.
About Us
Our Values
Professionalism
Solid Ground Aviation holds itself to the same high standards of discipline and precision found in commercial and corporate aviation. Every interaction, from the classroom to the simulator, is conducted with respect, consistency, and excellence. The team models the professional conduct expected of pilots, ensuring students not only gain technical skill but also adopt the mindset and habits that define safe, capable aviators.
Safety and reliability
Safety is the foundation of everything at Solid Ground Aviation. By focusing on simulation-based instruction, the organization removes weather, maintenance, and operational risks while allowing unlimited practice in emergency and instrument procedures. This controlled environment enables students to train safely, repeat complex scenarios, and build real-world decision-making confidence under expert guidance.
Innovation through simulation
Innovation drives Solid Ground’s mission to redefine flight training. The company’s in-house designed simulators, engineered to FAA standards, bring professional-grade fidelity to general aviation. This technology allows customized training experiences that mirror each pilot’s aircraft, fostering deeper understanding, greater proficiency, and a more immersive path to mastery than traditional methods alone can provide.
Accessibility and affordability
Solid Ground Aviation is committed to making quality pilot training attainable for everyone. By using simulation as a primary teaching tool, the school minimizes costs, reduces scheduling barriers, and creates a consistent learning experience free from weather delays or aircraft downtime. This approach opens aviation education to a wider range of students while maintaining uncompromised instructional quality.
Continuous improvement
The company believes that aviation excellence is a journey, not a destination. Solid Ground’s team continually refines its programs, technology, and teaching methods based on student feedback, performance data, and advancements in flight simulation. This dedication to constant growth ensures that both instructors and students evolve together, becoming safer, sharper, and more capable with every flight session.
Start Here
Choose Your
Next Step
Earn your first certificate in our Cessna 172s, add the next rating, or stay current as a licensed pilot.
Aircraft + Simulator
Commercial Pilot License
The Commercial Pilot License is the step that lets you be paid to fly. It is the foundation for a professional career, from flight instructing to charter, aerial work, and beyond.
$65/hr
Instrument Currency
An instrument rating is only useful when you're current and comfortable in the system. Our Flight Training Center is built for licensed pilots too, so you can book a simulator session, log the approaches, holds and course tracking you need, and get back to flying.
Aircraft + Simulator
Instrument Rating
The Instrument Rating makes you a more precise, more capable, and safer pilot. It qualifies you to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR) and operate in weather that would ground a VFR-only pilot.
Aircraft + Simulator
Private Pilot License
The Private Pilot License is the foundation of every pilot's journey. It lets you fly an aircraft as pilot in command, carry passengers, and explore the skies for personal travel and recreation.
New to Flight Training?
Download Our Free Guide
Confused by FAA requirements? Want to master the basics before investing? Our free roadmap simplifies the flight training process, answers the most common student pilot questions, and shows you exactly how starting in a simulator can save you over $3,000 on your license.
Where We Train
Flight Training for
Maryland and DC Pilots
We fly from Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, close to Baltimore, Annapolis, Columbia, Laurel and Washington, D.C.
Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Solid Ground Aviation a flight school or a simulator center?
We're a Flight Training Center. We fly Cessna 172s for Private Pilot, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot training, and our FAA-approved simulator is built into every program.
Who founded Solid Ground Aviation?
Todd O'Brien, our founder and chief instructor, opened Solid Ground in 2020. He holds CFI, CFII, MEI and ATP certificates, has flown since 2007, has nearly 5,000 hours and flies for a major airline.
Where are you located?
We're at Tipton Airport (KFME), 7515 General Aviation Dr, Fort Meade, MD 20755, just outside the DC SFRA.
Do you train under Part 61 or Part 141?
Our programs follow Part 61, so your training pace fits your schedule.
Do you cancel lessons for bad weather?
No. We don't cancel lessons. When the weather or an airplane says no, your lesson moves to the simulator or ground instruction.
I'm already a pilot. Is Solid Ground for me?
Yes. Licensed pilots train here for instrument currency, IPCs, proficiency, avionics and jet transition, including interview prep for FlexJet and NetJets. Solid Ground Aviation is not affiliated with FlexJet or NetJets.
Got more any more questions? Contact Us
Ready to Start
Your Training?
Book a discovery session and see how your training would work before you commit to a program. We'll show you the airplane, the simulator and how your plan comes together.