San Antonio (PG City)

The Flight Experience San Antonio ("Military City, USA") offers a flight experience steeped in history and military precision. Geographically, it sits right on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, so a flight north takes you over rolling limestone hills, while a flight south opens up into the flat South Texas brush country.

The airspace is a complex dance of civil and military traffic. You have San Antonio International (KSAT) in the center, but it is surrounded by active military bases: Lackland (Kelly Field) to the southwest and Randolph AFB to the northeast. You are just as likely to share the sky with a T-6 Texan II trainer or a C-5 Galaxy as you are with a Southwest 737.

Visual Highlights

• Tower of the Americas: This 750ft observation tower is the absolute visual anchor of the city. Built for the 1968 World’s Fair, its distinct "top hat" structure makes it visible from over 30 miles out on a clear Texas day.

• The Alamodome: This massive rectangular stadium with its cable-suspended roof sits just east of downtown. It is impossible to miss and serves as a great turn-point for VFR entry.

• The Alamo: While small, the distinct limestone facade and the surrounding plaza of this historic shrine are detailed enough to spot if you fly a low, respectful orbit over the city center.

• The "Taj Mahal" (Randolph AFB): If you fly near the northeast corner of the city, look for the iconic white administration building at Randolph AFB (KRND). It looks like a cathedral with a water tower "dome" and is a legendary landmark for military aviators.

• Six Flags Fiesta Texas: Located in the northwest at the "Rim," this theme park is built into the walls of an old quarry. The sheer limestone cliffs surrounding the roller coasters make it a unique visual feature.

Pilot’s Note: Fly the "Mission Trail." Depart from Stinson Municipal (KSSF)—the second oldest general aviation airport in the US—located just south of downtown. Fly north at 1,500ft following the San Antonio River. You can visually trace the line of historic Spanish Missions (Mission San Jose, Mission Concepcion) leading right up to the Tower of the Americas downtown.