Abilene Flying Service, Inc. is a small, multi-role general aviation operation that serves as both the sole FBO and the airport manager at Abilene Municipal Airport (K78) in Abilene, Kansas. Owned and operated by Jim Curtis, the operation functions as the airport's anchor tenant and primary service provider, combining flight instruction, aircraft maintenance, agricultural aviation, fuel service, and airport management under a single operator. The airport itself — and by extension the flying service — has roots going back to 1946, when the City of Abilene used federal funds to establish the municipal field. Flight instruction at Abilene Flying Service is personal and small in scale. Jim Curtis and fellow CFI Jim Price — who also serves as chairman of the city's aviation advisory committee — are both certified to instruct from Private Pilot through Commercial certificates. Training is conducted under Part 61, is student-paced, and accommodates students at all levels. The school graduates roughly two to three students per year based on published accounts, reflecting its intentionally small, community-oriented character rather than a volume-driven model. Students from Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus also use K78 as a training field specifically for non-towered airport operations experience, adding an external student pipeline to the field's activity. Beyond instruction, Abilene Flying Service operates two agricultural aircraft and conducts crop-dusting and agricultural spraying throughout the region, particularly active in the summer growing season. The operation also handles single-engine airframe and powerplant maintenance, with major repair capabilities noted. No landing fees or ramp fees are charged at K78, which is a genuine benefit for visiting pilots and based tenants alike.

Home Airport(s)

Abilene Municipal Airport ICAO: (no formal ICAO designator) | IATA: (none) | FAA LID: K78   Located approximately one mile south-southwest of downtown Abilene in Dickinson County, Kansas. The airport covers 195 acres and sits at an elevation of 1,152 ft MSL. Owned and operated by the City of Abilene; managed by Abilene Flying Service. The airport was established in 1946 and has been continuously improved with federal and state aviation funds. Activated the same year that much of the current Kansas general aviation infrastructure was built.   Runway: Runway 17​/​35 — 4,100 ft × 75 ft (asphalt; RNAV​/​GPS approaches for both ends; MIRL; pilot-controlled lighting via CTAF 122.8; AWOS-3 on field) No control tower. Uncontrolled airspace; CTAF​/​UNICOM 122.8. Approach​/​departure services provided by Kansas City ARTCC via Salina RCAG on 134.9​/​363.2 when Marshall Approach Control is closed. Fuel available 24 hours by credit card (100LL and Jet-A; Phillips brand). Courtesy cars available upon request. No landing or ramp fees.   For flight training, K78 offers exactly what a small Part 61 school needs: a quiet, low-traffic uncontrolled field where students can focus on aircraft control, traffic pattern discipline, and self-announce communications without the cognitive overhead of a towered environment. The single 4,100-foot runway is more than adequate for the training aircraft operated here and provides straightforward visual approaches from both ends. The central Kansas terrain is flat and open, with excellent visibility and reliable VFR conditions through the warm months. Winds on the open plains can be sustained and variable, providing natural crosswind training opportunities that are common enough to be routine rather than exceptional. One notable operational consideration for students at K78: the Kansas State University Skydive Club operates at the field most weekends from March onward, meaning students must develop awareness of parachute activity and jump aircraft in the traffic pattern — useful real-world airspace experience. The airport's proximity to downtown Abilene (just one mile) makes it exceptionally convenient by small airport standards.

Fleet and Facilities

Specific current training aircraft are not comprehensively published by the operation, but based on available records and operational context: Training aircraft — The school uses single-engine aircraft consistent with Private and Commercial pilot training. FAA ownership records indicate historical operation of various Cessna singles (including the 172 series) in the training role. Agricultural aircraft (×2) — Two aircraft operated for crop-dusting, aerial seeding, and agricultural spraying across the surrounding region. These are active revenue-generating assets, particularly during the summer growing season in central Kansas.   On-site facilities include hangars and tie-down spaces, major single-engine airframe and powerplant repair capability, 24-hour self-serve fuel (100LL and Jet-A), and two courtesy cars. The airport hosts approximately 22 based aircraft. Cash discounts are available on maintenance services. An annual pancake day fly-in event is held each spring, typically in early May.

Additional Notes

Abilene Flying Service is a textbook example of the small, owner-operated municipal airport FBO that forms the backbone of rural general aviation in the American Midwest. Jim Curtis occupies multiple roles simultaneously — airport manager, CFI, A&P mechanic, agricultural pilot, and FBO operator — a combination that is sustainable only at a small field and reflects the kind of generalist aviation professional that community airports have always depended on.   The airport's economic impact is disproportionate to its size. Per Kansas DOT data, K78 generates a direct economic output of over $1.2 million and indirect output of more than $316,000 for the Abilene area — driven in part by the airport's one-mile proximity to downtown and the diverse activities it supports.   For prospective student pilots, Abilene Flying Service offers personalized, affordable instruction in an unhurried environment, and the co-use of the field by K-State Polytechnic students provides an interesting peer community. Prospective students should expect to contact the school directly to confirm current aircraft availability, instructor scheduling, and rates, as no formal web presence is maintained beyond directory listings.