City and County UpdatePhoto by Wes Ferguson

Josh Harnagel displays the cockpit of a Redbird Skyport flight simulator.

Enrollment is flying high at Redbird Skyport, a research and development lab that opened in November 2011 at the San Marcos Municipal Airport.

The operation's flight school is running at full capacity and plans to expand to 16 students a day, a 33 percent increase from current enrollment, in the first quarter of 2013, Marketing Director Josh Harnagel said.

"We've put out about 50 pilots in the past year," Harnagel said.

An offshoot of Austin-based Redbird Flight Simulations, the San Marcos business also offers aviation service, support and fuel sales at its private terminal. More than 50 aircraft passed through the terminal during the Formula One weekend, the operation's best three-day period to date.

In May, the company expanded its dining facilities to include an outdoor seating area and gazebo. A concurrent remodel of its indoor dining area incorporated a World War II aviation theme.