In 1929 at the
Texas Air Fair she rode in an airplane for the first time—an
Alexander Eaglerock biplane. With teaching help from her husband, Browning was certified as a solo pilot in 1939; her first solo flight was in a
Taylorcraft biplane. The same year, the Brownings's friend
Hugh Herndon told them about the government's
Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP); in September the family flew their
Stinson SM-8 to
University Airport in
Austin. They leased the airport from
Webb Ruff and founded Browning Aerial Service, Inc., a flight school dedicated to training civilian pilots through the CPTP. Browning graduated from a pilot training program sponsored by the
Austin Chamber of Commerce in 1940. In 1940, Emma and Robert Browning were among the founders of the
Texas Flight Training Association, now known as the
National Air Transportation Association; they were also involved with the establishment of the
Civil Aeronautics Authority in 1941 and the
Texas Aeronautics Commission in 1945. When
World War II broke out, the CPTP was converted to the
War Training Service. Browning Aerial Service began training pilots for the
US Army Air Corps, and it was the only flight school licensed to offer advanced training on the
Waco UPF-7. At the height of the war, they owned 21 aircraft and employed ten flight instructors. In 1946, Browning Aerial Service relocated to
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, where the company, alongside
Ragsdale Flying Service, continued to thrive. In addition to a flight school, they also offered aircraft storage, maintenance, sales, and charters; Browning Aerial distributed
Piper aircraft during the post-war general aviation boom. The Brownings also had a 25-year charter with the
University of Texas to provide transportation to and from the
McDonald Observatory, and contracted with the city to provide service for commercial planes. Browning Aerial Service constructed its own terminal, Browning Terminal, at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Work began in 1962 and finished in 1963. By the 1970s, the Brownings employed 40 people and occupied 100,000 sq. ft. of
hangar space. Due to its status as the state capital, governors and other officials would often fly in and out of Austin; Browning made sure to work hard and impress them, establishing a good reputation. When her husband Robert died in June 1973, Browning became president of Browning Aerial Service; their son Robert served as general manager and vice-president. She was known as a shrewd businesswoman—when once asked by
Charles Lindbergh to borrow a plane during maintenance, Browning replied: "Charlie, we don't loan airplanes, we rent them." After nearly 15 years as president, Browning sold the company to
London-based
Signature Flight Services in August 1987. == Later life and recognition ==