I have only been to Above All Aviation on two occasions. I live about an hour away. The first time was in 2015 when my wife purchased a gift certificate for the Red Bird Simulator. I scheduled a time block and arrived about 15 minutes early. The Instructor seemed a little put out and said you're only 30 minutes late. I said I didn't realize you wanted me here 45 minutes before my time block. The Instructor then went to a calendar and asked my name again, and said "Oh I guess you are early, well let's go." I thought to myself I'm not going to let his bad day ruin mine. As we walked over to the simulator his attitude completely changed. It turned into a great experience. I just recently took my Private Pilot Knowledge Test and the facility and staff are great. The staff takes there jobs very serious, but are very friendly. I was actually very impressed by the search prior to and after the exam. Very professional and explained everything prior to the test. Another great experience wish I lived closer. read more

I have to rave about the quality of the people here at Above All Aviation. On Saturday after Thanksgiving, I flew my daughter back to Santa Barbara. When I went to fire the engine up to come home, nothing. The battery was dead, and the FBO had no start cart for a piston engine. I'm basically dead in the water. None of the mechanics shops are open, and hand propping is never a great option. I was busy calling every business on the field, and it was Above All to the rescue. Joel got stuff together, drove to my plane. He was exceptionally careful, and we talked about what we were going to do before starting. Long story short, the engine was started, and I was on my with minimal delay. I can highly recommend Above All for going above and beyond, and attention to safety. read more

So far, so good .. I've been with Above All for 4 months now, 12 hrs. In .. I plan on staying here & becoming proficient .. Steve is my current instructor .. Friendly & effective.. also, learning here is good due to commercial traffic .. With out being too crazy you can apprentice here with the bigger jets so you are used to it .. So far my plans are to stay at "Above All" & complete the journey .. they are recommended .. read more

Above All Aviation is a fantastic flight school. I was referred to them by former students that both went on to fly corporate jets - all starting from this great school at KSBA. Earned both my private pilot and instrument rating here. Having done lessons at schools in both Orange County and South Florida the biggest difference with Above All is the family environment that owners Shawn, Joel and Bill have created. Have made very good friends here and we often go flying together and do overnight fly-in camping trips all over the state. If you have an interest in flying take a discovery flight at Above All. Their entire staff and instructors are great and you can't go wrong with any of them. read more

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After just planning on getting a private pilot's license, here I am now with an instrument/commercial rating along with a high-performance endorsement. Never thought I'd get this far in aviation. Shawn, Joel, Danny, Bill helped me push through to get the training I needed to succeed. read more

Above All Aviation - Departing SBA early morning. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I'm a Gold Seal flight instructor that has worked for flight schools in Connecticut , San Diego, Honolulu , Dillingham (North Shore Oahu), Santa Barbara Kodiak, Alaska and points West- Above All is one of the finest flight schools I've had the honor to work with- The staff is knowledgeable, and very caring and the ownership supports their students and staff to produce the best students they can-when you are looking for flying lessons I highly recommend that you stop by, meet the owners, instructors and a few of their many happy students before you choose a school read more

If you are looking for a decent and profession flight school, AboveAllAviation is definitely the right choice. I first started in this flight school with zero flying experience, and that was only a little over a year ago and now I am a Multi Engine commercial rated pilot with bunch of working opportunity. Everyone in this school is super friendly and professional. Whenever i come to this school, I dont feel the teacher and student relationship, i feel like they are my family, a one big family. The Above All family were helpful enough to answer my questions on aviation and even life difficulties. They will not sell you something you dont need, because they want you to save on flight training or something that actually help you becoming a pilot. Before i went to this school, i had no idea i could become a pilot and AboveAll made my dream come true. After i received all my training, i became an aerial survey pilot, UAV Chase plane pilot and now I am a Skydive Pilot and will be flying for a regional airline in Alaska next month. As i said, if you want to become a pilot. I highly recommend this flight school. read more

I flew an A36 Bonanza to Santa Barbara on 11/14/2019. By a silly mistake, I ended up with a low battery when I returned to the Aircraft. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon and when I discovered the issue, I asked the FBO to give me a jump. Sadly, whey were unable to do so, but gave me the name of a mechanics on the field. I called Above All Aviation. I was happy to find out they would be able to give me a jump which entitled coming to the plane with a good battery, hooking it up to the A36 and allowing me to start the engine. The entire process from the time I called to the time they appeared and my engine was running was about 10 minutes. For that jump start of my battery, I received a bill of $250.00. Talk about a price gouging. They know you cannot start your engine, so Above All Aviation imposes what they call an AOG (Airport on ground) fee to put your plane ahead of any others for maintenance. They say they charge this for all planes that ask for immediate assistance of their mechanics even for a quick issue like a jump start. Over the years I have had this issue happen three of four times in different planes at different airports. Each prior time, a line guy or mechanic brought over his tug or battery and jumped my battery in just a few minutes. I have never been charged prior to Above All Aviation. While I do not mind a charge for someone helping me out, even with something to easy as a jump start, I was shocked when they told me of the $250 charge for the work. The also stated they will be charging me a standard 1/2 hour of mechanic fee time at $105.00 per hour. So if they charge that, this battery jump which took all of two or three minutes from the time the mechanic arrived at the plane with a good battery, will have cost over $300.00, or over $100.00 PER MINUTE!! I was told this is their policy by the mechanic who was very nice, but it appears this corporation's policy is to take advantage of pilots in a tough spot. Not what I would describe as a good member of the flying community. I do not know what they charge for their flight school but if it is anything like their mechanic services, it will be atmospherically high. STAY AWAY FROM ABOVE ALL AVIATION AND PARTICULARLY IF YOU NEED AN ISSUE RESOLVED MECHANICALLY! read more

After checking out several other flight schools in the area, nobody beats Above All Aviation! I really like everyone I've encountered there, and after a lesson I will often hang out for a bit, chatting with whomever is in the office. I've never felt rushed, and everyone has been very friendly and professional. Highly recommended! read more

Best flight school and scenic tour flight operation on central coast. Might be one of the only legal ones as well. I've been to all flight schools in SB, one in Camarillo, Santa Paula, SLO, and Arizona. I'm a CFI and ATP currently working for a airline. I can say with confidence that *most* other flight schools I've been to, like the ones just mentioned, will not be truthful regarding charges or how long training will take. They will slow the process down to get more money. Above all in SB will not do that and they are honest and good people. Highly recommend. No I was not asked by anyone to to write this review. It is of my personal experiences from Above All and other schools in SB and central coast. Good luck! read more

When my daughter wanted to take flying lessons, I checked out flight schools in the Santa Barbara, Ventura/SoCal area and by far none compared to Above All Aviation. The owner, Shawn Sullivan, took the time to answer my many questions and although it has a family friendly atmosphere, it is certainly a professional one as well. Shawn has personally worked with us for each certificate earned (private, instrument, commercial, instructor) and found ways to make it as affordable as possible without compromising quality and safety. I have never regretted my choice in choosing Above All Aviation because they truly are ABOVE ALL. read more

I don't generally leave yelp reviews, but was very pleased with my beginners lesson today. Akila was very knowledgeable and is a skilled pilot. I would highly suggest signing up here for a recreational flight or if you are interested in getting started flying. read more

I love this place. The people here are personable and feel like family. If you ever have a problem it's easy to talk to the owners, they are here almost everyday. I have been offered a few pretty cool jobs, but if I get the chance I would work here in a heartbeat. My PPL cost me around 7-9k which is not only fair for a pilots license, but when I did my instrument training with ATP they set me up for success. You really can't beat this flight school. It's the best on the field and probably the best on the central coast. Also I heard they have an incredible pass rate, they have instructors that teach because they like teaching. Not just to get to the 1500 hour mark to work at the airlines read more

Really kind, friendly, and knowledgable staff. I am going to return for continued instruction. Visited some other flight schools and this is clearly the best in Santa Barbara. I didn't like red baron at all where the owners argue in front of customers. Will be back to above aviation! read more

Yo I had to hop back in and just give AA a 1 star demerit cause it's too funny how they get people who have never left even 1 Yelp review to write a glowing novel lmao. Check in on a local SAA meeting to get the whole story about SB aviation happenings... read more

My teenage son has been taking lessons here for a few months, and we couldn't be more pleased. This is a top notch operation, very professional, polite, kind, and safe. My son has received excellent instruction both in the air and on the ground. Everyone who works there is helpful and patient. They do not get in a hurry, and take the time to communicate clearly. These guys are just the best! read more

Getting my PPL at Above All Aviation in 17L with Mike F. was a great experience. The training was top knotch, Mike is an amazing knowledgable calm patient instructor, and I felt well prepared and safe while soloing. Pricing is very reasonable and Shawn, Bill, and everyone else at Above All really do make you feel like family. I highly recommend this flight school and Mike as an instructor. read more

When you join Above All Aviation you are not just gaining flight certificates, you are gaining a family and a new group of friends. Shawn, Bill, Joel, Jessie, Mikey, John, Matt, Ken, Julian, Lucas, Donna, Pattick, Hannah and Juliet all welcome you with open hands. They have hands down what I would call A+ in customer service. They are always finding a way for you to save money, that's right a flight school that will save you money! If you need hours they pair you up with another student that needs hours, they have promos, study groups, constantly working with aviation groups to keep people Informed, a flight simulatior, they love to help with sponsorships, and if you just need a place to hangout and talk about aviation thier door is always open. Not only do they have a flight school but they have a maintenance shop which is just a fun place to hangout and learn about plane inards. I have gotten all my ratings here from private pilot to commercial multi-engine instrument and now have a job working for a charter company. You know what they still can't get rid of me because I still come by just to hangout and talk about aviation. I love Above All they are my family and friends and they always have room for more! read more