I began my flight training in Boston, where I bounced between a number of flights schools before finding East Coast Aero Club - an excellent flight school with a well-kept flight-line, and experienced & personable instructors.
As I began traveling to Santa Barbara more often for work & eventually ended up moving here, I took up the opportunity to continue my flight training with Above All. My first flight with Above All was in 2014, and I have never looked back.
Since my 11th hour of flying through my first solo, Private Pilot Rating, multiple endorsements, private aircraft familiarizations, and now my Instrument training, I have received an exceptional training experience. Having experienced a number of different flight schools on the east coast and found ECAC to be the best that the Greater Boston Area had to offer, I can safely say that Above All has equally high standards - and with a more personal touch.
In experiencing the same, a close friend of mine from Brooklyn, NY, even chose to spend 6 weeks staying with me in Santa Barbara at the beginning of last year - specifically so that he could complete his Private Pilot training with Above All.
Every instructor with whom I've trained at Above All over my past 5 years and multiple levels of flight training has taught me the skills I've needed, not just to meet the FAA requirements, but also to fly safely in a wide variety of conditions that the FAA requirements do not address. Above All's instructors have countless thousands of hours of experience, and they share the wisdom they have gleaned from that experience with their students with tips, tricks, frameworks, scenarios, and other advice that extends far beyond the curriculum for a given rating.
Above All offers a range of aircraft to suit different budgets - from two-seat trainers for those on a budget, through conventional four-seat Cessna 172s, to a high-performance airplane and a twin for those seeking more speed, comfort, equipment, and skill. I trained in a 152 for most of my Private Pilot training - an airplane I loved so much that I placed its tail number, 17L, in the diagrams of a book that I co-authored, "DIY Drones for the Evil Genius"!
Having trained at other flight schools prior to finding Above All, and having considered Above All's rates vs those of other flight schools when I was looking into training options in Santa Barbara, I found that of the quality flight schools around, Above All's rates were by far the most reasonable. Further, they have remained this way ever since.
I'll add that over the past few years, I have learned from various folks on the field of a debate around whether or not independent CFIs (Certified Flight Instructors) are allowed to operate on the field at Santa Barbara. I took it upon myself to look into the specifics of this issue around 18months ago, and found that various folks' complaints about Above All trying to "squeeze out" independent instructors came along with gross misrepresentation.
Rather, through my own research of the applicable legislation, I found Above All to be incurring certain expenses and efforts needed to ensure compliance with local and federal laws & regulations regarding flight instruction and aircraft rental. Further, I found that various independent instructors on the field have been operating in clear violation of these rules and regulations for many years - violations which have allowed these few independent instructors to cut costs in a way that legal and compliant operations (such as Above All, many independents, and other operators) simply cannot match. Above All has brought light to these violations in order to level the playing field for all instructors with regard to regulatory compliance & legal operations.
Moreover, I cannot speak more highly of Shawn's level of care for her students and customers. On several occasions I have found myself either stuck at a remote airport due to weather, caught up in a scheduling conflict, or with some other extraneous need. On every single occasion, Shawn has gone over and above to arrange alternative transport for me to get home safely, resolve scheduling issues (even when they're my fault), and otherwise ensuring that I always end the day safely at home rather than stuck somewhere! For context, I have never seen another flight school do anything like this - and certainly not at the owner level.
Safe to say, Shawn's level of care for her students, staff, and rental customers is unprecedented. I have complete confidence in saying that you will not find a flight school that will look after you any better, both when things go to plan and when they don't.
My friend & I have Above All to thank for equipping us with the certificates, skills and experience needed to realize our love for aviation, our 600+ hours of safe flying around the country in all sorts of different aircraft, and for the freedom we now enjoy of taking to the skies both for convenience and for fun. read more
