I did my initial training with API back in 2007 and have worked with them on my instrument rating…read moreas well. The head of the flight school, Bill has been working in the aviation business, teaching people to fly for the past 30 years (maybe more, I would have to ask him). They have developed their lesson plans over this time period and he has a very specific way he has instructors teach you how to fly. This way you not only get a method that works (at least for me it did) but you get consistency across students and instructors. The great thing is Bill really looks after his students and tries to make their flights productive. I love the fact that when I show up for a winter flight around 8am, I usually find they were out at the airplanes with a propane heater in the cold heating up the engine for me so I could spend more time flying and less time getting ready. Before I had a car, I would take the orange line to midway and bill or an instructor would pick me up from the train station for my flights and take me back when I was done. The office feels very comfortable and I have spent hours there just talking (hanger flying) with Bill, his instructors, and anyone who walks in the door. Anyone who has questions about my experience with aviation professionals is free to PM me but I would recommend giving them a call and they will answer any questions you have.

Bill was extremely friendly and helpful from the first time that I scheduled the FAA 107 exam until…read moreI walked out today with a passing grade. He seems to really care about people who are taking the exam and he wants everyone to do well. He walked me step by step on what the next steps were and adequately answered all of my questions. A huge bonus is that he's open 7 days a week which is very accommodating to business professionals. I appreciate his efforts and would recommend him to anyone considering doing business with API.

Dave is one of the best instructor in the country. He has such a calmness to his tone of voice and…read moreinstructions during the training. Without Dave, we wouldn't have gotten our licenses. We purchased LSA before the training and he didn't even hesitate to instruct us in a different aircraft. If anyone is planning to get their license near Chicago area, this place is a must. Also, if you just want to see / feel how flight instruction is like, then take their introductory flight and/or flight tour of down town Chicago! I would highly suggest to take their introductory flight during the holiday season! Simply fly is simply awesome!

Fantastic airplane and the introductory flight was amazing! Made me feel very welcome and got some…read moregreat information. I would highly recommend giving simply fly a chance. It's my top pick.

The owners was very nice the first day before I signed up. After I signed up, it was like his…read moreattitude was on a light switch. He was incredibly rude and had no time to talk to me. I showed up on time for my first appointment and sat there for a half hour without interaction. When I got up and asked nicely what was taking so long, the lady behind the desk had a huge attitude problem. She was high up in the employee chain as well. The instructor they set me up with was 22 and just graduated from Lewis. I asked him how to move the rudders closer and he had to look it up on his iPhone. After my first lesson I was worried to go back. So I switched to api and was so grateful to find an experienced instructor. Jw aviation is going down hill. Do your self a favor and avoid them. Don't ruin your experience!

I would like to post to let everyone know about the Shady Business Practices of this JW AVIATION…read moreflight school. I have been researching flight schools in the Chicago land area for my CFI license. This is the only school that charges you for the full scheduled 2 hours of dual instructor time. The other 8 schools charges actual Hobbs time or add up to a minimal .3 , so if you fly for 1 hour, you are still paying for 2 hours instructor dual time. Over time this adds up. 50 hours of logged time will cost you an extra 25 hours of dual time at $60 per hour, that equals $1500 of time you paid for no dual instruction. Most of the students are college age with minimal income.. THIS IS SHADY and stealing out of their or their parents pockets...

Had a fun, exciting private flight around Chicago for my fiancé's birthday. Mo was super friendly…read moreand accommodating and we felt very safe. Thanks Mo!

We (two passengers) went in a 6-seater plane ride over scenic downtown Chicago! We had a great…read moreexperience and felt very safe throughout the ride! Pilot was experienced and provided great information throughout. We would highly recommend, even for those who may be a little nervous/apprehensive beforehand.

At 4pm, Friday, October 17, 2025 on the 103rd birthday of my grandfather Morris Swartz, flight…read moreinstructor Katy of K2 Aviation, LLC and I took off in the Cessna 150, N101FA from Campbell Airport in Grayslake, Illinois. A truly sentimental place as the airport is located right behind my grandparents' home. I am forever grateful to Katy and her husband Kurt for this most special of my lifetime events. There is no better flight instructor than Katy Crihfield. We thank Katy for her service as a Naval pilot. In addition to flight instruction, she is also a master teacher of physics. It was so great to also meet Katy's two dogs, Olivia and Fiona, as we are all animal lovers too! This marks the beginning of learning with K2 Aviation, LLC and to many more safe and wonderful flights! A special video presentation will be aired in the coming days. I hope you will all enjoy the flight! Thank you Katy and Kurt! ~ Kyle O'Malley

From the owner: K2 Aviation was founded in 2024 with the aim of providing quality flight instruction in small…read moresingle-engine aircraft. Students who learn stick-and-rudder flying in the smallest, simplest airplanes with just steam gauges can later advance to fly any aircraft in the world. We believe in starting with fundamental airmanship skills before working up to a glass cockpit, multi-engine, or jets should that be your goal.

WAir offers flight instruction in both G-1000 glass cockpit and more traditional C172 aircraft,…read moreboth of which are of recent vintage. It has a brand new Redbird full-motion simulator for instrument training. It has a full hangar right outside its offices, for maintancen and for not freezing your butt off in the winter months during pre-flight. And it has first-rate flight instruction and maintenance staffs, couches, offices for debriefings, and an app for scheduling. This is the place to train and maintain!!

So glad we found WAir. Our instructor Dave was very professional. My son had a great time and…read morelearned a lot. Thank you again WAir!

They closed suddenly within the last year or so. I had paid for a discovery flight which they…read morerescheduled several times due to bad weather, and when I called back to reschedule once again, no one answered. I learned Dean Ellis shut down operations abruptly and I can't get a refund.Apparently Dean also owes his former employees money but he disappeared. I tried contacting multiple people to get a refund but they were unable to help. What a shitty thing to do.

I was interested in Sim lessons. I've been flying for 20 yrs. and wanted to transition to glass…read more I wrote them an e-mail on Sunday to which they responded, answering my initial questions. I called on Mon. to schedule a lesson and was told Liz would call me back. I didn't hear from Liz so I wrote an e-mail on Thurs to which they did not respond. On Friday, I tried again - - no response. I'm disappointed in the poor customer experience but incredulous at the poor business sense. I'll take my business elsewhere. You blew it.

Affordable. Well-run. Safe. Friendly. Hard to beat that combination…read moreIf you're looking for the best value in general aviation, this is it. Stick & Rudder delivers low hourly rates without cutting corners. The planes are well-maintained, clean, and clearly cared for -- not worn-out trainers. What really sets this place apart, though, is the people. The instructors and members genuinely want you to succeed. Whether you're a brand-new student pilot or building time, there's a culture of support here that you just don't find everywhere. Affordable. Well-run. Safe. Friendly. Hard to beat that combination.

Very good operation ! Safe and fun is included ! Lots of experience involved. Many years growing..read more

Skill is no longer the school that used to win awards 10 years ago. Time seems to have frozen for…read moreit around then along with its website that still features instructors who are long gone. You would be doing yourself a disservice by paying the premium rates it demands for instruction that is often mediocre at best, from junior instructors who seem to only be interested in getting to the 1500 hour mark. You can get very experienced, Gold Seal instructors who have been doing this for many years and are only interested in your development as a pilot, for much less. Focus is often primarily on flying and inadequate time spent on ground and reviews. Some programs lack a syllabus entirely, if you are one who looks for red flags. There is a very deep sense of apathy among its staff. The scheduling is often chaotic (timeslots not respected, or you may show up to the airport and they'll tell you that the aircraft is actually in maintenance or somewhere else) and staff behavior unprofessional. You may schedule a flight worth thousands, weeks in advance, to only find out a few days before the flight that someone changed the times or even cancelled it without even letting you know.

We booked an exploratory flight with Tayyab, we drove 30 minutes only to have this instructor pull…read morea no show. Extremely unprofessional.

Intro flight was great - will continue lessonsread more

My husband bought us a Groupon for instruction in a flight simulator, and we had a great…read moreexperience. Our instructor, Michael, could not have been better. He was calm, friendly, thoughtful, and definitely taught us a lot. Neither of us are pilots, so we felt a little intimidated coming in -- but were quickly put to ease with Michael. We bought the Groupon partially to overcome some fear of flying, as well as try something new. Both were accomplished! Would recommend this experience to anyone, and would love to go back in the future.