My husband and I just got married and decided we wanted to do something big and awesome on our last…read moreday of our honeymoon. I did a bunch of googling of different options we could do and decided Yosemite Flight Tours was the way to go because of what they toured and the price was the best!! I emailed them, hoping we could get a last minute flight. Mark emailed me back promptly and said we could fit in a flight early morning a few days later after a storm, which was perfect for us so we did it! The process for payment with Randy at the office and everything was so so easy and simple!! And quick! No stupid gimmicks to get more money it of us, no hidden fees, no crazy paperwork or anything. I would give them a 5-star rating just on that alone but if I could give them more than 5, I would for the tour itself!! Mark was SO nice and SO knowledgeable about everything there could possible know about Yosemite and the surrounding areas... the glaciers, the fires, the landscapes, hiking, climbing, etc... he knows it all. You could tell he was passionate about what he did. It made me smile listening to him just talk nonstop about everything knowing it wasn't just a "job", it is what he loves and wants to do. He was just so awesome. Not only was Mark awesome at the tour aspect of things but also flying the plane itself. He was such a great pilot. Such a smooth takeoff, turns, landing everything. It was just all sooo perfect. Thank you Mark for everything you do. You all were amazing and I will always and forever tell everything I possibly can about you guys! Thank you!

What an amazing day! Even with going into the park on our own twice before we saw more things on…read morethe tour than we ever would have on our own. Dave, our tour guide couldn't have been better, filling our day with fun facts and history that we would never have gotten anywhere else. I would highly recommend this tour group, first class and top notch people!

This was our first visit to Yosemite and we needed an experienced guided tour to give us an…read moreoverview of the park so we could do some exploring later on our own. We booked a tour with Crossroads through Viator and it was a great choice. Our guide Mike was perfect. Low key, patience of a saint( people drive like yahoos even in Yosemite) knowledgeable with lots of history and current news of the park. Mike made sure to show us where the trailheads were for hikes we were thinking of taking at a later date. Our family of 6 took up most of the van and we were lucky to have another couple who were wonderful,to share the experience with us. You will get an early start with this tour but it is well worth it. We saw EVERYTHING! Thank goodness for Mike, he really was the perfect guide for us. I bobbled the booking and they were still happy to accommodate us. Do them a favor and contact them 72 hours in advance of your tour date-even if it is the weekendWe got a nice bagged lunch from Bee's Bakery and Cafe and good quality T-Shirts with the tour. We were tired but very happy that we booked a tour with Crossroads and Mike was our guide by the time we were dropped off at our car in the late afternoon. Traveling all day in a van with people who match your energy is priceless. Thanks for a really great experience Mike!!

Absolutely AMAZING! What a fantastic way to view Yosemite! Not only did our family feel…read morecompletely safe and comfortable, the staff was full of knowledge of the area. We learned of hiking destinations otherwise unknown. We were able to see our hotel (Rush Creek) and so many other great landmarks. We all loved this and highly recommend!

A wonderful, unique view of Half Dome and the valley. Such a special memory. So smooth and…read moreworthwhile.

What an AMAZING adventure. Our pilot Ed was very informative and entertaining. The sites were out…read moreof this world. If you are visiting Mammoth you really need to include this in your plans. I'll add some pictures but I doubt they will do it justice. Ed also kept the ride very smooth and comfortable! Well worth the money! My only concern is that we did it on our first day and the bar is set VERY high!

We had an amazing time on our helicopter tour around Mammoth and the nearby Eastern Sierra…read moremountains. Ed, the owner and pilot was extremely competent. I'm not the most comfortable flyer and yet I was completely comfortable during the flight because of his preflight overview. Ed provided up front information of what to expect that made me understand what was happening during the flight so there were no surprises. I loved every minute. I'm a backpacker and have traversed a large area that we flew. Seeing from the air what I know from the ground was such an amazing perspective. I highly recommend it!

I planned my cousins bachlorette trip up here mid march (St. Patricks day weekend). I was trying to…read moreplan a girls day out, and definitely wanted to do some wine tasting but didn't really want to be a Designated driver. I found Courtwood by searching online, and I'm SO happy I found Chris @Courtwood! I was a little bummed I didn't find any available tours on their website, so I reached out via email. Chris promptly sent a reply with pricing, details, and that it would be quite packed in Murphy's, so she would take us on a private tour around the outlying wineries (good call, none of the wineries were too packed and we had a lot of "private time" at each vineyard). Chris picked us up right out front of our hotel right on time, had a smile and made sure she knew who the bride was and made her feel extra special! We stopped at Twisted Oak, Chatom, Ironstone (for lunch), and Aryael Vieux (TOP FAVE!! I'll be reviewing these wineries soon). Chris took care of everything, all we had to worry about was sipping wine and having a wonderful and relaxing time. Hanging out with Chris was like having another friend just along for the ride! We picked up a loaf of fresh bread at one of the wineries, and mentioned that we wanted to get some butter later on, Chris told us she needed to pick something up too and that we could come with her! I can't say enough good things, they even include a slideshow of your trip (chris takes photos throughout the tour) and email it to you promptly after your tour. If you are in the area, I would definitely come here and take a tour with Courtwood,

I really don't have enough good things to say about Chris at Courtwood Wine Tasting Tours. I was…read moregiven the task of setting up a wine tasting tour in the Murphy's area for a bachelorette group of 9 people. We stayed in Angel's Camp in a friend's cabin, and being unfamiliar with the area, I completely put my trust in Chris to arrange everything for us. She exceeded my expectations (and made me look like I had done a lot more than I had!) She asked a lot of questions about our group and the types of wines we liked so that she could tailor the tour very specifically. Preferring the boutique wineries to the large scale Ironstone types, Chris took us to six different wineries that ranged significantly from Twisted Oak, to Prospect 772, to Aerial Vieux. As a large group Chris coordinated with Kristen, who also leads tours in the area to caravan us around in their large air conditioned vans. It seemed like she had personal relationships with the various winemakers and their staff and was able to get us some kind of behind the scenes cave tour/vineyard tour/private tasting room access everywhere we went. I have to say the best thing about the day was the lunch. Chris set it up on a long table outside Chatom winery and it literally looked like something straight out of Sunset Magazine. She brought local cheese and interesting dips, and the salads were presented in ball mason jars. It really was so well done, I think Chris might have a future in putting on lunches in addition to taking tours! After the tasting, Chris and Kristen took us into Murphy's, waited for us while we had dinner, and then took us all the way back to Angels Camp. I highly recommend Courtwood for small and large tours alike. Chris was just wonderful!

This is July 7, 2025 and I went to Oakdale Municipal Airport a few days ago. I'm shocked. It looked…read morelike Golden Wings closed their facility. There were no aircraft behind it where they usually stored their 'training aircraft'. Their back door was usually open during business hours but it appeared to be closed. Their big sign in front was gone. For all intents and purposes they appeared closed for good. I saw 2 of their 'training aircraft' out on the Ramp, tied down, dirty, and appeared to be derelict aircraft, now. Sad. I was hoping they would stay and be a successful training facility. But alas, it appears that they failed and closed their facility. Does anyone else get the same impression, or have more information? When I tried to call them the phone automatically disconnected. After 4 attempts it became fairly obvious that their land-line is permanently disconnected.

Had an awesome discovery flight with Adam in The Red Coffin. My wife was a little bit scared in…read morethe back seat, but she's good Now. He told me about BasicMed, so I might be able to start flying again. Hope I can pass it. They have a very cool office and their 172 was priceless. Last time I flew something like that was in 1996 with Chuck Yeager (was a DC-3). I'm currently trying to renew my medical certificate, and when I do, I would love to fly with them. This company is real, and they will teach you how to fly anything! You don't get that from schools that make you use "technology" to teach real flying. Thank you Golden Wings!!!

If aviation had a blue-collar hero, it'd be Chris Miller. The guy runs Springfield Flying Service…read morelike a legend who's been single-handedly keeping general aviation alive with a wrench in one hand and a headset in the other. He does so much with so little that you start to wonder if he's secretly sponsored by duct tape and determination. The man could probably teach you to fly using a lawn chair and a leaf blower if he had to. It's not a fancy operation -- no espresso bar, no polished hangar floors -- but what you do get is real-world aviation. You'll learn how to fly, think, and handle anything that comes at you. And you'll laugh a lot doing it. Chris keeps good people around and somehow manages to turn great pilots into even better instructors. That says everything you need to know about the kind of leadership and passion behind this place. If you want to learn from someone who genuinely loves aviation -- and surrounds himself with folks who do too -- Springfield Flying Service is where you start your story.

The instructors are AMAZING!!!! Very patient and each gives you different ways to see sight…read morepictures, tips on how to handle any situation, and no intimidation or cocky instructors. I especially like that they train me for emergency situations too so I feel better prepared. Give them a try!

Such an amazing service and experience. Will definitely be taking more flights with Rubi and Carl…read more I can't express enough what a beautiful persons they are. Carl is such an amazing pilot like extraordinary with flying even with a some wind going on his experience on flying was shown right away. Rubi is amazing with communication with service answering all my questions and setting up a sunset discovery flights and making us feel so comfortable. Such and amazing service and experience with them.

The best experience by far! Took my nervous daughter for a bday suprise and had the best time! Rubi…read moreis so amazing at answering all your questions and went above and beyond for my daughter's bday while keeping in contact the whole time. Carl was a great pilot and pointed out all the cool stuff while keeping my daughter calm and interested. Always nervous for a new experience but they made us safe and happy, would give 100 stars!

I kept seeing Flyers Academy ads all over advertising multi rating in 5 days, so I started looking…read moreinto getting my multi done. I called around to quite a few schools and most were booked out a month or two, which actually worked out because I still needed to finish my instrument rating. Unfortunately, after my instructor left, things kind of stalled out. I wasn't making any progress, so I called Flyers Academy and explained my situation--that I needed to get my instrument completed and wanted to move right into my multi. Omar, the owner, called me a few hours later saying we can get it done now. They were able to squeeze me in, get my instrument wrapped up, schedule a checkride, then roll right into my multi and another checkride. It was a lot of work and definitely an intense 10 days, but the entire crew was incredible. From the moment I arrived, Omar made sure I was taken care of. The operation is extremely well organized, the airplanes were clean and well maintained, and everything worked exactly as it should. The instructors genuinely care about your success and put in long days to make sure you're prepared. Most days started around 7 or 8 in the morning and went until 10 at night. I'd like to thank everyone who helped me along the way--Sam, Sunny, Mike, Dom, and especially Vivian. Vivian was an outstanding instructor and went above and beyond every day to make sure I understood everything and was fully prepared. I honestly can't say enough good things about her. Seriously, thank you again Vivian. If you're serious about getting ratings done and are willing to put in the work, I highly recommend Flyers Academy. They also have great and clean accommodations for anyone traveling in, including space if you're staying in a van, which was a huge plus for me. Thank you again to the entire Flyers Academy team. I'm incredibly relieved to have everything completed, and I'll definitely be back for my next ratings.

Very knowledgeable and was trying to help in every minute he spent with me. I feel this is a school…read morethat cares about the needs of their students and will excell at helping them achieve them.