I was to take my instrument written exam at Piedmont Flight Center at 3PM on the 7th of January…read more2014 and was greeted by the owner as I stood waiting at his counter at 3:05PM. He had been out back in his hanger. I introduced myself as a test taker, and he told me in a very surly manner that there was to be no test for me today. The tests were administered from 10AM to 3PM and he had sent his proctor home. I think he is a liar. He was very brusque and nasty, and told me that I should have called his office in advance, although I had scheduled my test through CATS as is the procedure. I was prepared to take my instrument written and drove all the way from Fairfax to pay this company a good deal of money for the right to take this test, and was greeted by this nasty man. I did leave, after he begrudgingly gave me his name, and was unable to take my written exam this day. My hope is that others will read my story, and not give this poor businessman their money. It is no wonder why he has lost the fuel business at 2W6, and his operation shrinks every year. I have spoken to others who have dealt with this pitiful operator and they have had very similar experiences with this surely operator. I hope you all stay away. I will do my best not to give him any of my business, and to see that my aviating friends stay away from this lousy operator.

If you are looking to become a pilot, this is the to go! The CFIs are excellent and the curriculum…read morethat NAFC uses meets FAA standards. The CFIs work together to prepare the students for check rides and the pass exams.

This place is excellent! I recently took a flight lesson from them, booked through…read morethingstododc.com. I paid maybe $160 for a half-hour flight with maybe a half-hour of pre-flight instruction. I worked in aircraft simulation for many years, so I was familiar with the pre-flight procedures the pilot went through before the flight. We flew over downtown Annapolis and the bay near the Naval Academy. I was able to handle the controls for maybe about ten minutes. The scenery was fantastic from about 1500 feet up. It was just like being back in the simulators years ago. I don't know If I will get a pilot's license, but I would definitely go through them if I did. The instructors are very knowledgeable and professional. Excellent job. No complaints.

I had a great experience with Pilot in Training Flight Academy. The ground school was very well…read moreorganized, and Chris is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about teaching aviation. He makes the material easy to understand and keeps the classes engaging. Definitely recommend this school to anyone interested in becoming a pilot.

I recently earned my Private Pilot License (PPL) with Pilot in Training Flight Academy, and I…read morecouldn't be happier with my experience. From my very first discovery flight, I knew I was in the right place. My instructor, Jan (CFII), was incredible--he is really a great guy, highly experienced, patient, and always made me feel at ease. His great sense of humor was an added bonus! The owner, Slava, is also a great guy and genuinely cares about each student's progress. He was always flexible and responsive. I also had stage checks with Jeremy and Dost, who were both excellent instructors and added to the solid training I received. The academy's professionalism, organization, and strong emphasis on safety gave me the confidence I needed to ace my checkride. I am now continuing my Instrument Rating (IFR) training with them. If you're considering flight training, I highly recommend Pilot in Training Flight Academy.

Most instructors don't really care about your personal goals. If they do, they often lack patience…read morewith someone who hasn't flown before. I went through several instructors trying to find one who would actually stick with me and help me achieve what I was paying them for. Instead, it felt like some were just trying to build hours or take control of the flight, and I ended up wasting thousands of dollars.

This is a large family owned and family run flight school with 4 locations. My background is…read morehaving ran a twin-engine flight school and a single-engine flying club in Georgia so when I surveyed the schools as a place to do my flight reviews, and send friends and their children to, AvAd came out on top. They also have been one of the main schools at Leesburg while others have come and gone. They also hire and train students and retired or career changing professionals to run the front desk, giving them aviation management and dispatch experience. I have flown with a few of the instructors up here and they are all different in how they teach but all are focused on safety, fun, learning, and promoting aviation. "Uncle Mike" is a fantastic advocate for aviation and even politely spent time going over weight and balance. I was 314 or 317 at the time and made it down to 270, which opened up the ability to fly other aircraft like the 172z. I made it down to 253 a few weeks ago and 230 will open up all aircraft, help me live longer, and make it easier to pass my 2nd class medical that I need for my commercial. Mike reviewed this with me very professionally, very politely, and shared his journey with me. He also took my son for a lesson. You would be hard pressed to find a better instructor, human being, safety, and aviation advocate. Safety is always at the top of my list because mistakes in aviation can be very unforgiving. You can fly safely in safe aircraft and still have fun. My favorite instructors are "Uncle Mike" and Mitch. However, I have also really enjoyed time learning from Bob, Ray and past instructors. Buck left for OpenAir, Dan went to fly KingAirs and Connor went to fly Learjets. This is part of aviation. Instructors are hard to find and good instructors are Unicorns. AvAd has had quite a few unicorns and some remain! Eventually they will build their 1000 hours with a degree from Liberty and go to the airlines with their ATP-R or get their 1500 and move on. That's just how aviation goes during a strong economy. Their aircraft are well maintained, particularly for flight school aircraft. I really enjoy flying the 182, the Cherokee Six, and the Grumman Cougar but also dropped weight so I could fly safely within the weight and balance envelope in the 172. My goal is to drop enough weight to fly LSAs like the 162 for fun! Bob and his family are amazing for aviation and have stellar employees and nice aircraft.

I have been flying since 2005. During that time I have used a variety of flight schools and…read moreinstructors, but hands down, 1World Aero has been the best I've experienced. The aircraft are clean, well maintained and comfortable. They decided to stick with mainly Socata planes because of their comfort and handling characteristics. The management is incredibly detail oriented and I am always left feeling like I haven't missed a thing when I go back for some recurrent training or practice work. If you are looking to fly, do yourself a favor and at least check 1World out to compare. Once I discovered them, I wished I had found them sooner.

I've been flying with 1 World Aero for 7 years, and they're a fantastic organization! The planes…read moreare maintained in fantastic condition, I feel very safe every time I take one flying. Terry Russell is an outstanding instructor, manager, all in all pilot, and I highly recommend any flying you'd like to do at 1 World Aero!

I have had the pleasant opportunity of visiting Trident Aircraft twice now. I drive or fly from…read moreManassas Virginia for two reasons... 1) To experience professional instruction and service and 2) To fly the T-34B which is the on the list of some of the most fun you can have with your pants on. Dealing with the professional and knowledgeable customer service staff makes schedule an introductory lesson a breeze. I've dealt with Christy and Peter and they are both very personable and approachable. NEVER had a bad experience with the customer service staff. They are one of the reasons that I continue to give Trident Aircraft my business. Once I arrived to the office for my lesson, I was greeted by whomever saw me walk through the door. The instructors carry themselves in a highly professional manner and there are obviously knowledgeable over the subject matter which they teach. After a quick and thorough briefing, you're wheels up and on your way! I am quite impressed with how the flight school operates and although they are small compared to some others.. they make up for it with the wonderful services they offer to the aviation world. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't really drive the 2 hours to visit the airport. Trident Aircraft has an outstanding, well maintained fleet that would make any pilot's jaw drop. Thanks for the unforgettable flight time, Trident! I'll be seeing you soon! Sam.

I just had my first experience flying a small plane yesterday. The guys over here (Taylor & Nick)…read morewere very nice and accommodating. My girlfriend and I went up for a scenic/lesson flight around Kent Island, and it was both thrilling and beautiful. It was also surprisingly simple to get prepared - we were probably in the air ten minutes after parking the car. As it was my first time, I don't know how Trident compares to their competition, but I definitely had a great experience.

I had a discovery flight this morning with Jonathan Outmezguine (adding his last name just incase…read moreanother Jonathan is there) from Washington Flight Academy, and it was such an amazing experience. From the moment we started, he was incredibly friendly, calm, and easy to talk to, which made a huge difference as someone who had never flown before. He gave clear, helpful direction and made flying feel way less intimidating than I expected. His patience and confidence really stood out for me, as well as how comfortable he made me feel the entire time. He also went out of his way to capture a lot of footage for me, which I really appreciated. Overall, my instructor was great and made this such a smooth, enjoyable first experience. I highly recommend flying with him, and I'll definitely be back again in the future.

Rafael was patient and extremely knowledgeable , friendly . His instruction was the perfect amount…read moreof hands on to facts ratio. Book a discovery flight and it just might open up a whole new world for you.

It was easy to get checked out in their Cherokee Six with the new G3x touch. The instructor spend…read moreabout 45 minutes on the ground and about an hour in the air with me. We were able to go through the nuances of that specific model. Eventually I ended up flying on one of their adventures, with a friend of a friend, and really enjoyed their Manassas office and aircraft. I will say that they had a few more people in Manassas but I also really enjoy the folks up in Leesburg.

My son has been training with Aviation Adventures for almost one and a half years now. He started…read morethe commercial license a few weeks back, after first obtaining the private pilot license and then the instrument rating. We love the flight school. His instructors have been fantastic and I'm super impressed by my son's growth. The instructors are super knowledgeable, well trained and relate well to their students. It's a great place!!

Unfortunately, a lot. This was our first time coming to a…read moredemo class and we were very disappointed. We came for the paella. We were looking forward to seeing how it is authentically made. First thing was... No paella pan! Really? Apparently it went on vacation with the Chef. Shame on her. If you have a class coming for paella, you get another paella pan. These classes are not inexpensive. As far as authenticity went, the chef went off script on several different steps we were looking for authentic and we got impromptu. I felt very bad for the Chef who was doing the demo. He was really trying to do a great job considering the circumstances. I do not hold him accountable. Except for maybe the dessert, which was sickening sweet. Could not take more than two bites That being said, we had a lovely time lovely people. The staff was very friendly. We just simply did not get what we paid for.

Disappointing Experience - Not Worth the Price…read more I was really looking forward to the Asian Dumplings Cooking Class, but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations. The class started over 30 minutes late and ran long, which caused me to be late for my next commitment. More importantly, it wasn't truly a cooking class; it was a demonstration. Most of us simply watched, while a few lucky participants were invited to roll and seal one dumpling each. There was no hands-on learning, no guidance, and no opportunity to build skills. To make matters worse, I was seated near the back, where I couldn't see the main table well. The viewing monitor wasn't zoomed in enough to be helpful, and loud conversations around me made it hard to hear the instructor. Reserved seating was allowed, so although I arrived early, I was unable to sit in several empty front-row seats because they were being held for friends who arrived much later. The food itself was underwhelming and bland, lacking in authentic flavor, and not worth the wait. Two of the dumpling varieties used store-bought wrappers, and portions were small. The sauces were forgettable, and the pace of serving was slow, leaving us with lots of waiting and very little to enjoy. We weren't even given recipes to take home, which, after tasting the food, I wasn't too disappointed about. At $100 per ticket, I expected an interactive, educational experience with quality food and better organization. Unfortunately, I left without learning any new skills, still hungry, and feeling like I wasted both time and money. I would not recommend this class. On a good note the staff were very friendly and accommodating, but I won't be back.