My initial experience with this school was absolutely amazing and I credit that fully to my flight instructor. However, things changed in my life and I needed to pump the brakes on taking flight lessons. I reached out to the owner, Helen Frado, to return my money I put on my account back to me. I will let the email correspondence speak for itself. I do not recommend this school. I understand Part 61 program is preferred because of flexibility and paying as you go so you don't have to take out a loan. I strongly discourage putting money in your account, because Helen will blatantly lie about sending you checks, say her "accountant" will return your money to your card. It will never happen. You will have to check in via email/phone calls to follow up several times only to be ignored. She will lie and say she never received your emails. You will experience probably the worst case of unprofessionalism I have ever experienced in my life. I am making this review because I don't want anyone to experience what I have. Aviation is a respected career that requires empathy, honesty and accountability. I am beyond appalled that someone that has worked as a pilot and now owns a school responsible for training and employing pilots is conducting themselves and their business this poorly. It is truly a shame. read more

Scheduled a one hour photo flight over Baltimore using a Groupon. It was for a birthday gift and my partner absolutely loved it! This winter was pretty rough and the flight experience had to be rescheduled several times due to rain, snow, ice, etc....Marylanders, IYKYK! Brett Aviation was very flexible with the rescheduling and we had no issues using the Groupon. We were over the weight limit, but Brett still offered to accommodating us by splitting the flights up into two shorter flights. Since it was a birthday gift, I stayed while my partner went on the flight with Colby. The simple fact that they even offered to do this speaks volumes about the business and was a greatly appreciated gesture. My first suggestion is to definitely check the weight limit before booking, especially if both of you plan on going up in the plane. Also, do not forget your license. The aviation school is inside of a secure gated area and you will not be admitted into the gate without your license. There's a place (FBO building) where you can watch take off if others came with you or if one of you choose to stay. Nothing fancy but it's a gated area with benches. You can watch other planes take off and land as well. You can also sit inside where the FBO office is. Even though I didn't go on the flight this time, this was a fantastic experience! The Groupon was easy to use, the staff was friendly, and I heard the views were absolutely amazing. I booked it at 5:00, so it would coincide with sunset. Highly recommend for couples. Thanks Brett Aviation, and Colby for a great experience! We will be back! And this time, I'm going up! read more

See all

I purchased a Groupon for this experience, and while it was enjoyable, I didn't get as much time controlling the airplane as I had expected. I was under the impression that there would be 30 minutes of ground instruction followed by 30 minutes in the air. However, when I arrived, no one was at the reception desk (the receptionist might have been out for lunch). I tried calling, but no one answered. After about 10-15 minutes, the receptionist returned and checked me in. I waited for an additional 15 minutes before being directed to wait in the museum until the pilot instructor was ready. Eventually, the instructor, who was finishing some paperwork, asked if I had a car and could follow her to the airplane hangar. Once there, she performed a quick inspection of the aircraft, and we got ready to fly. The flight itself felt shorter than expected, and I only had control of the airplane for 2-3 minutes. While the experience was fun, I was hoping for more hands-on time. I would consider trying it again with a different instructor to see if that makes a difference. For comparison, a similar experience I had two weeks later at a different location provided more detailed ground instruction, and I was allowed to take control for most of the flight. read more

See all

If you want a thrilling story to share when someone asks what you did this weekend, check out Brett Aviation! Ron was THE MAN! This was such a unique and thrilling date night. Prep for the flight was explained to us through and then once up in the air Ron explained what we were seeing. What a great experience to see the Bay, Kent Island and Baltimore all in one hour. What a blast! read more

Brett Aviation - Airborne over Baltimore - Flight Instruction Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

See all

This place is such a hidden gem. Both the lady on the phone and Jacob (the CFI) were super nice. Jacob was very knowledgeable and explained the important things in ways I could easily understand. I'm sure all of the CFI's are great -- but if you can -- I recommend asking for Jacob Sack. read more

I had a great time doing a sunset photo flight with Tyler this week. He made sure to ask me up front what sites I wanted to see, then we covered them all. Tyler would circle around each site while carefully angling the plane so I could get good shots out the window. Very fun, and I was happy with the shots that I got. read more

See all

We had an amazing time with Brett Aviation. My Husband had a flight with them as he wanted to try out flying before he headed off to OTS. He is on his way to becoming an Air Force Officer and pilot after serving in medical for the last few years. He was impressed by their professionalism and education. We decided to also do a flight together and I was able to log my first flying hour. It was nerve wracking but also an absolute blast! I've considered getting my PPL for years. If we were going to be living here long enough, I would go with Brett Aviation. We only have a few months left here so I'm going to wait until we move to our next base. However, if you are looking, contact them today! read more

See all

My brother and I purchased a voucher for $212 on 11/13/2024 which Brett Aviation used to make the reservation explicitly stated: "Fly over sights ranging from Baltimore's historic Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Camden Yards, or Ravens Stadium." However, instead of flying over Baltimore landmarks, my family was flown over Maryland's Eastern Shore. This was not mentioned in the voucher, nor was it communicated to me during the booking process. I made multiple attempts to confirm what could be seen during the flight via email and phone calls, as the voucher also states that the flight itinerary could be customized. Despite my efforts, I received no clear response, and my inquiries were not adequately addressed. Additionally, the voucher promised a one-hour tour. However, the flight only lasted about 30 minutes. My brother and mother were told by the pilot that the Baltimore flight is more expensive, but this was not disclosed in the voucher or during booking. We purchased the experience with the expectation of a one-hour flight over Baltimore, and any additional costs or restrictions should have been clearly communicated upfront. I understand that things do not always go as planned, but this experience fell far short of what was promised. As a terminal brain cancer patient, I put a great deal of effort into organizing this day for my mother and brother. Money is very tight, so this was an investment in a truly meaningful experience. I feel incredibly disappointed that what was supposed to be a special and memorable event turned out this way. I have tried reaching out multiple times (emailed on 11/25/24 and have made 5 phone calls since then where I left voicemails) in the hope that Brett Aviation can address this situation and help make it right. They have ignored all of my attempts to resolve completely. I filed a complaint with the BBB to which they have stopped responding. This company aims to take advantage of it's customers. beware. read more

My 12 yr old son is currently obsessed with airplanes. He is fixated on 'commercial' planes, like Southwest and Lufthansa, but I took a chance and got him a surprise 1 hour flight training. As I hoped, he was giggling and thrilled the entire time. We had Bill as our pilot and I sat in the backseat, so my son could be a co-pilot. What an experience for a kid to take the controls of a real plane! I can say that coming from 5 months of social isolation where every day feels the same and the world seems to offer nothing but terror, it was a marvelous hour on a sunny Saturday when we felt alive! Totally worth the drive (from Arlington), the $ and the slight queasiness of a pre-teen at the helm (Bill took over every time my son got us into a little bump). I am going for 'Mother of the Year' award;) read more

Are you checking out Brett Aviation on Yelp because you don't know if you should buy the coupon deal you're thinking about getting? Well, I'm telling you to buy it. It was worth it. I didn't know what to expect from this flight. I was quite surprised to see that: first, the planes weren't old and rickety. I watch those flying shows about Alaska, and I was expecting one of those planes, which is why I gave my husband and child an extra kiss the morning before my flight. But, my flight instructor, Tim, showed me all of the planes Brett uses. The oldest was a two seater from the 70's, but the plane I flew in was a 2003 and another a 2001. The four seater, I can't remember the year, was newer but was highly used so looked older. Second, the time we're in the air for our coupon deal counts as flight instruction time for both me and my pilot! So as Tim was explaining to me, his goal to be a commercial pilot requires he get at least 1500 flight hours in, and his piloting me across the Chesapeake counted towards that 1500 hours (he's also a flight instructor for Brett). That 30 minute flight also counted towards a license for me if I were so inclined. Since I'm not keen on dying at my own hands, my 30 minutes of flight instruction will go to waste. Third, I was encouraged to take the controls. Now, this is way out of my comfort zone, but I did...so I could say I did. It was a nerve wracking experience to me, but obviously others would find it thrilling. I taxied down the runway using the pedals. My life is now complete. All in all, this experience was pretty cool. The weather was clear but windy, so it made for hearing the stall warning a regular occurrence. I highly recommend. If you're more of an adventurer, go on a windy day...the turbulence will give you the adrenaline rush you need. read more

See all

I bought this for my son's 13th birthday, which is today. It was so awesome! They were polite, professional, and super nice. My son can't wait to go back for another lesson. His instructor was Connor, who was amazing, we hope we get him next time. Connor was very patient and allowed me to take tons of pictures. Thank you all so much! Not to mention the cool aircraft museum located right next door read more

Brett Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Living social discovery flight for my boyfriend and he loved it. Before it was all nerves and then he came back with a smile. We had joe as the pilot, got the log book, and went over pricing for classes. If you just want to see what it would be like yes get a living social or groupon. This place also has helicopter training. I liked it and got to take plenty of great footage. Nice instructor. Minus 1 star due to the time change issue. read more

Brett Aviation - We seen this plane in passing and there's more of them in storage - Flight Instruction Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

See all

Awesome experience! Jeffery was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide. I was a little nervous about going up, but he made me feel very safe and comfortable. Would definitely recommend :) read more

This is a great place to fly a small plane. I used a flight coupon and the 60 minute course was a lot of fun. It was 30 minutes of pre/post flight lesson and 30 minutes of wheels up time. It is a whole new experience flying in a small aircraft compared to the big commercial airliners. The views are also a lot better. Their discovery flights are also a great gift for your airplane nut friend/family member. It is a gift that they definitely will not forget. read more

Premier flight instruction. Great place to get a "Birds Eye View" of Baltimore. You won't find a better school.

I took my girlfriend on a photo flight for Valentine's Day, It was quite spectacular. Our pilot was four years younger than me and was nothing but professional. I highly recommend the taking the flight at night. It will be a memory you won't soon forget. read more

My wife and I went on an hour long photo tour around sunset with pilot Mike. It was awesome! We had a great time flying, looking around, and talking with Mike. Highly recommend! read more