I was gifted an intro to flight class through Virgin Experience Gifts, and Classic Air is the vendor they connected me with. I had an absolute blast. A huge shout out to my CFI, Cal, who was awesome. He was very friendly and patient. Despite it being a basic intro course, his chill vibe made it an enjoyable experience. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone interested in aviation. The Apache Junction reservoir and the Superstition range at 5k feet sure is a pretty sight. Thanks, Cal and thank you Classic Air Aviation! read more

Classic Air Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

So, at KFFZ many years, nice Redbird and a descent fleet. But, now nearly a whole year, nada. And they don't reply to emails I have sent about 7 in the past 10 months. Apparently they are 'going to be' at KCHD...but after the 'summer' was 9/21/2024...Now a month later, their site has that message...their sim and planes I am guessing are at KCHD now..but I am guessing. I have wanted to do a training recurrency event with them...they'd be a good fit for my recency. otherthan Classic..in the entire valley NOW...zero. The valley isn't the 10+ years ago place and is 100% ANTI general aviation...it's a 'monetize' every human...place..A person wanting a 'fair' and quality IPC and FR...in a sim and then a finish up in a twin..with 3 landings...to get 'fresh' is out of luck unless that person although extremely proficient and competent...will not maybe will be charged 7x the real net cost..via "we only always do it that way" which means a IPC and FR and 3 landings will cost ya 400% because "that is how I do it"..IN Denver or Seattle or Van Nuys or Houston or Dallas, REAL metros that LOVE and protect G.A. pilots..you can have a choice of FTD's for a full IPC or a array of schools with a quality AATD and a nice twin...in a week I'd have 4 of those...not true in the Phoenix metro...it was long long ago. Even ERAU at KPRC and ASU at KIWA and UND at KIWA ..."gee man we USED to let folks fly our FTD x2 and have their IPC we won't now..only our $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ program customers TOUCH our sims." so now if you live in this area...lots of luck get re-ready for resumes out...Not happening with quality and time frame...and Twins in this area are marginally maintained or charged rates that are SAME as Van Nuys or Denver..so much for Valley of the Sun low costs of living. where a CHD studio apt. unf. is $1700 + electric per month. read more

We took my four year old on a discovery flight a while back with Classic Air and I was very happy with the service. From setting up the flight to the actual flight itself. I was very pleased with professionalism and would definitely recommend to anyone looking to go up and get the general aviation feel! read more

I'm working on getting back in the air after a break of almost nine years. Other schools in the Valley seemed uninterested in working with me, taking 2-3 days to respond to emails and CFIs flaking out. Classic Air, on the other hand, responded to my inquiry immediately, told me what all I would need to provide, and set me up with a CFI, Tyler. Young guy, but very professional. The facilities are nice, better than your typical GA outfit. The airplanes are... well, they're your basic trainers, not much to look at and high-time engines, but they fly well for what they are (if you get a chance, check out N80511 - that thing simply will not stall). The staff are very helpful and pleasant to work with, unlike some I've dealt with in 19 years of flying. I'm not quite back up to standards yet, but I'll get there with CAA's help. read more

Just went out to Classic today to see what the facilities were like and look at the aircraft. The interior facilities look very nice and the girls at the desk were helpful. They had there mechanic take me out to look at the aircraft since there were no flight instructors available. Aircraft were typical of the vintage. Worn interiors. Typical avionics with 6packs. You are required to carry your own renters insurance before they will let you rent their aircraft. Just FYI not all of the aircraft listed on their website are available. The Cessna 310 has been sold. The Seneca II has been sold. The Cirrus is no longer on leaseback. Lastly, when I asked if there was anyone else on the field that rented airplanes I was told that they were the only ones. Which turns out to either be unbelievable uniformed or an outright lie. read more

Hugely impressed with an introductory flight for my 11 year old grandson. I tagged along to enjoy what I thought would be a relaxing sight seeing trip. From preflight inspection with discussion of what each flight surface does, cockpit checklist, takeoff to landing, this was a flight lesson. The pilot gave the flight controls to my grandson after departing the airport airspace and climbing to 3,000 feet. He learned straight and level flight, right and left turns. After practicing several of each, we turned back for landing. For most of the flight, the grandson was flying the plane. Thanks for a great first experience. read more

Classic Air Aviation - 11 year old grandson learning what flight controls do. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

See all

While the experience of flying was a great one, there are other options that I would explore. I purchased the lesson via groupon, and when I showed up I purchased the option to record my flight via a fixed GoPro camera for $35. Unfortunately, the camera was affixed upside down and only recorded half of my outbound flight due to the camera not being charged. I requested a refund for this services and was denied. I contacted them to explain what I was provided was virtually worthless and they refused to compensate me in anyway and further ignored my follow up emails. Which I can confirm was opened due to my receiving a read receipt. Considering I just dropped $400 for the lessson, plus another $50 to bring along a companion - I can't imagine why the difficulty in refunding my $35 for a poor, unusable product. I can provide receipts, footage and email communications to back up my claims. Buyer beware, shop elsewhere. read more

Got a Groupon for a flight lesson for my 12 YO son... Aaron was the instructor, and we had an awesome time! He was was courteous, personable, and knowledgeable. High marks for Classic Air Aviation! read more

Had a great experience at Classic Air Aviation! All of the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. We originally purchased an introductory flight for our son, which led to a desire to get his private pilot's license. His instructor, Kat, was amazing, accommodating his school and work schedule for lessons, and making the experience not only rewarding, but fun! Once he achieved his license, they went above and beyond to recognize the accomplishment and make it even more special than it already was! I highly recommend Classic Air Aviation, for anything from a 'fun' introductory flight, up to a private license and beyond! read more

This was a horrible experience! Zero customer service. Staff just does not care. I booked a flight experience for my son who wants to be a pilot. It was a big deal to him. We took time off, stayed in a hotel nearby to help with the 4 hour round trip. After we got there, just before flight time they told us there was a mechanical problem with the plane. "This happens with flying sometimes." No apology. Flat affect. Oh well. So we rebooked. Disappointed but I get it. Things happen. More upset for my son. And pissed that they were so rude about it. No compassion. I asked them to please call and let us know if there are issues before we drive back again. We went back a second time today. It happened again right before our flight! Another mechanical problem. Guy is sitting behind the desk reclined in the office chair, hands behind his head. No expression receptionist next to him. "This stuff happens in flying." Have a feeling they say that a lot. No apologies. I asked what they would do to help make this up to me. Crickets. How about I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. How about we'll give you a discount? How about I know it's not much but would your son like a hat? Service recovery folks. I asked for a refund. I'll have to call back on Monday to speak to a manager. You bet your ass I will. ***UPDATE I have since been in touch with both Cloud 9 and Classic Air. They were apologetic, took care of us, and refunded my money. Treated us right. It was an unfortunate experience. Not willing to try a third time after all that. Book at your own risk. read more

Gave my boyfriend the groupon for a birthday gift and he loved the flight and the instructor (thanks Tony Redder!) When we got there, I had stated that we had an appointment at 9:30, and the lady at the desk looked at me as if i was speaking another language. Another employee came to her area and helped to look for our reservation, which apparently was never officially put into the system (a mistake on their part). We had driven over an hour to get to the location only to be told that we may not be able to fly due to a mistake on their half. About an hour of waiting passed and my boyfriend was able to complete his lesson due to some schedule rearrangement. Before relying on the online reservation program, call ahead to verify your appointment to avoid any miscommunication between the employees. read more

Let me start by friendliness of the staff. I was very impressed. The flight time actually exceeded the 30 minutes but the pilot didn't mind at all and wasn't trying to rush us back. He let me take full control of the air plane for take off and air time, he also let me do few 45 sharp turns. Over all experience was great and the pilot was a pro. I Recommend this place to anyone who is interested in aviation and flying. read more

Great company and great Airplanes. Jon always takes great care of me. I've trusted him with both of my aircraft over the years and he has alway treated them as if they were his. They have some great CFIs on staff that know how to teach. read more

See all

Purchased an hour flight lesson as a Christmas gift. 5 stars across the board. Be sure to consider scheduling an appointment at least a week ahead. The front desk was super nice! We were able to purchase a $10 picture in front of the plane that came framed. Our instructor, Dan, was super cool and knowledgeable! He even lets you fly the plane for a while. Be strategic with when you schedule, a sunny day (not too hot) will be the best. Amazing views over Superstition Mountains and a chance to see Apache lake. We will be back!! read more

My 14 year old Evan has a great interest in aviation and so we gave him an introductory flight with Classic Air Aviation for his birthday. We were very impressed with this business from the moment we walked in. The staff keep the lobby clean, contemporary and comfortable and offered us a water or coffee. They then took their time explaining the services offered and what Evan would be doing on his flight that day. Our son enjoyed his flight and lesson and afterwards was able to purchase a video of his flight. Throughout the morning, the instructor was very patient and made Evan feel at ease. He has now decided to continue with lessons at Classic Air to work towards obtaining a private pilot's license once he turns 17. As a nervous parent, I have drilled the staff on the process and they have been extremely patient and helpful. read more

I bought my husband the co-pilot introductory flight deal for his birthday, and paid for our son to go up as well. From the beginning my husband felt like he was in control. He even taxied to the runway and took off! My son had a total blast watching, he's nearly 13, and said it was "AH-MAZE-ING!" My husband thoroughly enjoyed himself, and is having a hard time keeping the cheesey, little boy grin off his face. My husband is the hardest person to shop for, but now pilot lessons are in our budget. He is hooked and says it was, "the best birthday present ever!" Bob, the instructor, was friendly, informative and fun to fly with. His knowledge base was deep and he impressed my husband, who has been "researching" flying for quite some time. I am so delighted to have made the jump. Flying is on my hubby's bucket list and seeing the joy it brought him made me regret waiting this long to get on board with the plan. read more

So, my family bought me a Groupon for flight lessons from Classic Air. I was extremely excited about going. I finally called and spoke with John about making my flight reservation for a Saturday morning. If you are unfamiliar with the way hangers work, it can be a little weird when you first drive up to one. Even though they open the gate for you to drive through, you still can feel a little out of place as you drive up to the open hanger. Like you're walking into a highly restricted area, but no one is stopping you. I finally parked and walked over to where some people were working on a couple planes. For as much attention anyone paid me I could have popped a beer, had a seat and propped my feet up. I got the feeling that once everyone knew you, it was a pretty cool place to work, until then... Fast-forwarding, John introduced me to Will my instructor for the morning. Will was very knowledgeable and very nice. He talked to me about air flow and all the sweet ass cool things that make planes, well, sweet ass. After we ran through the preflight check ( I touched the Cessna 172i as much as I could without looking obsessed because...I like planes. :) ) Will had me get in the pilots seat. I begrudgingly need to say that I am a rather plump individual. The realization that the dated seat belt barely kissed as I tried to put it on came quickly. This is a fact that I would rather have overlooked in this review, but, I wanted to mention it because of the way Will and the gentleman he got to fix the belt was IMPECCABLE. Like a typical butterball, I knee-jerked an apology for the belt not being able to fit around me. They were totally cool! They just switched out the belt for a different one like it was no big thing. THANK YOU!! We finally got on our way and Will was awesome at explaining what all the dials and switches were for as we took an amazing ride over Saguaro Lake. Being able to actually FLY and feel the plane in my hands was FREAKING AMAZING!!!!! After we landed and taxied back to the hanger, I met a super cool lady named Cassandra. She used to do allot of aerial acrobatics. Sweeet. All in all....It was a great experience and I definitely recommend Classic Air. Oh... and Duncan was CUTE!!!!!!! read more

Instructor was amazing!! Believe his name was Steve(sorry I'm terrible with names(Flight at 12:30, 9-10)) and he was extremely kind and made sure I was comfortable and made the flight extremely enjoyable A+++ read more

Friendly staff. Older planes but well-maintained. Lots of training going on, but openings available if proactive about scheduling.

Got my cfi here! Quick and painless! Did fast track course, it was intense but worth it! Zach and Rick are great to work with! Would totally recommend read more

Not the first time I had a bad experience with Classic Air Aviation. First time was when they still offered scenic tours with gopro option. I called the day before to confirm flight and to make sure the gopro would be set up (it was for a proposal). After being reassured it would be set up, the day of it wasn't. After I told him that we didn't mind waiting for it to be set up he refused to. The most recent time was today when I booked a captains flight. It had been about 3 years since the last time I had booked with them. I wanted to give them another shot. I made the booking a month in advance, online like I was instructed to. Called same day That I made the booking to make sure it was going to be for the Captains Flight with an extra passenger. Lady on the phone said it was fine and all booked. Two days before the flight I called to confirm the Captains Flight was scheduled and was reassured it was. One day before the flight they called me to confirm. I show up and low and behold they didn't have it scheduled! This was after being reassured 3 different times that it was! If you are going to go with them make sure you get something in writing! They didn't seem too apologetic. They tried to make it seem like I was lucky that the could book me for the following weekend. Horrible experience. read more

This was a gift for my dads 52nd birthday and I went all out and got him the go pro video package. The instructor and the office crew were very nice and we had a blast! Unfortunately our go pro video had no audio So we only got a silent video! I paid $35 for it and called to see if there was a glitch and maybe could be downloaded again with audio only to be informed that the audio wasn't recorded. Says they are always 50-50 on weather they get a good recording.... Surprise to me because that wasn't mentioned or written when I paid for that package. Disappointed that the fun conversations had will forever just be in the air and not sharable with our family and friends! I think if they can't rely on a sure production of the cameras they shouldn't offer it or charge it! read more

My previous review of CAA was from an airplane renter's perspective. Things have changed and now I get to write one from an aircraft owner's perspective! A friend and I flew into Mesa on Sunday, March 2nd and decided to park at Classic Air. There are certain things I expect from and FBO and CAA delivers. Parking...cheap. Crew car...free. Personable staff...check. I didn't need any fuel on this trip, but Jon hinted that they'll offer fuel service in the near future. The downside of CAA is their cult status. If you know who and where they are, you'll be a customer for life! Finding them is the problem. I value the small business feel and character of the flight school office. When I walk into Atlantic or Millionair or another big FBO chain, I feel like a dollar sign with legs. They'll stick me with high fuel prices, parking fees, crew car fees, etc. When I walk into CAA, I know I'm going to deal with people who understand small airplane pilots. My only recommendations to Jon are: -put "taxi-to" signs up on the airport side to direct planes to the CAA ramp. -provide some signs to direct customers to the CAA office. read more

All I wanted to do was ask a few questions about this school over the phone and the lady that answered was rude and had no idea how to answer simply questions ever flight school should know. I asked how many planes they had to see how big this company was and she told me she did not know how to answer that question... Really? Poor staff right off the bat. Fine, I will just go elsewhere. read more

Be careful of what they tell you (or maybe don't tell you). I took my airplane in for an annual inspection. In the course of the inspection they informed me it needed fuselage fabric replaced or renewed and painted. They said they would need to remove and replace the wings. They gave me a quote of $4500. That was in addition to the $900 for the annual inspection. Over the course of several weeks they came back to me with a couple small items they quoted to me and I approved. When they sent the invoice it was $2000 more (about 30% over their quotes). They subsequently lowered it but only a few hundred dollars. In all the years of owning airplanes this is the first shop that seemed to believe they had a blank check and no responsibility to deliver on their quoted prices. read more

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!! My husband has been obsessed with airplanes since he was little boy, so I thought that buying a flying lesson would be the perfect gift for him. He was thrilled! He called and scheduled his lesson- he was told that weekends were fine, Saturdays or Sundays. He scheduled his lesson for 10:30 on a Sunday. Though the facility is about an hour away from us, my husband was very excited. We left at 9:00 and arrived to the area at about 10:00. We could not find a hangar that indicated that we should be there and we couldn't find an office. We called the office number listed on the voucher 7 or 8 times, and were taken to voicemail. We each left 2 voicemails, which were never returned. Finally I googled Classic Air Aviation and found their Facebook page, which listed their suite number in a large office building near the hangars. The voucher we purchased didn't have a suite number listed. Once we had the suite number, we finally drove back to the office (we had gone to drive up and down the street, to see if we somehow missed it). I left my last voicemail at 10:33, saying we were on our way back to the office. We got there at 10:41. A guy answered the door and said, "I was at the hangar." He didn't introduce himself (we later found out his name was Josh). He didn't apologize for not being there. I asked why no one was there to answer the phone He said, "there isn't anyone here on Sundays to answer the phone." I asked how people were supposed to find them if no one picked up the phone. He shrugged. I said, "wow, you really don't want to be here, do you?" He said, "I'm a Monday to Friday guy." I asked why my husband was scheduled on a Sunday then. He said, "I didn't do the scheduling." My husband said, "you just don't care, do you? You didn't even apologize for being late!" He said, "I was in the office at 10:29." I said that we left a message at 10:33 and that no one was there to pick it up. He didn't respond. My husband asked if he was the instructor who would be flying with him. Josh said, "yes. Do you want to go or not?" My husband said absolutely not. I said that we wanted a full refund and was told that we'd have to contact TravelZoo. I asked for written proof of what happened- he wrote down a bunch of excuses and lies ("I was in the hangar, prepping the plane," "I was in the office by 10:29," etc.) Luckily, I called TravelZoo, told them what a horrible vendor Classic Air Aviation is, and they refunded our money in full. I cannot believe how rudely we were treated. We drove an hour to get there, only to be treated like a huge inconvenience. After we got home, I called and left 2 messages for the owner to return my call, he never did. Completely unprofessional, disorganized, disappointing establishment. I have been sharing this story with everyone we know who is interested in planes, to ensure that they don't give their money to these rip-off artists. DO NOT BUY VOUCHERS FOR THIS COMPANY! read more

I am 2 years behind making this review... But, I had THE BEST experience! I got a Groupon for my grandpa. My grandpa use to fly planes when he was a young man, and he talks about it ALL OF THE TIME. But He had to give it up to take care of his family, he had to sell his plane, and provide. So he had not been in a plane in over 20 or more years. He lives in CO, and he visit's us grand kids in Phoenix, Arizona about 2 times a year. When I saw this groupon I was BEYOND excited! So when he came back into town to visit me I surprised him with this plane ride. My grandma, my grandma and I set our appointment and showed up! My grandma and I were just there to watch and take some pictures. I met Jon, their dog, and a few other very nice folks when we pulled up. Before my grandpa and Jon took off, Jon asked if I wanted to hop in the back and join... I was very hesitant; I am not the hugest fan of flying and had never been in a small air craft. But Jon was very nice, and my grandpa seemed very excited to be with me for my first time in a small air plane. So as they both assured me it would be fun, and I would be ok, I could not say no. Before taking of we did an inspection of the plane, (that made me feel much better ) then I hoped in the back, and went along for the ride! Jon kept us entertained, and kept us informed, talked about the plane, and the things we were looking at! It was very nice! After we landed, I took my death grip off their seats and stepped out of the puddle I was sitting in and made a joke to Jon that I did not pee in my seat, I swore it was sweat! He was very funny so I knew I could joke that way. So all in all, yes I was scared, but it was worth it! So much fun, and Jon was so comforting and well experienced. I would recommend this company to anyone! Especially people like me who are kind of scared of flying! If I were to do it again I wouldn't go anywhere else! Thanks again Jon! I will always cherish this time and memory with my grandpa! read more

I recently used Classic Air Aviation for some recurrent pilot training. The owner, John, was my instructor and I found him to be very efficient in his job. Not only did he have a calm demeanor in the "right seat" as he was demonstrating some extreme emergency maneuvers with my aircraft in an intentional spin, he also had the perfect way to communicate the lesson that may save my life one day. He helped break through a learning barrier on this subject that I had with other instructors. I plan to use John again for the next pilot rating that I reach for and highly recommend Classic Air Aviation for everything from basic scenic tour flights to the further training of experienced pilots. read more

I gave a flight lesson to my husband as a gift for his 40th birthday via Cloud Nine living for $140. I was able to go with them for an extra $50. It cost $140 + $50 = $190. The certificate stated that he would get a 30 minute lesson followed by a 30 minute flight. We got there early and they were ready for us right away! We were taken to the Cessna plane and did a very brief inspection (the pilot told us that he did the inspection previously so he did not really need to do it again). Then we got into the plane and got some more brief explanations about the plane and what the he (the pilot was doing) as we took off into the air. There was no 30 minute lesson prior to the flight. We got maybe 10 minutes of explanations before getting into the plane and taking off. Once we were in the air he (the pilot) told my husband to go ahead and fly the plane. Again with no instruction!! The flight time was about 30 minutes which was ok but my husband did not feel like he was really taught much. Total time start to finish was about 40 minutes (not the hour we paid for). The pilot was friendly and answered questions but did not offer much information unless asked. The plane was old looking. The experience was ok but should have been better for the money that we spent. read more