SCFC is awesome. I'd been thinking about becoming a pilot for years, and finally decided to bite…read morethe bullet. After much research online, SCFC seemed like the best choice. I was hooked after the demo flight, and am currently 3 months into my training. SCFC has easy freeway access, and is great for both San Francisco and Penninsula folks. The staff there is super friendly and knowledgeable. The CFIs all seem to have full student lists and the ground instructors and senior pilots are top notch. There is a diverse fleet of planes and simulators available for members to rent and for students to use during instruction. The ground school offers two classes per week to accommodate people's varying schedules. Thanks to my ground instructor Herb and everyone at SCFC, I just passed my written test with a 92%! SCFC member for life.

Amazing supportive CFI and staff, very well organized syllabus and always opportunity to fly.read more

I'm learning to fly here at WVFC. It's a fun low key club with lots of planes, lots of instructors…read moreand two airport offices (KSQL and KPAO). They also offer ground school and have a few simulators you can rent. They do a lot of club activities in the Palo Alto office. The onboarding for a new pilot who's learning to fly is great.

I've been a member of West Valley Flying Club for a little over a year and I recommend it highly. I…read moream 61 years old and have always wanted to fly but my wife and I raised five children and until recently, the priorities of family life consumed all available time and money. My instructor is Scott Stauter and from the very first demo ride I felt safe and confident in flying with him and learning from him. I also attended ground school at West Valley with Wes Irish as the instructor. Due largely to excellent instruction, I was able to pass both the written and practical private pilot exams on the first attempt. It is a large club with a large and diverse fleet of aircraft as well as a large number of instructors. I suppose with ~40 affiliated instructors there may be a few bad apples in the bunch but I've flown with six different instructors for various check rides or special instruction and they all demonstrated a high level of professionalism and competence. Each instructor provided constructive criticism and suggestions for improving my game that I felt were given in good faith and in my best interest. The fact is I don't pick things up as fast as I did twenty years ago but none of the instructors that I flew with left me with the impression that they were trying to run up the clock. The planes I have flown (five so far) are maintained well and the mechanics are accessible, supportive, and helpful as is the office staff. Scheduling planes and instructors is easily accomplished through an online scheduling system. I fly out of Palo Alto once or twice a week and there have only been a couple of instances when I couldn't schedule a plane when I wanted to. The club has a strong culture of safety and proper preparedness for flight. They have implemented several checks and balances to assure proficiency of both students and instructors as they progress through the training regimen. An argument can be made that they've gone a bit overboard with this and I can understand how this might frustrate some people. But I have to tell you that I went into the PPL check ride feeling calm, competent, and confident and that is exactly how I now feel when I take off with my grandchildren in the plane. All in all, I am very happy with my experience at West Valley Flying Club.

I've been flying with Eliot for over 10 years. I am instrument-rated, and work with Eliot to keep…read moreup on glass panel skills and emerging technologies. He's a master at simulating challenging flight situations and instrument failures, and after years of flying Cirrus SR20s and 22s, both Avidyne and Perspective-equipped, I feel like we've explored every corner of those systems -- and yet on every flight, I still learn more. Eliot has the patience to take on the newest of pilots, but the depth of experience to train professionals. I can't say enough about his professionalism and his focus on making me the best pilot possible. I'd recommend Airfloe Aviation to anyone ready to learn how to command the aircraft they fly.

I recently started training with Jato Aviation and have had a great experience with everyone I've…read moreworked with. From the beginning, April (CEO) and Jim (Client Relations) made onboarding fast and straightforward, clearly outlining what I'd be learning and what to expect. My flight training with Jack has been exceptional--efficient, structured, and high quality. I've trained with instructors across the U.S., and he's genuinely top tier. He guided my transition into the G7, was responsive and available by text, and consistently emphasized the key safety considerations and how to mitigate them in real operations. Excited to continue learning with them.

They charged $200 for a 172 and instructor rate was $95 at least in my case. For a checkout I had…read moreto do 2 hours ground with the instructor. They were very proud and protective of their g1000 planes, it was surprising that one of the screens went completely dark right after the takeoff, but they charged me full price anyway. Maybe an OK school. I will never know, because for me just doesn't worth the price.

Luis was an amazing instructor. He had so much to share and was patient as all can be. He's chill…read moreand intelligent. Did this as a surprise birthday present for my man and he loved it so much. We will definitely go back and I suggest you request Luis. He's amazing Flight is over San Jose though not the bay view.

I have been training with Chris Murphy and he's an excellent CFI - I have learnt so much and made…read moreincredible progress on my private pilots license. The curriculum is very structured and the school has a very high bar for its students. The airplanes are a little old, but they are very well maintained with a dedicated team taking very good care of them.

We did the Bay tour with pilot Dave. It was a beautiful! Dave gave us incredible customer service…read moreensuring our trip was an absolutely memorable experience. From booking to landing, this company was a breeze. I recommend for anyone who is looking to give a gift for a special occasion. The day bay trip tour was amazing. Thanks Dave and team!

Amazing ride! The pilot was very friendly, and the ride was truly breathtaking. We first went down…read morethe coast near half moon bay, and then flew over the golden gate bridge, alcatraz, and the city downtown. For each of those last three spots, he did two spins around, giving you plenty of time for great pictures and appreciating the amazing view

I had some family come in from out of town for the holidays and wanted to treat them to a scenic…read morehelicopter tour of the city. Booking online was a piece of cake, and the flight experience was delightful. Our pilot, Stephanie, was friendly and accommodating, but more importantly, an exceptionally talented pilot. Over my many decades on this world, I've probably spent 100+ hours as a passenger in helicopters, and I can attest that Stephanie was among the smoothest of all. Next up, I'm planning introductory lessons for my girlfriend and a friend. Should be a blast.

I booked the 60 minute Golden Gate Tour around the Bay Area and it was beautiful! You really get to…read moresee the Bay from a different perspective. Tickets were $265 per person. There was parking out front and the check in process was a breeze. We were led right to our helicopter where the pilot (I totally forgot his name ) gave us all the information we needed to know in case of an emergency. And then we took off! I would definitely book again! I would love to see everything again during golden hour!

Vintage Aircraft has been the go-to place for a true vintage airplane experience. Chris and Tom…read moreare both excellent pilots and the restoration of the planes is impeccable. If you are in the Sonoma area, don't miss it.

Mother's Day - A Birthday Extravaganza!…read more Two years ago I flew in the SNJ-4 Texan for a birthday thrill; this year my wonderful wife gave me an hour ride in Vintage Aircraft's P-51 Mustang! She's the best! If you love the sound of a WWII high performance engine, love speed and appreciate the 20 year old pilots who flew these magnificent machines during a war, the P-51 is a plane to experience. Drove to the Schellville airport on Mother's Day for my ride. Travis pulled the P-51 from it's hanger, went through it's extensive pre-flight check and fueled her up. At this point, my heart was pounding with excitement and anticipation of a ride in a P-51! I told Travis I was also taking another P-51 crew with us that day, he had a quizzed look. My mother's deceased husband was stationed in England during WWII and was assigned to a P-51 squadron as an armourer (loaded 50 cal ammo and fueled the planes for their next flight). Found a picture of Mick, the pilot, mechanic, crew chief all standing beside their assigned P-51, the GlenGaryGuy. Pilot had his wife's name "Jackie" on the other side. They all got to go for one more ride! Chris Prevost, the pilot, asked where I wanted to go? I'd done the Golden Gate Bridge, out over Marin County to Tomales Bay and back in the Texan. Chris had a suggestion - Schellville to Lake Berryessa and over into the San Joaquin Valley, up along the Vaca Range to Middletown, over to Santa Rosa, out to Bodega Bay, Tomales Bay and down to Mill Valley and Mt Tam with a ride down Miller Ave, out to the Golden Gate Bridge and back to Schellville - heck yeah, sign me up!! Travis gave me instructions on how to climb onto the plane and into the rear seat, tight but comfortable and buckled in. Thank goodness I had a hat. I'm 6'1" and just barely had head room (though I was too excited to care). Chris brought the Merlin V-1650 to life and we taxied down to the end of the runway, brought the oil temp up, closed the canopy and we rolled down the runway - full speed ahead. Pulled back and up we went - what a rush! Travis had taken my wife to a point where she could record the whole liftoff - yeah! My adrenaline rush was in high gear! I immediately thought of the young pilots who risked their lives for our freedom; here I was just on a joy ride in a plane they flew in actual combat or escorting bombers - kind of surreal. Great sidebar to the flight was being actually being able to see the devastation from all of the fires from Lake Berryessa all the way too Middletown - scorched earth. Bodega Bay to the mouth of Tomales Bay gives a real perspective how beautiful our coastal area is. Chris did a couple of sharp turns, the P-51 cut the sky like a sharp knife. I kept the headsets halfway on, wanted to "hear" the roar of the P-51's engine. Down to Mill Valley, lined up on Miller Ave and out we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. What a day! I guess I should end my story, though writing about flying in the Mustang brings back all the fun I enjoyed that day. Travis and my wife had been monitoring our flight and were ready for our landing. Again, Travis set my wife up in a location to capture the event. Thanks again to Vintage Aircraft, Chris, Travis and my wife for an epic day of flying in a P-51 Mustang.

Rude instructor and difficulty scheduling as the calls are outsourced to an elderly lady in…read moreFlorida who is slow..

Because of his anxiety, my teenage son wasn't motivated to learn to drive. The driver's ed scared…read morehim and he was content to be driven around. I wanted him to learn to drive and gain independence. My friend who used Strive Driving School for her son recommended we try Strive. My 16-year-old son gained confidence and knowledge in his four 1.5 hour lessons leading up to his driver's test. Yesterday he took his driver's license test for the first time and scored 96%. We're extremely happy and relieved. Thank you, Strive.