My son didn't connect with the instructor for the one flight and that's okay. He has close to 100…read morehours and with a newer CFI, it's understandable the degree about knowledge and trust initially can be difficult to ascertain but hours speak volumes (along with the variety of experiences) and my son mentioned this CFI was largely at controls most of the time and teaching at sea level didn't so much as occur (we are from Colorado). I get it and we did provide background and history and giving up controls can be hard as a new instructor and new-to-you student. Either way we would definitely fly with Learn to FLY SD again just with a more experienced instructor who can meet my son where he is at. Priced appropriately too which is a plus!

Without a doubt, Learn to Fly San Diego was the best company to go with for our son, who has safely…read moreand successfully achieved his goal of obtaining his private pilot's license. With some of the best Chief Flight Instructors in this city, we believe owner Chris Sluka runs a 5-star flight school with their company-owned fleet of planes. Don't go with any flight school that requires you to join a club where the instructors have to rent out the planes just to give a flight lesson. We had erroneously done that first, which was a big mistake. Once we quickly changed over to Learn to Fly San Diego, flight scheduling was easier and we trusted every decision the CFIs made to ensure our son was safe in the air and knowledgeable on the ground. THANK YOU Learn to Fly San Diego. You really were the best flight school for our son and our family and we highly recommend them. ltfsd.com

Bruce was an excellent discovery flight instructor. We spent about an hour on the ground going over…read morethe controls and then took off over San Diego. During the flight, I got to try using all of the different controls we went over on the ground and even fly the plane completely on my own for a bit! I couldn't recommend Let's Fly San Diego more highly if you're looking for a great first time experience!

Absolutely incredible! After just an hour of instruction, I was flying a Cessna myself. Bruce, my…read moreinstructor, was professional, thorough, and laser‑focused on safety. If you've ever dreamed of piloting an airplane--or even pursuing a license--this experience delivers. Intense, exhilarating, and unforgettable. Highly recommended!

this is a update. fly san diego flight school is still suspended by the ftb and the secretary of…read morestate says they are suspended with them as well they just haven't updated their website. i will leave a current screenshot taken right before this review. jamie will also not provide you with insurance covering her suspended business. if you fly with her, you are putting yourself in danger.

Booked an intro flight for my hubs and Jamie was more than accommodating about timing. We live in…read moreOC and drove to SD so we were able to book an afternoon flight. You can find Fly San Diego at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport under the Casa Machado Restaurant in the terminal building. Hudson was the flight instructor and he explained everything in great detail. Hubs was able to pick between a tour or more hands on time. In the end, we did a bit of both. I would highly recommend them.

I found Golden State Flying Club by accident last November 2013. I noticed an R22 Helicopter Sign…read moreon the outside building and a small plane on the corner. After talking to Richard the owner, I decided to sign up on their intro flight lesions. The price was great, $139 for 2 flight hours in the Piper Warrior 2, 2 Ground School Lessons and an orientation. It was a great experience. I have completed my entire Ground School Requirements for the FAA exam. Jeff and Mike the 2 instructors are cool, and going to class from 7PM to 9:30 PM was great too. I met some real good people in that class. Now, I have passed the FAA exam, have taken 20 hours of flight time with my SUPER HERO also called Glenn Rauch. He has made learning flying to a new enjoyable level. Glenn is my second Certified Instructor (CFI). I am now so eager to meet up to go flying every 2nd. day. And every time I'm learning something new. The course is very well structured. Best if you take 2 to 3 flying lessons a week. Training this way is a lot better than taking only a few hours in a month. I can only speak for myself; I had to choose again, I would always go back to Golden State and ask to fly with Glenn. Thanks for a great learning experience; I couldn't have ask for a better school.

Look the flight instructors here might be great, I have no idea. The program sounds amazing. The…read moreproblem for me was the mysogonistic right wing hints and jokes by Jeff during orienttion. I took my son here to attend the informational/sales pitch, not to listen to a guy childishly insert his viewpoints to perfect strangers for four hours. What we heard, spoiled rich kid example name Gavin (wow, clever). Planes are like women, if you beat them up a little just stroke them and sprinkle perfume on them and they'll be fine. The less fuel the lighter the plane, I try to get my girlfriend to understand this. Keep it neutral like trump did with North Korea, when he stopped the fighting (ummmm, what fighting?) You need a background check for your pilots license, so no antifa records. They stopped naming the planes after indians, I don't know some silly reason. We get it, you love trump (the ultimate spoiled child). We aren't here for juvenile references or political innuendos. We don't need to listen to this or pay for it. Keep it to yourself.

I attended Coast Flight Training since 2022 and received my private pilot, instrument and…read morecommercial licenses here under part 61. I achieved my ratings on the side while working full time (it was tough and slow, but it's doable). I saw Coast go through many changes and saw many of its students and instructors progress through their ratings and hour grinds. I have also attended other flying schools around San Diego, all of which to me did not come close to the caliber program that Coast Flight Training has. They have regimented training plans for both part 61 and part 141 students, and a solid debriefing after each flight so that you don't waste your time and money. The instructors I had cared and put in the time and effort to ensure I became a safe pilot and passed my checkrides. Is this school perfect? No, but no flight school is. Coast does their best in maintaining their planes, I was never asked to fly something I didn't feel safe flying. I never flew with an instructor I didn't feel safe with. Were there minor issues here and there? Yes but that's a part of any training pathway. Coast at least maintains their airplanes and instructors to a set standard that is better than most schools out there. Their facility is also probably the nicest flight school I have ever been in. I was also briefly a fueler for Coast, from the operational side I can say that they do a great job in their FBO service to general aviation. Their fueling staff work hard but are reliable and they do upkeep and inspect their fuel tank and trucks daily. This helps keep any pilot getting fuel here safe. If you are looking to get your pilot license, I highly recommend Coast Flight Training. Thank you to the many instructors I had during my time here: Cynthia H, Alex Z, Zach E, Christopher L. and Braeden B. were all outstanding. Now if only Coast could control the weather and DPE shortage!

My experience Coast Flight Training in San Diego raised serious concerns about its professionalism…read moreand business practices, particularly regarding the Site Director of Coast. I personally witnessed the Site Director posting fake 5 star reviews of the flight school while pretending to be a customer. In my opinion, the Site Director responsible for managing a business writing fake reviews of that business is a clear conflict of interest and seriously calls into question the business practices of Coast Flight Training. It's pretty ridiculous that Coast Flight Training claims to be a "premier" "professional" flight school, and yet the Site Director does things like posting fake reviews. I witnessed more questionable behavior at Coast Flight Training, including the Site Director lying to students and to CFIs, threatening students, and violating basic labor ethics in a way that put CFIs in difficult positions. I personally witnessed multiple CFIs quit their jobs at Coast Flight Training because of this questionable behavior from the Site Director. After my firsthand experience with Coast Flight Training in San Diego, I would like others to know about this behavior and know what happens behind the scenes at Coast Flight Training while they pretend to be a "professional" flight school.

I purchased "Intro to Flight" as a birthday present and Chance was great with addressing my…read morequestions/concerns. Booking was easy. At the day of flight, the instructor was Tyler. He was very friendly, calm and patient. Any nervousness was put at ease by Tyler. The entire experience lasted for 2 hours and we paid $300. It definitely sparked the desire to continue flight education and obtain a license.

Had talks with Chance over the phone and had my first intro flight on the golden hours on July…read morefirst saturday. What can I say...breaking the fear of heights will make you want to take over and just go back and fly more! Most of us dreamed of flying and becoming pilots one day and ChanceToFly just gave me that 'chance' to put my feet on the door. Owen Whitfield CFI/CFII, covered all the basics of operations on the ground and is a cool and amazing instructor for first time fliers. Went over all the details and his confidence radiates that you wouldn't worry over your fears in the skies. Could have taken more photos to show and share but he is insistent I take over the controls most of the time as it was, indeed, a 'Pilot Experience'. Thats Professionalism. Cannot argue with that. Looking forward to flying with them again soon!

I was a student here. Great flight school, very cool and knowledgeable instructors. Very flexible…read morein terms of scheduling. I didn't finish because of personal issues but would love to continue what I started in the future.

This is one of those places that markets itself as "military friendly," but in my experience the…read morepriority was billing, not students. Pricing is very high for the aircraft and instruction quality, and on top of that, a large amount of the total cost is hidden inside of fees that are not clearly disclosed. Communication was unstatisfactory with no or slow replies and directly conflicting answers on contracts, procedures, and even basic admin, with no internal coordination. If you value clear terms, responsive support, and a student first culture, look elsewhere.

I have been fortunate enough to be a student a Pinnacle completing my private, instrument,…read morecommercial, and certified flight instructor ratings through their partnership with Liberty University. Whether you're looking for part 141 or 61 instruction Pinnacle offers everything in a professionally structured format to meet your needs. The aircraft are well maintained and dependable. In my opinion, this school has the highest quality instructors and ownership at CRQ. Check out their website to gather more information. This is your spot if you're looking to all things related to aviation training, especially if you want to utilize your GI Bill or gain a bachelors degree as a professional pilot while earning your ratings.

Look around- there are better values and more efficient processes for student pilots. Very nice…read morepeople just limited motivation to progress student pilots. Issues future students should be aware of that are unique to pinnacle.  First, pinnacle does not allow touch and gos.  This maximizes profits by likely lowering their insurance rates. This means you will not get nearly enough landings to gain competency quickly.  We spent $25,000 and after 70 hours of flight time, 120 landings and probably another 40 hours of ground time as well as near 22 months w/ no solo approval.  Lots of 'stalling' with instructors drilled by the owner to really wait generate more hours billed. Presolo is treated like an IFR checkride. . As soon as we left solo.   At a busy airport like CRQ you will spend lots of extra money on the ramp due to unqie no touch and go policy.  Pinnacle pays their instructors just a fraction of the total, so on the positive side very nice people and quite a lucrative business with good margins.

I have had the pleasure of earning my Private Pilot's License with New Vision Aviation. Michael…read moreMourer and his team, including Daniel Durrand and Oliver Emde showed up every day providing me the tools necessary for growth and success. Their team is diversely experienced, whether it be jet experience, local air space, or the crosswinds of the islands. Throughout my training I was introduced to other students working on the same challenges as me, as well as former students who have found success with New Vision Aviation. Thanks to their team, I get to celebrate amongst my peers as we work through aviation milestones such as first solos, and successful check-rides. Each instructor is qualified and capable, with their own unique teaching styles, which is extremely important as each student learns differently from another. I found no issues with availability throughout my training. Not only is it advantageous to schedule lessons with another instructor here and there, it was a smooth and flexible process, I felt no hindrance to my personal training timeline. Michael and Daniel were transparent with me from the beginning about costs and expectations, and never withheld information on ways I could save. They were both understanding in sharing their best recommendations, as well as budget friendly recommendations. Their syllabus is clear, structured, and organized. With the hindsight of my personal experience I can admit that their team truly values safety, and pilot proficiency above anything else. If you are interested in learning to fly as a hobbyist, career-seeker, or returning aviator do yourself a favor and reach out to New Vision Aviation. In the unlikely event that you feel you don't quite mesh with one of their team members, do not hesitate to communicate your needs to them, they are all friendly and knowledgeable in their own ways.

Imagine this: nightmares leading up to a week before flying, not taking a commercial flight without…read moreseveral shots of the strongest alcohol you can find, anxiety wherever you've flown to because you know you have to fly back. Despite all this, still having a dream to fly one day. Now imagine that same person years later with almost 500 hours as pilot in command, instrument rated, with high performance and complex endorsements, check-outs in multiple planes, nearly done with a commercial multi-engine rating, and a plane owner. That's me. I really couldn't have done it without Mike and his team at New Vision Aviation. I can't tell you how many times I've been grateful for his instruction. What you'll get is a high level of instruction, a mentor who is also mindful of cost, and a person who is genuinely interested in your safety. You won't find a better team.

Stay away! It was a terrible experience. It was quite disappointing. Their planes are super…read moreoutdated with doors broken, instruments missing or not working properly. Awkward staff experience. Go somewhere else to get your money's worth.

Terrible service. Over priced planes with terrible maintenance. Not enough planes and way out of…read moredate equipment. I'm sure the planes don't even meet FAA standards to be able to fly.