My wife and I went on a flight tour around the bay. It was an awesome experience, we felt very safe with our pilot Sebastian who was friendly and entertaining. 10/10 recommend. read more

Hayward Flight - Fly over San Francisco Bay in a small, private airplane - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

Hayward Flight School is incredibly professional, and truly passionate about teaching the next generation of pilots. Every interaction has been open, honest, and supportive. You can tell their team genuinely cares about their students and takes pride in helping them succeed. Highly recommend for anyone looking to start or grow their aviation journey! read more

Great experience with a first flight! Rick is an awesome instructor. Thank you so much.

A SCAM! I am a student pilot, and prepaid almost $2000 for flying lessons at Hayward Flight. The chief CFI started me out in a simulator. So far I have burned $1500 of the money, and never even been inside a plane. I asked when I can get an actual flight lesson, I am told "You have to document your plan better". I feel I am wasting my time an money here and not learning anything anymore. Stay far away from this school if you want to learn to fly. read more

I don't really want to write a review, but I have just been adding up my hours in my logbook. Now I feel compelled to warn future student pilots to stay away from Abel if he starts forcing you to use his simulator. Seriously, his simulator in no way resembles true flight instruction. He gained a few thousand dollars from me because I was naive and so went along with his simulator training fairy story. I didn't get one second in a real plane. read more

So pleased with the 1st time flying tour experience! Thank you Capt. Rick! Answered all our questions gracefully read more

Hayward Flight - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

I am having trouble finding a similar aerial tour and flight instruction combination in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. Spent about 15 minutes talking about the parts that control an airplane's aerodynamics, pitch, roll, and yaw. Another 15 minutes was on a flight simulator. The building wasn't easy to find at first. The instructor went out of his way to try to get us close to the San Francisco skyline. After telling the flight instructor that my boyfriend already had simulation experience we got more time in the air. Ground training is included. He found time to let us practice maneuvers and takeoff into Oakland airspace after getting approval. I liked being able to sit in the back and take photographs while we were maneuvering in the air. Other places only let you sit in the co-pilot's side. The lesson was an introductory flight. There was no food because it wasn't an event. We bought a flight log afterwards because it was about $1 cheaper than online. We redeemed a Groupon. You don't really get to be close to Alcatraz or the Golden Gate bridge in 45 minutes like the Yelp photos imply. read more

See all

I called to speak with the Chief Pilot. "J" answered the call. He wanted to know why, I told him I had concerns and wanted to speak to the person in charge. He questioned me further, and then said he was in charge. I was put off by his evasiveness. I asked him why he was not up front...it went down hill from there. Finally he said he could answer my concerns, but wasn't the person in charge. Another misrepresentation of the truth. BOTTOM LINE...20 years in the military and 32 years in the airline industry I met one man that didn't tell me the truth when it came to operational issues. It's supposed to be an honest industry for obvious safety issues. If "J" is so evasive for no good reason, I question his honesty. If he plans on working in the industry he needs to be one hundred percent honest, even if he has made a mistake. If he is not going to be honest, he is going to get someone hurt sooner or later. I would not recommend this organization if the screening process doesn't get rid of the bad actors. Most anyone can learn to fly, but to do it safely requires the honest transfer of knowledge, otherwise people die. I would not trust "J." I would not recommend this organization if the instructors are so desperate to build hours for their airline career that they are willing to lie, cheat and steal... It was just a very bad first impression! read more

This experience was awesome! My girlfriend surprised me with this dope experience. Abel, our pilot was super dope and informative as well with also a good sense of humor! 5/5 would definitely come back! read more

Hayward Flight - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

My boyfriend surprised me for my birthday and booked a flight tour. My boyfriend was really nervous getting on (I'm the adventurous one LOL) Abel made us feel comfortable and it was very fun experience! I recommend booking your tour with Abel! I highly recommend him! It was such a wonderful birthday surprise experience! read more

Hayward Flight - Back from our ride - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

See all

Malik was very helpful with all my questions. We went on the interview for half hour and he explain all my questions . Thanks malik read more

I bought the 1 Hour Bay Tour on groupon. I surprised my boyfriend with this gift because he has always lived in San Francisco but he's never seen it from above. You are on a small plane that seats 4 people total, including the pilot. My boyfriend sat in the front with the pilot and was able to play with some of the controls. He was like a little kid again, I saw him light up as we took off. He had this huge smile on his face and I knew he was having a good time. The experience was amazing, I took a lot of pictures. It was a clear sunny day so we were able to see SF finest attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Treasure Island, and downtown SF. This was worth it and it's still available for purchase on groupon! If you've ever wanted to see SF from above, I recommend buying this! read more

Hayward Flight - 1 hour bay tour - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

Rick was the best! So calm and cool - exactly what you need in a flight instructor. Ask for him! Used a Groupon for my dad's Bday gift. Total of 3 customers plus instructor allowed per flight (subject to weight limit). Dad LOVED it and easily taxied, took off, and landed the plane himself without any prior experience or ground training. It's true - I witnessed it from the passenger seat! Piloting the plane isn't REQUIRED, but highly recommended! The plane wasn't the newest model and showed it's age, but Rick took his time thoroughly completing the pre- and post-flight checks. We felt entirely comfortable & safe. More air time for the $ would have been appreciated. We were up a total of 20-25 min. I was hoping for 40 even with the Groupon price. However, my Dad was so concentrated, he was relieved to touchdown and assumed he had flown for an HOUR. =] We look forward to their Bay Tour for a beautiful special occasion someday in the future. read more

Hayward Flight - Pilot Dad. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

Booked a sunset flight tour and it was beyond beautiful. I suggest you go at 6:00 PM as 8:00 PM Can be slightly more foggy. The views were amazing and Abel, our pilot, was out of this world. I would also recommend taking Dramamine if you get motion sickness as it can get a little shaky here and there. read more

I gave a flight lesson to my love for their birthday and WOW was it ever great! I thought the instructor was especially good. He was very kind, efficient, witty, fun, and intelligent. It's hard to find someone so airplane savvy and yet so patient with newbies. I thought the experience was incredible. My partner told me that it was the best birthday present they had ever received. We have some pics, and I don't think I've ever seen them smile so big! It was very fun and a fabulous experience for both of us. Highly recommend! read more

First of all, I bought a deal from Groupon on 06/17/12 and it did say: "Up to two friends may join as passengers, taking in sweeping views of the Bay Area and harmonizing to "Danger Zone," for an additional fee of $40 per person", so $40 per passenger was a part of the deal. It's still cheaper than real value and the fun we had--priceless!!!! My great grandfather was a pilot, who was graduated from Kachinsk Military Aviation Academy in 1912. My family owns his international license, medals, little icon of St. George he was taking with him to flights, navigation maps he drown, old pictures of planes, planes crushes, picture of meeting Afghan King with British and Russian military etc. He is my hero, flying is my childhood dream and I so exited I did it!!! Rick Cascelli was our instructor, he really knows how to teach and I like that he let my "passengers" joint me in stimulation session. We all had fun from the beginning, learned about flying and all our questions were answered. I "taxi" plane for a little, took off, made turns and ask dispatcher permission to land. I highly recommend! read more

Hayward Flight - Fantastic feeling!!! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

If you're looking to get recertified or get simulated hours this place would work, but it is NOT good for beginner flight lessons. It's a small school with usually only one instructor who is not supervised very well, and if you're not dedicated like they want it'll cost you twice as much. I'm glad I realized my mistake in choice when I did. I'm sure people enjoy going there for their discovery flights and bay tours but it's not a good school for beginner pilots. Recommend going somewhere else with more structure and clients. read more

Did a demo flight on my boy's birthday and he was absolutely delighted. Rick is a great instructor and connected well with my kid. Would strongly recommend Rick and Hayward Flight!!! read more

Rick was an awesome tour guide. He was very informative, funny, and likes to go above and beyond to show you the Bay Area from breathtaking views. The Cessna plane allows you to be able to have a window seat in any area that you sit. The pricing was also much better than any other tour company and the customer service was excellent. I would highly recommend this tour! read more

Had a very demanding aerial photography project and needed to get photos as early in the morning as possible and on deadline. I called the day before and requested a dawn flight. The owner told me the pilot was booked from dawn until 9am. This wasn't ideal but understandable. I arrived at 8:50am, the pilot came from home at about 9:30am disheveled and not ready. We didn't get off the ground until 11am. We shot what we could but the light was terrible and we ended up re-shooting everything again later in the day. Pilot didn't offer any discount or provide any apology for his tardiness or the fact that the owner straight lied to me about the pilot having an earlier flight. Terrible customer service will never go back and would not recommend to anyone. Also, we stopped at a small airport up north and the pilot didn't know how to gas up his own airplane. WTF? I have only handful of flights under my belt and I know how to do this. read more

Had a tour all over San Francisco . It was breathtaking. A must! And the pilot is amazing at what he does. Super funny too!

BEWARE. I was lied to and tricked into purchasing a package, then when I went to schedule they wouldn't let me make an appointment. Here's what happened. I found Hayward Flight on groupon and thought it sounded like a great gift idea for my fiance. Before purchasing, I called the business and spoke with Pier. I asked him if a date a few weeks out was available. He told me he wasn't able to check availability until I gave him a valid groupon number. This seemed a little strange. "I just want to know if I would be able to schedule on his birthday before I go ahead and buy it," I told him. But he insisted. "I'm not able to open the appointment schedule for groupon without a valid voucher number. I told him I'd think about it and call him back if I wanted to schedule, and he agreed. I read a bunch of the reviews on here about what a great time people had, and decided to go ahead and book it. I figured even if I couldn't get it on his birthday, it would still be a great gift. I called back about a half hour after the initial call. He didn't answer, so I left a voicemail. I called back several times throughout the afternoon, but he never answered the phone again. Frustrated, I emailed him and let him know I was ready to schedule. He never called me back, but he responded to my email and told me that the business was currently under certification, and he would get back to me within three business days. Odd, considering he hadn't mentioned I wouldn't be able to call back and schedule when I had spoken to him just a half hour before. I politely answered his email and let him know that I'd really like to check on the date we'd discussed as it was for a birthday, and if he could get back with me as soon as possible I'd really appreciate it. He answered my email the following day, and told me that the date I wanted was already booked, and they were waiting on a possible cancellation. Mind you, I'd never given him the groupon number he'd insisted on needing to check the appointment schedule in the first place. So our first conversation had been bulls**t. He also rudely added that I had purchased a promotion, and it was subject to availability. I responded politely again, and let him know that if I couldn't have that date I'd like to get another date on the books instead, and could he let me know about weekend availability anytime in the next six weeks. He never responded to that email. He also never answered the phone again, after that first phone call. Great business practice. Frustrated, I decided I'd just head down to the office and try to sort things out there.The front desk was empty. I waited for quite awhile, and he never showed. All this began on a Thursday. I didn't wait those three business days to see if he'd get back to me by the following Tuesday. I went ahead and cancelled my groupon, because as I'm sure he was well aware, there is a three day refund period until you can't get your money back. Scam. read more

I bought a Groupon for a SF Tour Flight around Christmas but they were booked out on weekends until February which was a bummer but the wait was totally worth it; the weather was perfect!! We did a 2pm flight w Rick and he was very informative, answered all of our questions and even let one of us fly the plane for a portion of the flight! We got great video and pics from this experience. I would DEFINITELY recommend! read more

Had great fun on my first flight lesson,, special credit goes to Rick, my instructor who was very funny and lively and made the whole learning experience an awesome experience !! Bought thru groupon and after reading the reviews from Yelp gave it a try and it was worth it. accompanied by my better half. I learned to taxi in the run way , take off and landing and drive in the winds. Totally recommend for any first timers !! read more

Excellent training session somewhat ruined by attempts to dishonestly squeeze money from us. I had my first ever flying training at Hayward flight. Jose Alvarez is an amazing instructor. Not only that he is patient, knowledgeable and funny, he is also very willing to let you try as much as you want. I did not expect being allowed to take off and make the final approach for landing. Actually, I'm very sure that if I had done everything perfectly he would have let me take complete charge of the landing. The lesson starts with a session on the simulator. This is a fun way to learn the controls and the concept of flying. Then you are taken for the visual inspection during which you will learn how to check for oil, fuel, plane conditions, etc. This is followed by 40 minutes in the air. The only downside was that despite the fact that the package we bought clearly stated I can take two friends Jose's boss tried to charge us extra. The argument went that since so many people brought friends they're not making money from having to fly the 4-seater planes too much. Obviously this was one of the most ridiculous argument we have ever heard. After some argument we were all let into the plane without the additional charge but this was definitely a bad way to treat clients. All in all though, you should go. Just make sure that you ask for Jose and not his boss as your instructor. read more

If you are looking to become a private pilot like I have, then look for CFI (certified flight instructor) Abel or CFI Rick at Hayward flight. They have the highest professionalism and very honest in explaining and teaching each flight lesson. Their lessons are very flexible. They will teach you what you want to learn (how to fly), while at the same time make sure you understand all the FAA rules and regulations. The instructors at Hayward Flight have been flying all theirs lives, so you can count on their experience. But reading this, you must understand that a pilot license is not guaranteed. It has to be earn. So if you want to join an exclusive group of men and women who'd defy gravity since the Wright brothers, then come take a peak around at Hayward Flight. Joe Nguyen, Best regards read more

The hubby took me here on my birthday. We had a really wonderful day. Our instructor, Rick was great! I learned how to taxi to the runway, then take off. Decided to allow the instructor to address the landing at the Livermore airfield. The hubby then became the pilot from Livermore back to Hayward. We even passed over our house. My husband landed himself with just a little bit of help from the instructor. Nail biter. I'd totally do it again. read more

See all

It was such an amazing experience which I've recounted to my family and friends over and over now. My bf had proposed to me that afternoon and brought me here as a surprise. The building was extremely easy to find and once inside, we were greeted with a friendly face and had a blast! read more

Take charge of your life and challenge yourself! A flight lesson is a great way to re-charge your mundane life. I bought a lesson for a discovery flight for my sister and enjoyed the whole experience. Like most of the other reviewers say, the staff are very nice and this place is hard to find. Here is a tip to find this office. It is actually right next to the Target on Hesperian. It's like on the side street that borders Target. So, if you are on Hesperian (going from SLZ to Hayward direction) you should see Target on your right- Turn right on to Clubhouse Drive and then turn Left onto Skywest. Once you turn into Skywest, the big building with gates is where this office is at. I hope this helps. If you get motion sickness easily- be warn, because you might get a little motion sickness once you are in the air. My sister and I did. Another tip- don't go on a full stomach if you get motion sickness easily. Alex helped us with the simulator and Abel was our flight instructor. Both were very pleasent and I would recommend them anytime. The experience was fun overall and I am so glad that I had the chance to participate and observe my sister as she is learning and flying. That made this experience much more worth it because I felt like I got to be a part of it, even though I wasn't the student. I would suggest going in the morning because the weather is not as hot then. read more

I had an exceptional experience at Hayward Flight. When I received an Amazon Local deal for a 2-hour flying lesson as a birthday present I was ecstatic. I have always wanted to try flying a small plane just to see if it was as fun as it seemed it would have to be. My love is always listening to me profess my interest in all kinds of off the wall things I want to do. Having the chance to follow through with this particular interest was (not to get too gushy) a dream come true! The staff at Hayward Flight was friendly and attentive and their facility and equipment were in great order. We were checked-in for my appointment in a flash and since we were a little early, my girlfriend and I waited in their comfortable training area for a few minutes. Right on time Chief Pilot Captain Rick arrived and we started a brief theory lesson before trying out the simulator. That was worth the price of admission. I have always played around at home with older versions of Microsoft's Flight Simulator and frankly it wasn't much fun. However - sitting in the training cockpit with a modern build of Flight Simulator, the proper controls, and someone to advise (and restart the program when you drive into the grass) take the fun factor to a whole new level. I didn't want to end the simulator lesson but before I knew it, it was time to fly. We did some pre-flight checks, had a Q&A session about the aircraft, took a photo op on the flight line (because I had to scare the crap out my mom with the prospect of my flying a plane), then Captain Rick and I were off. I can't explain the fun part. You probably already know whether or not the experience of flying is for you -- and what happens when you finally do it is personal. But I can vouch for Hayward Flight and instructor Rick Cascelli - this is the place in the Bay Area to book a lesson when you have the chance to follow through. Side Note: I'll also add it was completely worth the $40 to purchase an HD recording of your entire flight from inside the cockpit. $40 might seem like a lot but the video is provided on a high quality micro SD card and that accounts for a big part of the purchase price. The video is also synched with GPS data such as location, flight speed, elevation so having the data to go along with the video made it all the more fun. It comes with software to edit your video and host it online so you can share it with your friends. All of that capability comes with the $40 purchase so go for it if you get the chance. There was no pressure or upselling happening at Hayward Flight, so I didn't even know how cool it was until I got the video home and checked it out on my computer. read more

My hubby always told me he used to have dreams of being a pilot. When I saw a Groupon for an introductory flight lesson, I knew this would be a fantastic birthday present for him. He was so ecstatic to get this as his birthday gift! It was a little hard to find at first because their location is a little off of Skywest Drive. We figured this out when we decided to drive where the airplanes were rather than sticking to Skywest Drive. Rick was our flight instructor. He allowed me to sit with them during the flight simulation. He was very clear at explaining all the basics of the instrument gauges. He invited me to also ask questions so, even though the instruction was meant for my hubby, I also had the opportunity to learn. He was impressed with my hubby's understanding during the flight simulation that he let him participate in taking off, handling the plane while in the air, and landing. From the back seat, I was able to take great pics of him flying and the surrounding beautiful scenic area. Rick even allowed him to turn left and right while testing his knowledge of the instruments. I loved how he asked both of us questions about the instruments as it validated how well we both understood how the plane was operating and how well the hubby was flying. Rick was an absolute fantastic and amazing flight instructor! The hubby is now motivated to getting his pilot's license through Rick at Hayward Flight. I would like to be back to try the Discovery Bay Package, which is different from the Groupon, where we will also get to go over the Golden Gate Bridge and the Rest of San Francisco. read more

Took my BF here for a surprise bday present and the reason I chose this place was bc there was a deal on Groupon but for an add'l $20 the flight would be longer and overseeing SF, thought my BF would actually be able to fly the plane longer which didn't happen as I was told. But overall, it was a great experience. read more

See all

My husband and I got a groupon for th flight lesson. It was training for the furst hour in a simulator with the instructor, followed by about 40 minutes in the airplane. My husband had a blast, learned alot and really enjoyed this adventure! I was the bystander and passenger, which was fun to witness the excitement. Overall, it was truly an amazing experience that we will cherish together! Perhaps we will be back for more in the future! read more

Hayward Flight - Simulator! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

My husband and I went on the Discovery Flight package yesterday using our Groupon. It was fantastic! Neither of us had been on a small plane before, let alone flown a plane. I had bought the Groupon months ago for my husband just to have a fun experience. Rick was our instructor and he did a great job teaching/answering questions, and making sure we had a great time. About 20 minutes simulator practice and then up into the real plane! It was so much fun! Not as scary as I thought it would be and not as hard to fly as we thought (coming from my husband). I would definitely recommend this experience! read more

My boyfriend has always been obsessed with the idea of flying, to the point where when he was little he played flight simulator for hours like any other video game (I know, I don't get it either. In his words "between take off and landing there could be 3+ hours of nothing to do, but it was still awesome"). anyways, so when i saw the groupon for a flight lesson i jumped on that immediately. I surprised my boyfriend on his birthday, and it couldn't have been more amazing. My boyfriend's best friend and I drove him to the little airport, where he just started shouting from being excited :) The instructor (i think his name was Rick?) used to fly for the army and was incredibly calm, reassuring, and funny. He spent an hour giving basic training, and up we went. I didn't trust the little cessna at first, but it was quite calm, and the view was spectacular! Rick let my boyfriend help with the take-off and cruising around, but was super alert to make sure he didn't make any mistakes. We had so much fun, and my boyfriend's childhood wish came true, it was really amazing read more

Best place for flying lesson, to look around as well. And best thing to do, if you Didn't, Now you know what to do :) The Exceptional instructor Rick the "Formidable" ! is the main person that keep that business run well beside the great people over there such as Meti. That was our First time trying this out. And we will definitely go again read more

Just had my first Bay Flight experience today with Hayward Flight. Must say the whole experience was amazing, flying over San Francisco over to the Golden Gate Bridge was a mesmerizing view. Our Pilot Rick was great and very knowledgeable and has definitely inspired me to come back and take my learners Flight course with them. Highly recommend taking a flight with Hayward for the Bay scenic flight. read more

I had a great experience with my first ever flight lesson. Abel was my instructor. He was very friendly, and he had a very comprehendible way of explaining how a Cessna flies, how to read the control panel of the plane, and how all the controls operate. The short pre-flight computer flight simulator session was enough to allow me to taxi the real plane on the runway and then actually take off (with Abel's help with the throttle, of course). Abel even allowed me to land the plane (again, with him at the throttle). Because he is such an experienced pilot and had such a calm demeanor and reassuring presence, I felt I was always safe and in good hands. My wife and daughter were sitting in the back of the Cessna with me, and they thought the flight went relatively smoothly, even given the fact I was somewhat nervous and very inexperienced with the flight controls and had some difficulty maintaining a stable altitude. Even the landing was extremely smooth, thanks to Abel's assistance and guidance. The Cessna we flew appeared clean and well-maintained. Abel and his colleagues were professionally dressed in logoed shirts and leather flying jackets. Overall, my family and I had a wonderful experience with Hayward Flight! read more

My girl friend and I went on the 1 hour Bay Tour and had an amazing time! We saw gorgeous views of the Bay and had a ton of fun with our informative and easy going pilot Rick! Definitely would recommend this experience! read more

Hayward Flight - Views from the Bay Tour. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California

I booked a demo flight, and it was an incredible experience. The instructor, Rick, really knew his stuff and was fun to fly with. Definitely recommend these guys! read more

Hayward Flight - Flight Instruction Near Me - Hayward, California