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

Came for my 30th birthday, left with one less irrational fear…read more I'm terrified of heights, but Nakela was so calm, funny, and reassuring that I somehow ended up actually enjoying myself. He made the whole experience feel safe and unforgettable. If you're on the fence (or white-knuckling it like I was), book with Nakela. He'll have you conquering fears and grinning the whole way. Thanks for making my 30th one I'll never forget!!! You rule!!

What a phenomenal experience! I surprised my husband with a Fly with Friends experience. No flights…read moreexperience needed, a pilot goes up there with you. Alexis took care of the takeoff and landing, and did an excellent job coaching my husband during the flight. I recommend this for anyone that wants to try flying and/or see the Bay Area from through new eyes'

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'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.

Took an Introductory flight here and we had such a wonderful experience from start to finish. Our…read moreinstructor was Binh, and she was an absolute gem. From start to finish she has been so incredibly kind, warm, and welcoming and made something that was pretty nerve wracking feel way more comfortable and fun. We had to reschedule our flight a couple times because of getting sick and weather, but she was very accommodating. She made it her priority that we got the most fun and safe experience that she could :) She did a very good job of walking me through what to do and was really patient with me and took the time to explain parts in depth when I was unsure about someone. She allowed me to take the lead when I was feeling confident but whenever I would start to get confused or too nervous being patient and helping me through those moments. Also I appreciate her reassuring me when she could tell I was getting nervous at certain points lol helped me feel a lot calmer. The entire time she always made sure we felt completely safe with her. This was something that's been on my bucket list for a really long time and it did not disappoint would highly recommend both the experience itself and the instructor! Also, I'm not sure if she meant to do this, but I think the experience cured my fear heights so that was a bonus lol! Definitely would highly recommend!!! So much fun! It's a memory we'll never forget!

AMAZING, MEMORABLE, UNBELIEVABLE FUN! Thank you to my awesome instructor Binh. She made this…read moreexperience so enjoyable. She has a soft tone and won't make you feel stupid for asking questions. Her kindness and how she handled my very FIRST flight lesson made me feel so comfortable and most importantly CONFIDENT. I will recommend California Airways shouting from the rooftops! The other instructors I met were also equally awesome and cool! I can't wait to come back over and over and over again. Thank you so much

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.

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.

Dmitriy is a friendly and enthusiastic teacher who can be firm when necessary (e.g. when safety is…read moreat risk!). His approachable manner even convinced one of my friends to start her own flying journey. He also teaches instrument and Cirrus, which means I can achieve all my flying goals without looking for a new teacher at each step.

Best in the business! Two certifications, IFR and Commercial, passed both in on first attempt…read more Dmitriy is a great instructor!

Found this place because I needed to take my part 107 exam, I called a day before my schedule time…read morejust wanted to make sure they were open. The girl front desk(Katie) was able to help me confirm my exam date, and when I arrived she helped me check in and explained everything to me from how the exam work and what to do after. She also recommended me to take the flight class so I def will be back!

I was a member of this school for two years and do not recommend this school to anyone to start…read moretheir flight training. Very time-consuming and expensive with respect to the quality of their training. They don't provide any agenda and reasonable schedule and lengthen the training with many unnecessary steps and paperwork to make more money. Nothing noticeably better than other places.

My 8 year old son has taken three lessons with Paige and Isabela. The lessons are 2 hours and they…read moreare both energetic and fun that the time flies by. My son has made clothes for his build a bear, a stocking and the warmest blanket with his fabric from his favorite sports team. He has a hand me down machine that they are teaching him to use. The studio has every tool you could imagine and tools you didn't even know existed! A special note that we have done one lesson during the pandemic. It was one on one without the parent present. He is familiar with the studio and teacher so this was comfortable for us. Both my son and instructor wore a mask the entire time. The studio is well ventilated. But most of all, my son was so happy to create and do something normal. It really brought him a lot of joy.

I found this amazing studio back in 2013, i was pregnant of my first baby so i bought i sewing…read moremachine, i always want to learn how to sew, i've learn so much with Isabela, she is an amazing person and instructor, today still if i need advice she is there to help, she does this amazing workshops, i did the pijama one, and now during the lockdown can't wait for another great proyect even if is trhought zoom. I strongly recommend her studio for a beginners even for little girls.