The SO kicked off President's Day/my birthday weekend with a surprise air tour via North Coast Air! What an experience and one I will always remember! North Coast Air (NCA) is located within the Charles M Shulz Sonoma County airport, and offers both flight lessons and scenic tours over Santa Rosa. I believe the SO purchased the tour through Groupon for a 2PM appointment. Our commute to Santa Rosa took longer than expected due to high traffic. We were able to call NCA and spoke with Erin to notify them of our delay and they happily accommodated us. We finally arrived 1.5 hours later (sorry!), and were able to take the 3:45 tour. Upon arrival, we checked in at the office where there are three super adorable labs hanging around. If you're allergic, please stay outside as there is dog hair everywhere. Not sure about how sanitary that is, but I like dogs so I'm biased. Derlin was our pilot, and he walked us through on a map what we were doing before even getting in the plane. With my nerves, I really appreciated the run-down. We got in the air and as we banked over Bodega Bay, I was actually able to fly for a little bit! For a first-timer, it was nerve-wracking but exhilarating! Overall, the tour was informative and I liked that Derlin was thorough in giving us a heads up of what's next while in the air. Definitely a must-see! Will do again! read more

North Coast Air - Tours Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

I'm a pilot in the San Diego area and had a great time flying last week with CFII Dwight in NCA's PA-28. Nice, scenic flight north of Santa Rosa, including over Clear Lake. I've shared the video here. Greatly appreciate the help from Emily at NCA in scheduling my flight. I enjoyed meeting and talking with the owner Rob. Was a treat seeing the NCA dogs in the office. All a really good crew at NCA. I'll be back in the coming year to fly around the area more. read more

This flight school insisted that my spouse present a passport before they would answer the most basic questions about flight training. Now, I understand that after 9/11 that proof of citizenship or legal residency might be required to sit in an airplane, or participate in ground classes, or even to sit in a simulator and make airplane noises. However, as an attorney I question the validity of the claim that to answer questions like "what planes do you train in" or "what avionics do you have installed" the school needs proof of anything. Furthermore, my spouse said she would feel more comfortable with a female CFI. Many women in classes have felt the same way and appreciate a teacher of the same sex. The owners response was to declare that "you'll get the instructor we give you." No, see actually we won't. Instead the $28000 cost of a PPL and IFR endorsement will be going to a school that doesn't offend people five minutes into the first interaction. Im sure the ever growing population of misogynist boomers will keep them in business. Everyone else go someplace better. read more

Terrible experience. I wish I listened to the reviews of Rob's hostility. His anger overshadows reasonable treatment of paying customers

I can't say anything about the quality of the flight instruction, but Rob, the test proctor at this facility for PSI exams is extremely rude and hostile. I thought it might be me until I saw other reviews saying the same. Avoid this testing facility unless you want to be treated like a criminal by someone who has zero understanding of how to communicate. read more

I got my private pilot certificate through North Coast Air and can't recommend them highly enough. From the friendly, professional staff to their well-maintained fleet they run a top-notch operation. If you're in the North bay and planning to become a pilot, or just want to try a discovery flight to see what it's all about you need to check out NCA (and their super-friendly canines) -- they're the best. read more

Bought a Groupon for a scenic flight for 3 from Charles Schulz Airport for a 45 minute flight. Great experience! As we were taxiing to the main runway, I said to the pilot that the instrument panel looked just like a Cessna 172. He said it was a Cessna 172. I said I've flown this plane on my Microsoft flight simulator on my computer. When we headed west to the coast overlooking Bodega Bay, he handed me the controls. It was so much fun flying and wasn't too much different than the simulator. My kids had a blast too! I'm thinking about taking flying lessons at North Coast Air and earning my wings. The pilot was very knowledgeble and friendly and pointed out things along the coast as well as a buddhist temple. read more

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Extremely unprofessional, from the seven huge dogs wandering around the office making it look more like a kennel to the owner removing avionics from an airplanes without being qualified to do so then wires arc'd on final approach welding the carb heat cable frozen. So lucky it wasn't 3 inches to the right arc welding the the throttle cable. I had a good instructor there but it wasn't very communicative. I think he was unhappy with one lesson when I complained that there was no radio in the plane ( full price but radio was removed) and my instructor always using a handheld so I couldn't hear any of the tower calls. and also it was hard to practice accuracy landings at night. After I texted him saying that I want to fly during the day, he ghosted. me. I texted 4x.called him and left a message but never heard a word back.. If he didn't like me he could have at least told me why he ghosted me. Airplanes are a beat to s***. Really unprofessional unsafe culture which is incompatible with aviation in my opinion read more

I had my first experience today with a business owner and I cannot remember a router more unprofessional man. He was not only verbally but also physically confrontational with my friend who is a pilot of long-standing who trained to wipe the windshield off with clean water in a paper towel. Instead of simply instructing us on proper windshield care he yelled and kicked us off the property. I don't fly planes but if I did I would never fly any of his planes. A complete asshole. read more

Really disappointing experience. I scheduled a standardized exam at North Coast Air to renew a certification. I mention this as I was not there for recreational flight tours or in-flight lessons. Upon arrival the front desk staff member was cordial. However, the lobby had 3-4 dogs roaming around and everything was covered in dog hair. I'm not against animals in any way, but the lobby is maybe an 8x10 room, a place of business, and it just seemed odd to be filled with dogs in tight quarters. There were no service jackets to suggest they were service animals, just pets. My Proctor, Rob, seemed nice enough at the beginning. But he grew quite ornery in a hurry. He made a mistake with his calendar and thought I was someone else, which caused him some extra computer work and he quickly seemed disgruntled. Before moving to the testing room I was instructed to empty my pockets of all belongings, I asked to take them to my car and I was told to leave them on counter (which I didn't feel very comfortable with as it was my wallet, cell phone, car keys, all in public reach for anyone else who walks in the lobby). He rushed through the introduction and seemed very dismissive about the exam as a whole. After the exam, part of the Proctor's duty is to review the missed questions. He was relatively helpful with the first two and then when I had some questions about some of the exam answers, he became visibly ornery and wanted to just expedite the whole process. It got to the point where I didn't even feel comfortable being in the room due to his attitude. We walked back to the front lobby, I went to pick up my belongings (car keys, wallet) and Rob literally yelled at me "DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING." I was extremely rattled and confused, especially at the nature and level in which he raised his voice. I replied "I'm sorry, these are my things..." he then yelled again "DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING UNTIL I SAY SO AND FINISH YOUR FORM." Way overboard on the yelling. I learned later on that you can't pick anything up until after you sign off on your results. With that being said, there was zero excuse for the hostile communication. If you are coordinating through PSI to take an airmen certification, I highly recommend looking elsewhere. There are locations in Concord, Angwin, and Vacaville that are much more suitable. I took the original test a few years ago in Vacaville and it was smooth and professional. This office was a horrible experience and the Proctor acted as if the UA airmen industry was beneath him and not worthy of his time. I missed the passing score by 1 question, so I recently re-took the exam at the Angwin location and it was a WAY BETTER experience. The proctor at the Angwin location was thorough, professional, and cordial throughout. He was detailed in everything he was doing. The location was clean and orderly. Had I received the proper introduction in a suitable environment the first time, I probably would not have had to re-take the exam. Bad experience, will never go back or give referrals to this establishment. read more

My family got my Dad a scenic tour (from Groupon) for Father's Day. He really seemed to enjoy it! They flew over the Russian River as well as saw some massive purple temple that (from the photos) looked to be in the middle of no where. The tour lasted about half an hour or so and they got to leave in a wicked looking Cessna (so jealous!). The pilot was great and so were the staff (also pilots). Everyone definitely seemed to enjoy the tour. I wasn't too bored either on the ground.. they have a nice little lounge area with snacks (you pay a small fee) and newspapers to keep you busy while waiting. They do offer flying lessons as well. All in all, great tour, great staff. Wish it was closer to home so I could take them up on some of those lessons.. (: read more

I normally don't write long negative reviews but unfortunately this one seemed necessary after the treatment I received from this company. I called North Coast Air on Thursday 5/7 to schedule a written exam for the FAA knowledge test. I spoke to Rob Clark, who is the president of North Coast Air, over the phone on two separate occasions. Having worked in customer service for 11 years I always try to be polite and understanding to whoever is providing me a service. I have never been treated with such unwarranted disrespect by a business before in my life. Rob Clark has the worst communication skills I've ever encountered and after reading some of the other reviews on here I'm surprised that he hasn't looked into any self development in this area. My first interaction was calling to see if North Coast Air was testing during the COVID-19 Shelter In Place. Rob answered and let me know that they were. He asked me what endorsement I had to take the test. I informed him that I was endorsed by a Certificate of Completion through an online course. He responded to this by laughing at me in a condescending tone with a sarcastic "OK..." as if my endorsement wasn't good enough. He then asked when I wanted to test. I asked what days and times were available for me to schedule. To this he repeated in a very abrasive manner "I will repeat myself, you tell me when you want to test." I responded to his statement asking if tomorrow at two in the afternoon worked. Rob then let me know that he didn't have any openings until Monday and that he was in the middle of a lesson so I needed to email him in order to schedule a time on Monday. This would have been good information to lead with. I got off the phone and emailed Rob asking to set up a time on Monday. After not getting a response for two days I called back today on Saturday 5/9, to see if he got my email. Rob let me know that he did and to expect to test on Monday. I was excited at this and asked what time. Rob responded to me with "I am a very literal man. If I tell you to expect to test on Monday, then expect to test on Monday." I was caught off guard with this comment as Monday is a very large window of time. I let Rob know that I was scheduling my day around this test and asked if he could give me a smaller block of time to keep free. Rob responded to this by threatening, "I told you to expect to test Monday. I did not give you a time yet. If you ask me "what time?" one more time you will expect not to be testing on Monday. Is that understood?" I couldn't believe that I was being threatened and treated in this manner after asking very reasonable questions regarding an appointment scheduling. I bit my tongue and decided to quickly get off the phone. I then proceeded to schedule my test at another local facility that was able to give me a date and time in less than 5 minutes. I do not recommend North Coast Air for anything school or training related. If this is the example set from the top down, I can't imagine what it would be like trying to learn to fly here. read more

I have flown all over the United States and rented aircraft from many different companies so I feel I'm qualified to say that North Coast is hands down the absolute best of the best! I have rented from them many times and received training for additional ratings, each time has been a pleasant experience. Their common sense approach to instruction and commitment to quality fleet maintenance provides the public with truly professional staff and top notch airplanes. Safety, professionalism, and fun is the company's mantra so whether you are interested in learning to fly or just looking to enjoy a scenic tour of beautiful Northern California, THIS is the place where memories are made! The prices here are very much in line with industry averages but they are an absolute bargain when you consider that excellence is never cheap. I'll be back many more times. read more

This is my first time splurging on any group activity past wineries, but I actually didn't worry. The prospect of being IN a plane ABOVE the skies for 3 PEOPLE + the pilot == utter bliss for Sal! You could say that I literally drove Sal up north just so that he could experience this! :) The plane is a training plane actually - better, because once we were past the Odiyan Buddhist Monastery, Sal took the wheel and started to fly! He was thinking of doing some loopty-loos but he saved me from my intense motion sickness ;) (kidding!.. half) Anyhow, I used a Groupon for this deal and it was such a great experience. I loved seeing the golden and black labs that they had in their office. They believe in recycling and I can feel the family atmosphere. Our flight was originally booked for 10am but the clouds looked shady, so my pilot, Bill, called me at 830am to let me know that it might not happen. On the other hand, he kept in touch with me all day and we got a flight in at noon from a cancelled group. Yay! :) It all worked out! read more

Learning to fly is a challenge like few others. You can not do it alone. Your team requires an experienced instructor, a dependable airplane, and a supporting cast to handle the details of keeping you headed toward a successful checkride. North Coast's super-power is their commitment to me - the student. Every time I grease a sweet landing in 22Golf, I thank my CFI (Candice) and NCA for getting me here. Kirk (Solo'd 11-06-19) read more

Amazing Service from Robert the owner & North Coast Air...we couldn't flight because of weather conditions however they treated us very well and we will be back again for the full experience! Thank You ! Best Service read more

Bill was our pilot. Very friendly, easy to talk to, and funny as well. He's been flying for 30 years. Everything went smooth and the scenery was amazing. There were some low clouds on the coast, so we weren't able to get a very good view of the ocean. I was mainly excited to see the Odiyan Buddhist Monastery, which is the point in the tour in which the plane turns back. Flight was a good length of time, I was getting a little motion sickness so I'm glad it ended when it did. Also, in their office, they have two beautiful labs and for now a playful 5 week old kitten. I played with her for a little while. :) read more

North Coast Air - Odiyan Buddhist Monastery. - Tours Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Got a groupon for a flight on here that was so beautiful! Our pilot, Bob, i think, was his name, was so great! He probably thought we were the most boring passengers because my brother & my boyfriend were so quiet & I got stuck with a headset that didn't work. The sights were beautiful. But I would suggest going at an earlier time, we went around 4pm & it was so hot in the jet. read more

Amazing place to be! After being at this place, you feel like you are at home. Excellent customer service, amazing staff and people, Experienced pilots and the best thing - they treat you like no one else will. Take a scenic tour over the Sonoma country - Its the best bet. read more

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Bought a flight for three from Groupon. Arrived, and it was a little weird. We didn't have to sign waivers or anything, and the staff was somewhat disorganized, even though we had scheduled this weeks prior. When the pilot came out to walk us to the plane, he was '"less than cheery", considering he was doing a tourist flight, I would have expected a lot more enthusiasm. Plane was small, noisy... of course we had to wear the headphones to hear him, or communicate. The plane was so small in fact, I was glad the other passengers to my event were small. I can't imagine 4 medium sized adults fitting into this plane. The tour was "okay". Yes... just- okay. For $180.00, you get about a 35-40 minute flight to the coast, and back to the airport. That's it. A few times the pilot would show us a tourist spot, such as the Buddhism temple, or the Russian River, but most of the tour was just looking out the window. I've done many flights in the past, on big planes and small. This one was very mediocre. Not worth the $180 Groupon SALE! I can't say it was a terrible experience, but I can say this... personality in a tourist attraction is at least 50% of the fun... We tipped the pilot for his time, not for his wealth of information, or his high energy personality. read more

Went on an air tour with an amazing pilot @ North Coast Air. She was just the perfect balance of professional and yet made things super fun. The hour long flight through Sonoma Vineyards, the Russian River to the Pacific was breathtaking. It was the highlight of our visit. Thanks for making our trip so fun. read more

I had scheduled an introductory flight lesson weeks in advance but they canceled it when I got there because the visual conditions were poor. I had checked the weather forecast a few days prior and it didn't look good, so I called and the woman I had talked to on the phone said that from the information she had, it looked like it would be a perfect day and I should not reschedule. She assured me that she would call me ahead of time, the day of, to let me know if the weather wasn't good because we were driving 2 hours to get there. They never called. When we arrived, the man who was in the office kept going back and forth between "not today" and "let's wait and see". First he said the flights were canceled, then he made a phone call to the the instructor, checked the weather forecast, and told us to come back in two hours. We said we would go down the street to get breakfast and before we left, he clarified that he wanted us to call rather than come back in. The weather did begin to clear up but when we called him he told us it wasn't going to work out. I knew when I booked the lesson that I'd be at the mercy of the weather and it may not work out, but my problem is that the two people I had communication with at North Coast Air were completely incompetent. read more

I got my pilot's license training at North Coast Air. The school has the most competent instructors in Sonoma County and in the country. My Dad Art is Master Chief Flight Instructor who taught me, and numerous people over 30 years how to fly. I have also flown with numerous other instructors over the years - I love the staff, and people who come here. Friendly people all around. Encouraging "you can do it!" attitude is the vibe. If you're looking to train or accelerate in the field, it's a great place to go! (Oh, and the scenic air tour for non-pilots is a memorable experience most people love!) :) read more

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Don't let the down home appearance (complete with lovable airport dog) mislead you. This is one of the most professional outfits I have seen in my 42(ouch!) years of flying. The flight instructors here are some of the most qualified I have ever seen. Lots of old-timers with military and airline experience and very high endorsements from professional flight instructor's organizations. There are younger guys and gals also but unlike a lot of schools, there is no arrogant attitude, no hokey epaulettes or leather jackets. The customer first attitude is very refreshing. read more

They recently moved, so perhaps call ahead. There is some new development and hangar construction happening at STS, so it is worth a call first. I did a written airmen test via CATS at North Coast Air. I've also flown their planes. Rob and Erin run a nice operation, keep well maintained aircraft and run a friendly operation. I always look forward to seeing them! read more

Found a deal with Northcoast Air on Groupon for a flight for three. I had never been on a plane before so it was pretty exciting. Got to see Sonoma County from a perspective I'd never had. Our pilot was very friendly and knew what he was doing. I definitely would recommend taking a flight with this company to anyone. read more

Where do I start?! This was SO much fun and beyond gorgeous! We really lucked out on a beautiful day in February (everything was so green!) For a Sunday noon flight, it was a 2 and a half hour tour of where I was born and raised, plus the first time my 6 year old has been in a small plane! We made some really great memories that will last forever!:)) Our pilot was amazing!!! We experienced no turblelance, I get motion sickness in helicopters and sometimes small planes but I was fine. :) The pilot was friendly and informative, he went above and beyond and I sincerely appreciate good customer service! I will definitely be doing this again!!! My son even left wanting to be a pilot! Lol! My favorite part was flying over the coast...seeing the birds eye view of my favorite beaches...but the total highlight was my son's face!!! Smiles for miles. :) I also felt extremely safe and everyone at North Coast Air was friendly, extremely competent and welcoming. Definitely going to do this again!!!! read more

North Coast Air - One of the many beautiful views from the sky!! - Tours Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

When we got there, the office was closed wth a note saying that or pilot would be back at 3 for our tour. By the time the pilot got back from his previous tour, and finished our paperwork, we didn't get into the air until 3:25, and we landed around 4:05. From my understanding, the tours were supposed to be around 45 to 50 minutes. Before we had taken off, the pilot had told us the office was closed due to the owners having a party...which the pilot was going to attend after our tour. I couldn't help but feel as if our tour was cut short because he was trying to get to the party. The tour itself was a lot of fun and very smooth. read more

So my bestie from college and I decided to go and take an amazing girls getaway weekend in Sonoma County, and this flight was one of our stops! Can I just say what an absolute pleasure NICK the pilot was!! He was super awesome and very knowledgeable about how to fly the plane and showing us so many BEAUTIFUL places in california that i have NEVER even seen before! and i Live here! Nick was also incredibly good at flying the plane, we never felt it lift off or land and the whole riding was absolutely smooth!!! I WILL COME BACK!!!!! You guys are awesome! read more

This is a great place -- it has a great reputation in town and among local pilots. They do flying lessons and scenic tours of wine country, coast and surrounding area. I have been coming here for 2 years and have found the people here to be good at what they do, friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. read more

I surprised my hubby with a scenic tour with North Coast Air for his birthday. I can't say enough how much we enjoyed our hour flight over the Russian River, Bodega Bay and the beautiful views of Santa Rosa has to offer. Our pilot was very cool and easy going. From start to finish the whole process was easy and totally fun. I lucked out and found this deal through groupon. Even if I didn't find this killer deal, I'd still pay full price for this scenic air tour. read more

They have some of the best flight instructors in the nation including one that specializes in Mountain Fly-Ins. I was treated like royalty during my Wine Country Tour. Their office is great. Full of nice people and happy dogs. What more could you ask for? read more

Earned both my private pilot certificate and instrument rating from North Coast Air. They have full range of aircraft to fly and excellent flight instructors. Great place to learn to fly and what beautiful country for a scenic flight as well. I love to fly locally and I always rent from North Coast Air. read more

Great experience here. I finished up my Privet Pilot license here after a disappointing start at another school. I was comfortable with the instructors and the equipment from my first flight with them and was able to progress quickly. The only thing that I couldn't accomplish here was a tail wheel endorsement, but no other schools in Sonoma county were set up for it either. read more

a great experience to fly in a small plane much closer to ground and see the sights--Rob is wonderful--great to hear the interaction between pilot and tower--both the inhouse staff and dogs are wonderful read more