Full disclosure: I'm a member and you can be too!…read more This place is too much of an awesome secret to not put on Yelp for those interested in aviation as a hobby or career. Short of owning your own aircraft, this is the most affordable way to learn to fly or if you're already a pilot --- the most accessible and inexpensive way to rent an aircraft. The WNYFC (Western New York Flying Club) is a not-for-profit corporation whose goal it is to make flying as accessible as possible. It works like this: you pay around $105/mo and you get access to 3 aircraft. You also need to pay a one-time joining fee of $600 (if you're a student pilot, you start with $350 and then pay the remainder of the balance once you get your ticket). They give you the keys to the aircraft and you can sign them out on your own accord by reserving them via an online system. All 3 aircraft are Piper low-wing planes. One is reserved for students to train on and the other two are for pilot's who already have their ticket. They can cruise a little faster and are a little more comfortable. It's too bad they don't currently have a high-wing airplane or anything with a variable-pitch propeller for faster cruising, but hopefully in the future they will at least add a Cessna (the web site is incorrect currently which lists 4 airplanes, but the Cessna is RIP). Rental fees are based on tach hours, not hobbs time which basically means that you won't be paying rental fees while the airplane is taxiing -- only measured by the RPMs of the engine. You're responsible for putting the plane away, taking it out and you're basically a co-owner of these planes while you're a member of the club. The fees you pay are what it costs to maintain them. This means that you can show up on work nights, help change the oil and learn a little bit about aircraft maintenance while connecting with other pilots. You're also responsible for wiping the bugs off and taking pristine care of the aircraft while you fly. As part of the club, there are currently three active CFI's who give lessons to students at $50/hour. There is Bob Smith (my instructor) who is a CFII and is certified to give you instrument training, Jeff Carrick who is a CFI and John J (who is also a CFII). I've reviewed my instructor separately if you're curious. In summary, if you're looking to learn to fly or are an active pilot who flies at least 3-4x a month, the flying club makes financial sense. You save a lot in renting fees and the process of taking an aircraft is easy as pie. You can even take one out for 7-days once a year if you want to fly somewhere for an extended period of time. If you fly for 5-8 hours, but take the aircraft out for 7 days...you'll only be charged for those hours spent flying and there are no fees for taking the aircraft out of service. You're only allowed to take it out for 7-days once a year without the board's approval, but if weekend trips to nearby towns are your thing, you're free to reserve the plane for a weekend as many times as you want. Cool club -- I'm grateful we have something like this in service in WNY.

At the beginning of April, I made the decision to pursue a private pilot license. I love traveling…read moreand I figured that having the certificate would allow me to access destinations in a shorter period of time and combine my love for adventure and freedom as well as test my resolve and commitment to a new and arduous hobby. Every spare weekend and evening that I've had has been dedicated to flight training at the Lancaster Airport with my trusty instructor, Bob Smith (Robert C Smith). I found him through the Western New York Flying Club, which is a non-profit flying club whose goal is to make flying affordable and accessible to all. For $100/month, which covers insurance and maintenance of the planes -- you get to access their fleet of four airplanes practically at-cost for what it would cost you to own them yourself. You're basically a co-owner of these planes, along with all the other club members. The result? Much cheaper flying and instruction. As part of the club, there are a few CFIs -- those with a certified flying instructor rating who can help you on your journey to get your license. Bob Smith is one of those. A retired guy who has saved my life in the process of training, now...on at least on a few occasions. What I love about Bob is that he will let you make mistakes pretty ruthlessly as you learn to fly (it is a part of the process!), but he always keeps you safe as he's able to judge very accurately those moments when it's absolutely necessary to recover from that mistake. The result? Fast-paced learning. I've logged about 12 hours of flight time with Bob so far and last week celebrated a milestone of my first landing where he didn't manipulate the flight controls at all. No, it wasn't exactly a solo flight, but he didn't touch a thing. I was super proud of that and I'm grateful to have Bob as my instructor. His rate is $50/hour and you must belong to the club in order to access the trainer (unless you have access to a plane of your own), but joining is pretty simple and painless. It will save you lots of money in the long run as opposed to going to a traditional flight school. Another plus? It's super flexible as opposed to a flight school. He's available most weekends and you can schedule a few lessons at your schedule's convenience. I wish Bob would utilize a syllabus a bit more. The lessons feel a bit unstructured at times, but they do all come together. At first I was worried that "I wasn't learning," but after completing that "unassisted" landing in a Cessna 172, I'm 100% singing my praises for Bob. If you're considering pursuing a pilot's license, definitely look into him as one of your options!

I went up for a discovery flight with one of their instructors, Stephen Rhinehart at the end of…read moreApril and I loved it! It was wonderful to get an aerial tour of Niagara Falls and get an introduction to flight training. Before setting up the flight, I gave them a call and talked to Patrick Finnegan -- the owner of the school who remained accessible and was patient with my questions. He then connected me to Stephen and we took our discovery flight in the school's Piper Cherokee airplane. The flight took me with an aerial view over Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. I witnessed the sun set while getting instruction on communications, straight and level flight and more. It still remains one of the most memorable flights of my life. If you're considering flight training or have an interest in airplanes in general, I would recommend giving these guys a call and setting up a discovery flight to see if aviation is something you're interested in. The school is based out of Lancaster and they have a structured program in place akin to Part 141 schools, although it's technically a Part 61 school which will give you a little more flexibility in your training.

What an incredible ride around buffalo! I highly recommend trying it out this summer. Can choose…read morebuffalo, Niagara Falls, or both. Such a different and beautiful way to see our amazing city. Everyone that I spoke with was so friendly,and they were accommodating about scheduling a time. Can't wait to go back again!

I had purchased a Groupon for Niagara Falls helicopter tour for our family. Mike was very friendly,…read moreaccommodating, and professional. He's an extremely good pilot and the tour is amazing! The views from the air are magnificent! I would strongly recommend the fly buffalo team and the Niagara helicopter ride! It is 20-25 min ride that's once in a lifetime, memorable, thrilling and unique experience!

my nephew can not stop talking to his friends how good mr…read morepete was telling him how to fly and what to do he was just like his teacher did not stop teaching from take off to landing and wants to go back as soon as uncle wally will pay for another lesson great job pete

From the owner: P&L Air owner, Peter Lockner, has been a private flight instructor since 1986. After graduating…read morewith a master's degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, he went on to become a well-known single-engine, multi-engine and IFR-certified instructor in the local aviation community. With over 11,500 hours of flight time and experience with over 100 models of aircraft, P&L Air can help you get ahead in the field of aviation.

This is a fantastic little regional airport in Akron, NY -- used mainly for general aviation and…read moreflight instruction. For flight instruction, there are a number of planes for rent here: including an old 47 tailwheel Aeronca Champ (which is a bargain to rent at something like $78/hour) and a Warrior for instrument/PPL training. This is one of the only places to rent a tailwheel airplane in the WNY area, so if you're looking to grab a tailwheel endorsement -- Akron Airport should be one of your first stops. They also have hangars for rent here starting at around $200/mo -- I have no experience renting one, but call them for availability/information. What I love about Akron Airport is the community mindset. You can go into the main office and catch a lot of pilots eager to talk aviation. The mechanic onsite (Kevin Rose) is very friendly and open to helping others learn. There is also quite a few warbirds at Akron Airport -- from a Stearman to other beautiful airplanes. If you're interested in these airworthy relics of the past (and want to fly them!), look into becoming a member of the Buffalo Heritage Squadron -- for a $250 annual membership, you can help preserve old airplanes of the past. If you live nearby, Akron Airport is a great stop for flying lessons and if you're a pilot and want to fly in and check them out -- be sure to do so!

It is cool I like air place because they take off at the runway and landing.i like to water flowers…read moreand pulling .

Totally awesome flight! Devoted ample driving time to the heliport but nevertheless traffic…read morecongestion ensued. Staff were very courteous in booking me on the last flight which was also a staff training flight. An extra bonus, as I was the sole passenger and had ample room to stretch out. A delightful experience that I would highly recommend.

The staff fit us in with no reservation. They were accommodating and very helpful. The pilot and…read moreequipment were very professional and operated smoothly. We took the 20min flight for a reasonable price with a great tour with excellent choice of scenery. Started out our 22nd anniversary week with this activity and we would highly recommend it.