I've been coming to Aces High for a while now, and I've gotten my private and instrument ratings so…read morefar, and there are too many good things to write in a review. When I first started attending this school, I didn't have any family or friends that were in aviation, so I didn't understand anything about the process. The owner, Sam, met me in person and went over all the details from beginning to end, and I was never pressured to sign up for anything. Sam was also always there when I needed him to help me with anything. I've met most of the instructors here, and all of them are nice and happy to help. My initial instructor, Luc, helped me get my first certificate and provided me with a solid base of understanding to build up on; he was also very patient with me even though I put him in interesting situations when I was a fresh student. My CFI-I, Geeha, has elevated my knowledge, helped me get my instrument rating, shared her passion for weather with me, and made me a safer pilot. The chief pilot Joy is always available to answer any questions or concerns. Maxi CFI-I was a great instructor, and she taught me a lot in the short amount of time that I spent with her. Flying is an amazing privilege, and getting the proper training at the right facility is crucial for a seamless experience. I would definitely suggest Aces High.

I recently passed my PPL checkride with Aces High, and I'm glad to have trained at a school that…read morecares about its students. I first did a discovery flight with another school in Fullerton, but the instructor demonstrated so many maneuvers that I ended up feeling nauseous. Some schools had programs that didn't fit my schedule, and other airports like John Wayne (SNA) often have long ground delays. I eventually chose to train in Long Beach--where I grew up--and it turned out to be a great decision. From day 1, the experience stood out. I met the owner, Sam Raymond, who was welcoming and down-to-earth. My first flight over the Long Beach harbor confirmed I was in the right place--the views over the training area are beautiful. Aces High's aircraft and instructor rates were also more competitive than many other schools. Aviation isn't easy, but it's very rewarding, and having the right support makes a big difference. Sam, Joy (Chief Instructor), and my main instructor Maxi M. were key in helping me pass my checkride. The school also has a great group of instructors--Chris, Luc, Grayson, Aston, Hilary, Sharon, Hannah, Mike, and Justin-- all great people to learn from.

If you ever plan to purchase Robinson helicopter parts from this institution, please forget about…read moreexpecting that you ever get your core value,that you pre-paid, back for your parts. This institution has a practice of never returning your money unless you remember to beg them for it. I call that a poor business practice.

If you ever want to impress someone give them a flight lesson to Catalina from Rolling Hills…read moreAviation!!! Rolling Hills Aviation has been around for over 30 years teaching people how to fly, fixing airplanes and providing tie down spots. This is a great place to stop in and talk about aviation even if you are afraid to get up in the air. It is also a great place to take your kids and watch the planes take off. Besides learning to fly at Rolling Hills, I had my wedding reception in the hanger.... great place to have an event!

I trained for my Commercial Multi with Instructor David Russell and check rode with Brandon…read moreKuchmecki and passed! The instruction was superb and the facility is top notch. Everyone I talked to and met were super friendly especially the staff. I'm glad I chose them for my multi.

I looked all over the country to find the right flight school to take my multi-engine rating. I had…read morerecently purchased a DA-62 and wanted to complete my rating quickly, but also get great training. I considered going to a standard ME school that was training in a Seneca or other traditional twin. But the pilot I purchased my Diamond from, an Airbus Captain for Delta Airlines, recommended I get type specific training and focused my efforts on a Diamond specific training center. That was GREAT advice! I called Angel City Flyers with my local flight instructor and drilled their Chief Pilot, Cary Jones, with questions about their ME program and syllabus. He impressed my local CFI/MEI and ultimately I scheduled a week to go work on my ME rating with Cary himself. It was awesome. When I first met Cary, I'd say he seemed quiet and reserved. He had a very natural way of teaching -- mostly asking questions -- prodding to find my weak areas in either systems knowledge, aero dynamics, or when flying. Like most single-engine pilots... I'd never shut down an engine in flight... not a great idea in a SE. So I had some nervous anticipation doing that for the first time in the air. But man, Cary is so sharp in the cockpit. After going through a solid ground briefing, and watching him demonstrate in the air, he made it all look easy... probably too easy of course! Anyhow, I had an amazing experience. Knocked out my ME rating fast... learned a ton in the process. The more I picked Cary's brain about emergency procedures and experiences he's had... the more I grew as a pilot. We also had some fun along the way ;) Oh -- and one final note -- training at LONG BEACH is awesome! Busy airspace that helps build your game as a pilot. Consistent cross-winds on 26L/R to help with your confidence on those... and a coastal practice area. For someone who flies in the mountains all the time -- this was epic!

Best place to take your FAA written exams as Ramy is extremely helpful, professional and friendly…read more Knocked out the FIA and AGI back to back, just ask him if you'd like to take more than one. Also, CFIs should def look into getting their spin endorsement here. Their Robin 2160 is awesome!!

I wrote (and passed) my FAA Private Pilot Written Knowledge Exam here. They could not have been…read moremore accommodating. They opened on Sunday, just so I could take my exam. Everyone was super polite and helpful the times I called with questions. The day of the exam, they were open, set up and ready for me. The exam takes a couple hours, so I appreciated the clean exam room and comfortable chairs. Great experience.

I first came across Air Combat USA back in the 90's as a customer where this was as a college…read moregraduation gift. In the mid-2000s, I began flying out of Fullerton Municipal Airport as a licensed pilot where Air Combat USA was based and owned and operated by Mike "Maverick" Blackstone (Sr). I became friends with Mike (Sr) and his son Mike Jr., call sign "Rocket" who is also a Flight Instructor, acrobatic pilot, and airline pilot as well so I had an excellent view of normal operations. Sadly, Mike Sr. passed away and his son, "Rocket", took over ownership and all operations and moved to Long Beach Airport while still flight operations remain out at sea over the channel of Long Beach Harbor and Palos Verdes. As a customer, if you enjoyed watching Top Gun, or you enjoy acrobatics or simulator dog fighting, this is the real deal. You will be fitted with a flight suit and other flight gear so you look and feel the part as much as experience being a fighter pilot. You will experience a pre-flight briefing where you will be instructed on your mission, an introduction to ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering) , and meet your assigned flight instructor who will be in the aircraft with you to keep you safe while allowing you to fly as much as you are capable of. Then comes the flight and multiple engagements with another customer with a defined hard deck above the ocean. Did I mention your instructor might likely be a former fighter pilot from the Navy or other armed services branch? So you are in good hands with "Rocket" and other Air Combat USA staff. Finally, there is the debrief after landing and an inflight cockpit video if you purchase that option that you will get to view and hear your communications. Air Combat USA is the real deal and so much fun. Barf bags come with the flight if needed. After my 3 engagement of 5, I had to use it missing the 4th engagement which I lost by flying straight and level only to comeback and win my 5th engagement to splash my opponent along with the first 3 engagements. I cant recommend Air Combat USA enough. It is so far above the ultimate video game, it will be one of the highlights of you life. Perfect for birthday, holiday, anniversary, and graduation gifts for families and friends.

This was one of the most amazing things i've ever done,I highly recommend it to anyone that loves…read moreto flyA+++++

I have not trained through this flight school, so I cannot comment on its overall training program…read more However, I have trained extensively with one of its instructors, Lucas, outside of the school as he has a side gig of nearly killing his students with his own private instruction. My primary concern is cockpit communication. In my experience, I found the instructor's spoken English difficult to understand, and communication between us was often challenging. While that may not be an issue for every student, I believe it became a significant safety concern during a takeoff incident. During the event, the aircraft failed to climb as expected, drifted substantially off the runway centerline, and I became concerned about maintaining control of the aircraft. The stall warning was sounding, density altitude was elevated, and I believed the situation required immediate intervention. I repeatedly told the instructor to "take the controls." instead of immediately assuming control of the aircraft, his attention was focused on adjusting the flap settings. This instructor knew about my thousands of hours of weight shift flying history and I had informed in great detail that I could be prone to dangerous mistakes due to faulty muscle memory that could surface under a stressful urgent situation.... Many controls are opposite fixed wing. The experience left me with serious concerns about cockpit communication and decision-making during time-critical situations. Aviation training depends on rapid, clear communication and immediate coordination between student and instructor when safety is involved. Based on my experience, I would not personally choose to train with this instructor again. I understand that this instructor theoretically was giving me a chance to correct the dangerous situation on my own before he took the controls, but I've never heard of an instructor refusing to take the controls when the student essentially insists I could've been having a medical emergency for all he knew. This is why it is insane for an instructor not to immediately resume control when the student urgently states take the controls you have the controls to an instructor This review reflects my personal experience and opinions regarding this instructor and is not intended as a statement about the flight school's other instructors or overall operation. But my understanding is, he's worked there for many years.... So I think they must have very low standards if they would employ a dangerous instructor like this.

Excellent experience! Having flown at several flight schools and flying clubs while earning my…read morePrivate Pilot license, I've learned [the hard way] what to watch out for (good and bad), and I had a good vibe about Beach Cities from the first time I walked into their office, to work on my multi-engine add-on pilot rating. Everyone I've interacted with there is friendly and welcoming and has been patient with my asking a million questions, as I tend to do! Many of their students have gone on to fly for the airlines, and most of BCAA's instructors were students at the school that were hand-picked to teach for them. Plenty of flight schools have big shiny signs and posh offices and are eager to get you to lock in and put down a ton of money buying overpriced block time, then they show no interest in the student's success, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Beach Cities runs a good fleet of well-maintained aircraft that they rent out by the hour, that could probably use a little paint work here or there, but all have recently-renovated engines and updated avionics, from what I've seen, and a very experienced staff that always makes me feel like they genuinely care about safety, professionalism, and about helping their students meet their goals. Thank you BCAA!

I just needed to leave a review of the Weston Figure Workshop with Mark Comon and Kim Weston. This…read morewas the best photography workshop I have attended. I learned so much, it was inspiring, the other photographers were amazing, and the models were phenomenal to work with. I have been attending classes and workshops for years at CPA, and always have such a great time, then forget to tell the world. If you are looking to really improve your skills, no matter what level, the Weston Figure Workshop is a must. Thank you Mark for all you do and how well you take care of your students.

Kenneth. Is. The. Man. I got an expensive camera 5 years ago from my husband after my son was born…read more I resigned to taking automatic pictures but felt "if we paid all this money, I want better shots." I've been thinking of taking the boot camp for a while, but decided to start slow with the "How to Shoot in Manual Mode Class." My only regret is that I waited so long. I tried using YouTube tutorials, reading articles, etc., but my pictures still weren't coming out anywhere near what I hoped. After this two hour class, my pictures have improved DRAMATICALLY. I'm so mad I waited 5 years to unlock the potential of my camera. I learned more in that two hours than the countless hours spent trying to learn on websites and tutorials. It's hands on, you can ask any question you want, you get to experiment, and they feed you! I mean, come on - snacks?! Sign me up! Kenneth was amazing. His energy was contagious, he was so knowledgeable, but he was able to teach in a way to make even the most photographically challenged students understand. His assistant Hector was so knowledgeable, too, and was available for questions. Per their recommendation, I'm going to practice every day and then sign up for more classes once it becomes more second nature. I cannot wait for my next experience here. Thank you, Creative Photo Academy, Kenneth, and Hector for the gift of creativity! Can't wait to see you again!

Just finished up my private pilot license with ACI and can't say enough good things about them!…read more Have received instruction from another local KSNA school, went through multiple instructors who always left as soon as they had enough hours for the airlines, making for a poor learning experience. It's a smaller operation at ACI, but that is a huge selling point. With the 2 other bigger schools at KSNA, you feel just like a number to them. At ACI, you are treated like family, and they care greatly about your success. Jackson, my main instructor, is extremely passionate about aviation and teaches students the skills they need to be a safe and knowledgeable pilot. Very comprehensive in-depth training, rather than just checking boxes in a syllabus. You will be well prepared for your checkride here! The quality of aircraft here is above any other school I've seen, and they are very on top of their maintenance and detailing. Have a nice fleet of Cessna 172S's, both 6-pack and G1000 versions. Have a few beautiful Cirrus SR22's as well. Pricing is right in line for the SoCal area, and I see other places charging the same but with high-time, older airplanes. Will continue to rent from them and enjoy my PPL, and also plan to work on my Instrument Rating with them in the near future.

I will forever be thankful to this school for helping with my training. The instructors genuinely…read moreseemed like they wanted to help you and the owner is always fun to talk to. The aircraft in their fleet are some of the nicest I've seen for a Part 61 school. I would definitely recommend doing your training here if you live in the Southern California area.