I'm currently working on getting my private pilot license at Riverside Flight Academy. The instructors and the staff are extraordinary. The airplanes are well taken care of and I feel like the school is well organized. The academy has a welcoming atmosphere and the instructors are very patient and kind which is essential when you're learning something new. This is definitely one of the best experiences I've ever had! read more

First and the best flying experience. Must try for anyone who loves to fly and they have awesome discounted rates. Tiffany was my instructor and it was great learning about all the controls and stuff . read more

Riverside Flight academy is a great school for students wanting to go commercial or recreational. Everyone at the school is professional and ready to help you achieve your aviation goals. Shout out to my Instructor Chad Olsen. read more

This place is amazing! This was my very first experience flying a plane and the staff at LSA made it very enjoyable. The first part was some simulator time with a takeoff and landing, basic control theory with Johan who is as patient and focused as they come. They have a Cessna Skycatcher and besides being a small nifty little plane, is stable, agile and took most of the anxiety away with all the instrumentation and easy controls on it. A 30 minute flight made it a complete experience, flying over lakes, groves, urban areas and contemplating the beauty of the Southern California mountains on a picture-perfect day. This is a great place with great instructors and a friendly, no-frills environment that I greatly recommend. Thanks to my wife for the perfect birthday present and LSA for the experience. read more

I've been flying at Riverside Airport on and off for close to 25 years now. Lately, that has been mostly "off" because there hasn't been much of anywhere fun to fly. The good news is that Light Sport Aviation is changing that! They're excited about flying and they have an interesting (and fun) airplane--with more to come, they tell me. You'll probably first meet Dave or JB, at the front counter; both are friendly and really positive about flying. I flew with Johan, and he was professional and patient. That was good, since I needed to work through close to seven years of rust on my flying skills. (When I said I haven't been flying much, I meant it.) They're flying a Cessna Skycatcher, which turns out to be a nice plane. It's easy to fly, with just enough challenge to make it a good trainer. It has great digital instrumentation, as well as plenty of outside visibility. I'm happy to have found someplace where I can enjoy flying, and a place I can recommend when people say they'd like to learn. read more

I've been going to Riverside Flight for some time now, my experience here has been amazing!!! The staff is super friendly and always there to help you succeed!!! They have great Groupon & Living Social deals to help give you a taste of the freedom of flight... Live life and go fly already!!!! read more

Riverside Flight Academy - C172- 1st flight with my lil man!! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Riverside, California

Just finished an introductory flight and my experience was amazing! The staff are extremely friendly and fun and the instructor, Johan, was top notch. He explains everything so well and is able to adapt to your personal skill level on the fly (no pun intended). I will definitely be back to start my Private Pilot's license with them. read more

My dad has a long bucket list of things he'd like to do. My mom found a deal and bought this for his birthday. He had a blast. Mike was very informative . He allowed my children to fly with their papa and Mike was very patient . read more

Riverside Flight Academy - Flight Instruction Near Me - Riverside, California

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Wonderful time! We bought my dad a flight lesson because he's always wanted to try it out. He had a wonderful time and is so happy he tried it out! read more

Found Riverside Flight Academy via Groupon. Did a flight over Lake Mathews practicing basic maneuvers and even some practicing out of a stall. Also, did steep turns with the instructor. Would suggest to anyone especially one who is interested in flying. They have information about their flight school should you ask about it. read more

Still a great spot. It's 'do-able' if you plan accordingly. Today I flew with Choi -who by my estimates is EXTREMELY thorough while at the same time being exceptionally professional. I recommend going with him, especially if you've never flown before because he goes over important details regarding basic procedures, simple applications, parts of the plane, what to expect, and 'what to do: ifs'. He made the experience pretty pleasant and I had a very fun flight. Looking forward to getting more hours and doing it again soon. read more

Riverside Flight Academy - Gettin' more time for practice - Flight Instruction Near Me - Riverside, California

Hello everyone ! It appears YELP is removing my REVIEWS !! This is the SECOND review that has MYSTERIOUSLY BEEN REMOVED!!! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN YELP!!! Your web site states no one can be PAID to remove reviews...Hmmm. I went to this place for a intro flight. The flight simulator was totally non responsive and the aircraft made a 90 degree turn off the runway. When we arrived at the aircraft no preflight was done. I got into the aircraft and relized I could not see over the instrument panel and assumed when we level out I would see fine. For the guy not to notice or not care means I would not trust these people to teach me how to fly. The only time I saw over the instrument panel was when we were descending to land. I did not take the control of the aircraft because I couldn't SEE over the instrument panel ! As far as Im concerned these people just take your money so they can add an hour of flight time to their records. Now lets see how long it will take YELP to remove this review... PM read more

I had been in a Cessna 172 as a passenger one time a few years ago, and it was then I knew that I wanted to get back up in the air. I set up my flight with Dave at LSA, and he was super nice, informative, and kept me updated on the weather conditions through the day before my flight to make sure it would be a pleasant experience. I did the Discovery Flight which included 15 minutes in the cool RedBird simulator, then about 30 minutes of actual flying. I expected to be able to take the controls for a few minutes during the flight, but much to my surprise I actually flew with guidance from Johan (the instructor) a majority of the flight! It was the coolest thing. Johan was very clear with directions, very patient, and a great teacher. I will be honest, the adrenaline rush made it difficult to relax, but it was the most amazing experience. I know that my next time in the air will be more relaxed as I feel so much more confident even after just one flight. I plan on taking more lessons, and LSA would be a great place to do it! I highly recommend LSA and the Discovery Flight. Remember to get the video ($10) so you can relive the experience and share it with your friends... they WILL be impressed! read more

Great place, very friendly environment. All the Instructors here are great and amazing people

I just returned from a Discovery Flight at Riverside Flight School. I have flown in the past, forty years ago. Career, marriage and growing children have filled my life until recently when I retired. I watched the first season of Flying Wild Alaska, and I became motivated to find out if I still enjoyed flying. I called Dave, and he was able to schedule me for a flight the next day. I had flown Cessnas in the past, and I wanted to try something different, so I chose the Piper Warrior for my flight. I flew with Johan, who let me do some of the taxiing out to the runway. He assisted me with the takeoff , and then let me do most of the flying for the forty minute flight, right up to the final approach and landing. After returning to the office, we had a short debriefing on the flight, and Johan logged the time in my logbook. The cost of the flight was very reasonable, especially considering the cost of gas these days. I was really amazed at how beautiful the Riverside area is from the air. You can see everything from 4000 feet. I now intend to continue flying and get my Private Pilot License for Single Engine at Riverside Flight School. The atmosphere is very laid back and friendly, and they answered all of my questions. The website is very informative. If you think that you might want to learn to fly, talk to Dave. For the Light Sport Aircraft license, they now have a Gobosh 700, which is a really sleek, sexy looking low wing aircraft. It replaces the Cessna Skycatcher referred to by other reviewers. It looks like it is doing 100mph just sitting in the hangar. Try it, you'll like it. read more

I've flown IN small planes before, but I've never FLOWN one--until today. My wife bought a discovery flight for my son and I as a gift. What an experience! Riverside Flight Academy is 5 Stars. Their staff and instructors totally rock! If you have been thinking of trying flight, but haven't, this is the place to do it... read more

Riverside Flight Academy - Flight Instruction Near Me - Riverside, California

I got my private pilot's license with RFA. Every instructor there I've flown with has been personable and patient, and I feel like I went out into my flying career well-prepared to be pilot-in-command. Scheduling and the like has generally been easy, and their rates are very reasonable. My only complaint has been with maintenance issues surrounding the planes that I happen to fly-- they have a 172 that is the backbone of the company, and that is always flying, but I decided to avoid flying it due to scheduling difficulty. The Cherokee and the Skycatcher, the two planes I'm checked out to fly in, have both had multi-month downtimes recently. (In the Cherokee's case, they did also give it a new interior, but it was down for six weeks before that.) I realize that maintenance is an issue that affects all flight schools, because of the nature of the GA fleet, but it's still annoying, and I want the review to be honest. read more

Well this was a fun experience. I had always wanted to take a flying lesson and now I know why. Skylar was nice and friendly and helped us as soon as we walked in. It was a little confusing getting onto the location, as there's no clear sign to walk through the gate from the street (the gate looked locked) but once you got in there, everything was great. Joe was our instructor and was very knowledgeable and friendly. He did a great job of explaining everything in the simulation room, and at the plane, both on land and on air. It's definitely a lot to take in if it's your first time, but my girlfriend and I had a great time. She was able to take some pretty great shots, including the vibrant green lake below as we sailed through the sky. The day was definitely hot and the wind made it a little bumpy though, so I would recommend going in the morning to avoid the heat as much as possible. Overall it was a great experience at Riverside Flight Academy, one that I look forward to repeating in the near future. read more

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Absolutely amazing! I got the discovery flight deal and as a first timer, I didn't know what to quite expect. The instructor Johan was very friendly and patient. He made the whole experience comfortable and easy to understand. Any worry that I might have had about not being able to fly a plane was put to rest through this experience. The simulator was very neat to get to use, and gave me a better idea of what to expect. The flight was amazing and I was even able to have a video made of it! The feeling of fight is truly exhilarating and I am looking forward to getting to go back and eventually get my pilot license. I will definitely return to LSA and recommend it to anyone interested in getting into flying. read more

Riverside Flight Academy is fantastic. The crew is exceptional, very accommodating. Anyone considering a launch into aviation, flying career, recurrent training, type ratings -- you can't do much better than this organization. Glad I've given them my business. And will continue to do so! read more

Great learning experience! Don't follow the Google maps directions. Make the turn on Arlington. Staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. I would go back. read more

Great place for flying airplanes and checking items off your bucket list. If you're in the area and have a dream of learning to fly an airplane this is the place to try out. Your discovery flight will be really affordable and will change your life forever. Think about all the opportunities if you had your pilots license!!! Getting it may be a bit expensive for the average person, but totally worth it. I had an excellent experience at Riverside Flight Academy! read more

This place was a joy to visit, super friendly staff, nice planes, and great instructors, if I had lived out here I would have gotten my training here, would highly recommend to any of my family and friends to receive training or simply an intro flight. I had no idea how beautiful Riverside was from the sky. I plan on going again soon. read more

Yep, bought a groupon for my son to fly, for his 21 st b- day. He loved it and they are really great people working there. I highly recommend this place. I even put up a flyer at my work that stayed posted an entire year. It's such a cool thing to be able to say you have done! read more

I should start by saying that I am afraid of flying, so much so that I took a container ship across the Atlantic ocean rather than fly back from a trip to London. That was seven years ago and I haven't flown since. That is until my girlfriend booked us for a discovery flight at Riverside Flight Academy. Amy (The instructor/pilot) was very understanding and even switched planes from the Piper Warrior to the C172 so I'd be more comfortable in an airplane that I'd had at least a little prior experience in. After a really fun and successful quick flight on their awesome Redbird sim, I was surprised that she let me taxi, take off, make the turns in the pattern including the final approach, and even perform the landing which was really fun. It made me rethink my fear of flying and what's more, it made me want to take lessons. read more

I am a long time pilot and as such I have to have a flight review ever two years.This year I chose Riverside Flight Academy. I have been in there several times before and Dave was always very helpful. Johan and Herbert are excellent instructors, great attitudes. Having the big flight simulator there is helpful as well. Prices are quite reasonable, I'd recommend them to anyone. read more

We got a deal through living social. Our first time and our instructor Asher was awesome! We had an amazing and cool experience! Highly recommend this place! read more

Like many people, I've dreamt of flying since I was a kid. Being in the pilot's seat, lifting off the ground and taking flight has got to be one of the biggest thrills I've experienced in a long time. If you're reading this yelp page, you are undoubtedly digging the idea of flying too. Rest assured knowing that when you soar with Riverside Flight Academy you are with talented instructors that you can count on to keep you safe. Now for the hard part...what to dream up next? read more

Thank you Riverside Flight Academy for the great experience! The facility is clean and welcoming, the planes are well maintained, manager Gabe is nice and flight instructor Allen is professional and enthusiastic. This is a great place to learn to fly! read more

I got my boyfriend a flight lesson for his birthday. This place is awesome and have already recommended it to friends and family. Everyone was so friendly. read more

Riverside Flight Academy - Mid flight. Passenger view of student pilot. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Riverside, California

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The staff were patient and personable. Would love to fly with them again.

Had such a wonderful experience here, that I will never forget! Eric was our instructor and he was very thorough, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. Eric made the process easy and exciting and I highly recommend requesting him when you go for your flight lessons-you can tell that he is truly passionate about flying. Thank you for such a great experience. Will definitely come back read more

Hello, I recently took an intro flight and was extremely disappointed! Not only was the simulator non responsive, I spent the flight looking at the instrument panel because it was over my head. Now for this instructor not to notice or not care makes me feel unsafe for them to teach me to fly. The only time I saw over the instrument panel was when we were descending to land. I did not take control of the aircraft because I couldn't see. I DO NOT RECOMMEND this school. Paul M read more

It was an experience you wish all your life to do, My Lady and I enjoyed it beyond belief, Sam our instructor was very good and patient with us. This is a get out there and do it! read more

I can't say enough great things about Riverside Flight Academy. I've been training with them for the past year and just received my private pilot. They were incredibly flexible with my schedule and always willing to help out with any questions I had after hours. The planes are well kept up and ready to go. Gabe, Hayley and the many others made this place a great start for anyone learning how to fly. Highly highly recommend!!! read more

Drove from lax to riverside. Johan was our instructor and we had a blast definitely going to return totally worth it

Instructor was really nice and very informative. If your thinking of learning to fly I would say come here mikes your guy.

This place was awesome! I bought my husband the one hour discovery flight and he had a great experience. Everything from booking the appointment to the actual flight was great! John (front desk employee) has great customer service and my husband's instructor Austin was very knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you Riverside Flight Academy for the great experience! read more

Riverside Flight Academy is truly "thee" place! My first observation... they will actually return your phone call. And that is almost unheard of at most FBO's today. They are professional and treat you with a genuine concern to assist you in obtaining your flight goals. My experience with RFA is that they are not there to take your money and sign off on a mediocre student. You will leave knowing that you earned your ticket or have become a better pilot after a few flights to knock off the rust. Riverside Flight Academy is worth a visit...good people are hard to find. read more

I purchased the Groupon deal offered for the introductory flying session. I was so excited about my first personal flying experience. My expectations were exceeded by Light Sport Aviation. Johan, my instructor, was extremely patient, easy to understand, and super friendly. As I woman, I wasn't sure if I would be completely comfortable in the setting, but I was more than comfortable. The simulator gave me a good idea of what the actual flight would entail. The actual flight consisted of about 30 minutes of air time over mountains, valleys, and Lake Elsinore. With absolutely NO prior experience, Johan encouraged me to take control of the plane as much as possible, and I believe I conducted most of the take-off, and some of the landing myself. What a confidence-booster! To top if off, they offered a DVD which recorded the entire experience! I would definitely recommend this top-notch company to any other fellow novice! :) read more