Specialized Aviation has been nothing less than an outstanding experience. The training here has exceeded my expectations, thanks to the quality of the instructors, the supportive atmosphere, and the overall standard they strive for. The facility itself and the people you will meet truly encompasses the spirit of aviation, creating an environment where both passion and professionalism thrive. Thank you Specialized Aviation Helicopters, would highly recommend checking it out. read more

See all

Amazing experience! Our pilot, Bill, is the best guide you could ever have-- very professional, knowledgeable of the area, attentive, clearly an expert of his trade yet very accommodating to his passengers. The tour was breathtakingly beautiful with the view of the coast, the city and the mountains. My boyfriend and I explored Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, the 17-mile Drive at Pacific Grove and saw all the wonderful sceneries and tourist spots of California's Central Coast. Our 60-minute aerial tour at Specialized Aviation wrapped-up our trip for us, the superb perspective from the skies being the highlight of our trip. read more

Specialized Aviation - I'm so happy I was able to capture the view of the mountains from the plane, as it was hard to do so during the drive - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

Safe, professional, and friendly. What else could you want? Oh, convenient location? Check Free coffee? Check Clean and nicely appointed waiting area, bathrooms, briefing room...? Check You get the idea. No need to look further. read more

Stephanie was our pilot for our San Francisco photography tour out of Hayward airport and she was super laid back but very professional! She really made the experience so fun and not so terrifying for our first time in a helicopter! We did doors off for a 6pm flight in early April, and we got so many incredible photos! She pointed out areas of city and even offered to circle around some spots so we could get more pictures! The price is 1000% worth it! I could use more exclamation points, that's how great it was! read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

Jacob is a phenomenal flight instructor. He made us feel comfortable and made all effort to make our flight memorable. Staff members are helpful and I would like to give a shout out to Andy, she was awesome and so kind and thoughtful . read more

See all

Surprised my boyfriend with an airplane flight for his birthday. Our pilot was very informative and he made our flight a lot of fun! It was a cool experience to overlook the beach. I will definitely be coming back in the future! read more

Specialized Aviation - The beach - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

Had a great flight with Paul. We had perfect weather with clear skies and calm winds. Our route took us from the Hayward Executive airport across the bay and into the south side of SFO from there we crossed the Bay Bridge along Embarcadero and on to Alcatraz. Then we went on past Angel Island and Tiburon to Golden Gate. Had great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and then on to Presidio and the Golden Gate Park. We saw Lombard, the twin sisters and Coit Tower, to them hover over the many interesting building in downtown and off Market Street. There were many twists and turns getting just the right angle for our photographs. Then we were on our way back following the Bay Bridge and played news helicopter for. But as there was a three car crash on the bridge with a massive traffic backup. We then flew over San Leandro and the surrounding hills over Cali State U and back to Hayward. The total flight was 60 minutes and it was just great as we could go as fast or as slow as we wanted. The team from Specialize was great. Booking was easy and the executive center was very nice and professional. Would recommend a charter with them any time! read more

Pilot Stephanie was fun, funny, knowledgeable, professional, and excellent in handling the aircraft and taking us in for closer looks when possible--even took us out to the Sunset district to spot a friend who was watching for us on his roof! Besides the simple value of seeing San Francisco close up from above, Stephanie added 100% to the experience. That said, the tour itself was fantastic. Recommended! read more

See all

The BEST! Our pilot Izzy was AMAZING! She gave us the briefing safety, kept the helicopter steady and level (no sickness). Beautiful views of Santa Cruz. Worth it, just book the flight. No regrets. Pilot was funny, engaging and pointed out the areas of interest. Best time ever! Thank you Izzy! read more

I bought one of the helicopter lessons as a gift for a friend and he absolutely loved it, he says Jacob was very friendly and helpful and he had lots of fun. read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

This was such an amazing experience all-around! I bought a helicopter flight as a gift for my husband. It was very easy to schedule, communication was great, and they made us feel welcome. The instructor, Jacob, was really professional not only in terms of flying the helicopter, but he explained everything perfectly. He also looked like he enjoys his job very much, which made it an even better experience. The office assistant was very nice and took care of me while my husband was flying. My husband was extatic and couldn't stop talking about his flight for hours that day :) read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

We were in Monterey for Thanksgiving weekend and while there we wanted to see if we could do a tour of the Monterey Bay down to the Bixby bridge in Big Sur. It was very last minute because we were leaving the next day and we didn't have any reservations, but Sierra was able to find us a pilot who could do the trip the same day. Very big thanks to Sierra and Mike who was our pilot. He was very kind and professional. He gave us the smoothest flight and made sure that we got to see all the landmarks that we wanted to see. We couldn't have asked for a better trip and we will definitely be coming back for another trip. We highly recommend this company for anything flying related in the Monterey Bay area. read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

The phone agent Thiago I spoke to was very understanding and accommodating when I got stuck in weekend SF traffic. Thiago also went above and beyond to communicate with the pilot, who was willing to reschedule my flight to a better time. Shoutout to the pilot Sebastian for being a good sport and for conducting a splendid, safe aerial tour of San Francisco! read more

Specialized Aviation - Bay Bridge at night - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

Extremely awesome SF Tour. Everyone was professional and polite. Made all the perfect accommodations for my proposal. She said yes!! and I couldn't be happier. Brendon was fantastic and calming of our nerves. A great and comfortable experience with amazing never before seen views. I couldn't have asked for it to be better. Thank you Specialized team. Super cool ride. read more

Specialized Aviation - Alcatraz, and Golden Gate Bridge - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

My wife and I would like to thank Specialized Aviation, Chris Gularte, Andy, Meleka and Sierra for our spectacular adventure. My wife coordinated our one-hour helicopter tour of the Monterey Bay/Big Sur coastline with Sierra, Meleka and Andy, all from flight operations. Due to inclement weather conditions our flight needed to be rescheduled and they immediately contacted us and kept us updated with alternative plans and options. Throughout this process, they were all friendly, professional and provided excellent service. Chris, our pilot was an excellent pilot, equally friendly and professional and very knowledgeable of the area. His narration was fantastic with history, facts and made you intimately aware of this area of California. Nearing the completion of the flight, he even landed at the former Fort Ord Army Airfield where I used to be stationed. We felt a sense of family, enjoyment and pride from all of them. We highly recommend them when planning any helicopter tours in that area. 5 STARS...AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!! read more

My wife got me the winery helicopter tour. While debating on timing, we have to say this experience was way more than what we expected. First of all, the Specialized Helicopter team was very patient in helping us plan and pick-up a date for our trip. It got confirmed at the airport, where the welcoming staff was super nice and explained the facilities and safety very patiently (BTW, great lounge to wait in). Then, Captain Chris took over and what a knowledgeable pilot but more importantly tour guide :) He described to us everything that was happening, what we were flying above, some historical facts about Santa Cruz, spotted few whales for us, etc... And what a nice way to arrive at the Eden Rift winery where everything was set-up for our wine degustation. Felt like being a rock star. The photos don't do justice to the experience. We have videos of the arrival, etc... It was epic! Will do it again and add it to the list of things for friends to do when in town. My wife and son have usually motion sickness but helicopters and the skills of Captain Chris made it for a super smooth ride that everyone enjoyed. One of the greatest gifts my wife surprised me with. read more

See all

We did the helicopter tour over the Bay to Santa Cruz and back. Fantastic views of the bay and the shore line. Our pilot, Paul was knowledgeable of the area and provided a narrative of what we were seeing. Looking forward to taking the Big Sur tour and maybe the winery tour. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Excellent business and people! We celebrated the 92nd birthday of a friend with a helicopter flight over our local area, Monterey Bay from Watsonville to Capitola. Competent and delightful Nick piloted the helicopter and made us feel safe, provided interesting information, including our speed and altitude and flew us over our homes. The trip exceeded expectations, the staff are intelligent and kind and concerned about safety. I would highly recommend this adventure. read more

Specialized Aviation - All smiles after our trip - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

we planned our trip around a flight with specialized, they canceled a week prior without providing any reasonable alternatives for their flights and really didn't show a lot of empathy for the problem they caused read more

We had an amazing experience taking the Big Sur tour. Nick was our pilot, he was well informed about the area, with pleasant conversation, very careful and asking us what way we wanted to go (if the clouds allowed us). We were given all the safety measures before the flight. We learned a lot about the area, it was fun to see the different coast lines. We highly recommend Specialized Helicopters, Nick and the Big Sur tour. read more

Amazing people & amazing work. Its hard to find companies doing gender reveal through aeroplane or helicopter in the Bay area. We were fortunate to find them. They really helped us in capturing a great memories for the lifetime. read more

Specialized Aviation - Its a Girl! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

Best people on Earth! Great personality is fine and intelligent. Very knowledgeable about planes and very knowledgeable about sarcasm which means they are very very smart. Helicopter ride intro was fantastic and chasing down a deer while doing. It was epic moving to Watsonville. Sierra and Nick were brilliant and supreme specimens of the human genome. Thank you all!! coming back. get ready!! (8-/ read more

Specialized Aviation - R22 Avionics Stack - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

This was a surprise for my fiancé's birthday. The weather made it challenging to plan but everyone I dealt with was super nice and very helpful. We were able to make it happen on his actual birthday during the window the weather would allow, thanks to our instructor, Jacob, and his fantastic communication and patience. Jacob was extremely knowledgeable and couldn't have been nicer or more personable to my fiancé as he lived out a lifelong dream. Thank you all, we will be back!! read more

Stephanie was an amazing pilot! This was a very cool flight and we got to see so many cool things like SF, Alcatraz, the golden gate bridge, angels Island, and the shipping port. Stephanie pointed out several other really cool landmarks including Peir 39, and some popular streets with unique designs, buildings, and stadiums. Highly recommend a flight here! read more

Went with my wife on the Big Sur helicopter tour- Absolutely perfect in any way you could expect. read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

What a special day with the folks from Specialized Helicopters! We celebrated our anniversary by taking a look at where we live from a different perspective. Joe, our pilot was great! Even though our flight was only 20 min, it was a view of a lifetime! We can hardly wait to do another tour south to Big Sur. Thanks again to our pilot Joe, and Sierra for making the day one to remember! read more

See all

My fiancé surprised me with a helicopter ride for my 25th birthday, Not only were the views to die for but the helicopter dropped us off and picked us up from a winery! Our pilots name was Paul. He's so freaking amazing and welcoming. If you are considering booking through them make sure you request Paul or don't even go. read more

See all

Mark was amazing! We had a great time and got to experience the bay in a way we had not before. Highly recommended. read more

Specialized Aviation - Flying over SF! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

Pilot Sathya is AMAZING. Extremely professional and great trainer. Joining private pilot license course with him soon. read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

I just want to update my review and mention that since covid closed many things down I have been able to work virtually, come back home, and resume my flight training at SH! They have a new CFI and he's the reason I changed my original 3 stars to 5! Brendan B. is a game-changing CFI. He is the best thing to ever happen to SH and me in 2020. Thank you, Brendan, for helping me grow a pair of brave and mighty wings. read more

So I was supposed to do this review right after the helicopter ride and forgot so I'm going to make sure to give them the review they deserve! I surprised my husband with a helicopter ride here after becoming a firefighter and he loved it! We were actually both able to go up and Brian was our tour guide/ helicopter pilot! Let me just say he was amazing!!!! Literally we had the best time ever and we loved it so much we are going to come back again and do the 60 minute ride. This time since it was both our first time decided to do the 20 minute ride although I do wish I would of just splurged for the 60 minute. We got to see the most amazing views of the ocean and the Santa Cruz coast! We even got to see a whale! And Brian was so amazing to take us around the whale so we could really see it swimming! I just loved everything about the customer service and the experience! If you are looking for an amazing adventure then check this place out! They aim to please! read more

My boyfriend gave me the most amazing surprise... helicopter ride in Monterey & Carmel!! How cool is that~ I feel so special and loved!! Just like those girls on Bachelor TV Show~ It wasn't scary at all. Since the weather is very calm, the helicopter is very steady. Specialized Helicopters provides excellent service. The pilot is fantastic! We have a female pilot, she is awesome!! She gave us great verbal tour about the area! We have fabulous time! Don't forget to bring your camera with you!! The view is priceless~ read more

See all

Joe was an amazing tour guide! My mom and I had a wonderful time touring Santa Cruz from the helicopter birds eye view. I recommend taking this tour to all my friends and family. The tour only cost 129$ which was very reasonable. I had a great time and I felt very safe. The helicopter was very clean and sanitized was well. So much fun! Thank you Pilot Joe! read more

See all

Amazing experience! Everyone is super nice, from booking the helicopter flight to the pilot. Everyone is friendly and very helpful. Mark Lozano was greaaat!! He flew us and made our experience a memorable one. We're doing this again cus he and the team were great! Thanks!!! read more

Specialized Aviation - SF downtown - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

I loved the Big Sur tour, it was so beautiful. The helicopter is very comfortable with AC, the pilot Nick was amazing. Very pleasant, fun and professional. It was a fun smooth ride, I would highly recommend it. It was a special surprise for my boyfriend and we both loved the experience read more

This was so amazing. The views were even better than I expected. I definitely recommend! Jacob was our pilot and we had a great time. read more

See all

We had such a great experience! I planned a proposal at the helicopter and a winery trip to Donum. The whole team was very helpful in making sure the proposal went smoothly. They called a few times prior to the trip to confirm every step of the proposal plan. When we got the the airport, they were very patient while we took a lot of photos as well. Mark was a great pilot. He had an awesome playlist and answered all our questions during the flight to the winery. When we arrived to Donum winery, we were greeted by ATV from one of their employees. The experience at the winery was amazing and the views were breathtaking. Mark waited patiently until we were ready to go back to the airport. Not once did we feel rushed. I definitely recommend this company. read more

I booked the golden gate tour for my boyfriends birthday, and it was incredible. The views were amazing and the flight was very smooth. Our captain Chris was excellent and took every step to ensure that we felt comfortable and safe. The only thing I would've done differently is carry some cash for a tip! I would highly recommend booking with specialized aviation:) read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

See all

Posted this review on 9/1/23, interesting how it needs to be reposted. I was told I had to book 2 seats (I weigh 103 lbs.) for a solo SF Golden Gate Tour helicopter flight based on hrly. rate and gas used used. The day of my flight Aug. 31, 2023, just prior to my flight (while at the Hayward Airport), I was texted by the pilot Andrew Atwell asking if it would be OK if another employee could come along for the ride since I bought 2 tickets and I'm the only passenger. There was no mention of reimbursement for my extra seat. I found the request quite rude. Andrew is mild mannered and there was no concern about his abilities as a pilot. Although based on the numerous restrictions for the flight made for a bad experience. The restrictions included birds over a portion of SF (none were seen), some haze/fog over the upper portion of the GG Bridge (which we never got near) and the Oakland Airport Tower, he said was not allowing us to go many places.. The pilot said he was aware of the restrictions which drastically reduced the flight area. With this knowledge, I should have been informed prior to the flight and given the opportunity to reschedule. The route consisted of leaving the Hayward Airport, going diagonally north along the SF bay by the sports venues, looping around (west then south) into a small portion of SF (not even to the GG Park, back down the portion of the bay we a had already seen, back across the bay to the Oakland Ship yard and back to Hayward. We never ventured into the bay near Alcatraz and Angel Island. The experience was wrong in every sense of the word, not as advertised, beyond lackluster, awful and cannot be recommended. read more

We had the BEST time on our helicopter flight over Santa Cruz. Our pilot, Elena was knowledgeable of the area and very informative. She was also very patient with our 9 year old son who had LOTS of questions. Definitely recommend and can't wait to go again! read more