Vista's maintenance department did a Cessna panel and autopilot upgrade for me. All Garmin equipment installed. They were as fast as anyone else was quoting. I loved that they were close enough for me to visit regularly to check on progress. Very good attention to detail. Everything is working great. read more

Great place, great people, great instructors. It's a family place, there real on there price. read more

I am currently working on my IFR with Robert Illian, who in my opinion is AMAZING, incredibly patient instructor who is teaching me to be a SAFE and proficient pilot. The guy is booked for over a month out for a reason! There is being proficient and then there is being legal. If you want to take a 10 day intensive course or find an instructor that will sign you off and get lucky with your exam go ahead. If you do that PLEASE can you tell me when you are flying so I don't. Planes are in good condition and their on site mechanics fix any open squawks (needed repairs) fast unlike another school I went to where the plane would be down for weeks. Staff are professional and courteous and yes they do have a store with all the flight books but no you are not forced to buy books from them like someone said...that is just insane! I bought my books some from the store and some from Amazon because I am cheap but now I buy what I can from their store to support them. Do your research, visit the schools, meet people who are flying and get their opinions and learn what it takes to become a pilot so you can make an educated decision. Everyone has their own styles and goals and mine is to become a safe, proficient and a GOOD commercial pilot so I am very happy with my decision. 5 stars for Vista!! read more

Amazing, knowledgeable and friendly staff. I had a pre buy completed and some additional work done with this team and they made sure everything was right. They were very responsive with communications and made sure to explain the options to me with pricing. They really went above and beyond. read more

My instructor Sean is amazing and so far, a fantastic first impression. Loving my lessons and the calm approach to a student barely getting his feet wet. Everyone is super friendly and nice, I'm always greeted when I go in. Side note, Vista Aviation seems to have a few gearheads working there, makes for some great conversation! I'll be sure to update this review as I collect more learning hours. read more

I ordered some landing gear springs from Juan! when I received the springs in the mail, they are NOT the right springs! Juan said he will NOT take these springs back! If it was electrical parts, I could see why! but not for metal spring! so I am out the money! right! or am I? read more

I have been doing business with this shop since the mid 1980s. I have spent close to $20,000 over the past 30 years with Dusty the owner, and have mostly had good work the first time. Recently I took a 206 in for a new ADS B Transponder install and other work totaling $9,800 but had to have the plane "down" for 6 weeks for what should have been no more than 2! I felt like my money is as good as anybody's. And when you consider the long term business relationship, I feel I should not be sent to the "back of the Bus" on each job I need. I am not buying a full "Garmin stack", but if that's is the criteria for getting work done in a timely matter, then maybe they need more workers to expand. Recently i have been trying to bring in a second aircraft for New radios and repair work that will likely exceed 10-15K, but they complain they are so backlogged they cannot fit me in for six more weeks. I have two "nav coms" purchased New from Vista about 10 years ago that were both serviced and repaired there 18 months ago , now again they are "on the blink". But they cannot commit to short fixes and turn around time with a good attitude. The Avionics mgr Bill is very knowledgeable technically, but each phone call he is "short" with me, seems too busy and irritated with my questions, and has made me feel like a "Red headed step child". This company need better customer service attitude and appreciation of lifelong customers that built this business. I'm not sure if the owners Dusty and his son know how customers feel when they deal with the Avionics shop. Bill is smart and knows his stuff, but I'm a paying customer that wants to be appreciated and treated with respect. And I want to fly my aircraft more that have then sitting on the ground because people are too busy to take care of the smaller less expensive jobs. Anyway I am frustrated with this company lately. read more

I've been flying out of Vista since 2013, first beginning with my private pilot training, and more recently with my commercial. Most of my training has been with instructor Robert Illian. I really can't say enough about Robert. He's a great pilot and fantastic teacher! I've never felt unsafe flying with him. Some instructors only do the job for a year or two to build flight time for other pilot opportunities and really don't have their heart in instructing. That's not true with Rob. He's been instructing at Vista for 15 years and continues to do because he truly loves to teach. If you fly with Rob, you'll not only be able to ace your checkride, but he'll mold you into a safe and smart pilot for your entire flying career. I've also flown with Chuck Warnick, who is also another outstanding instructor at Vista. Chuck has decades of experience instructing, and actually trained my brother to be a private pilot over 20 years ago. I would highly recommend Chuck as well! read more

Learn to fly at Vista Aviation with CFI Robert Illlian! 1 (818) 896-6442 for an appoint to experience the the great atmosphere of friendly staff such as Cassandra, Allie that can accommodate your hectic schedule. read more

Vista Aviation - Amazing view! - Travel Services Near Me - Pacoima, California

See all

Very poor customer service and renting rules that truly discourage average pilots from flying. This weekend I had my second terrible customer service experience with Vista. I have flown with them 6-7 times, having migrated over after getting my Private Pilot license through Glendale Community College (which also flies out fo Whitman Airport). After a stunning flight to Santa Ynez/Solvang, my friends and I got back an hour early and turned in our keys. The lady at the desk (Marissa) asked how long I had been up, and I said 2 hours. She immediately went to a posturing tone and said "well, you know you'll be charged for 3." When I appeared somewhat surprised and disheartened (who would'nt be after being told they're getting charged $150 for flying they didn't get to do?), she got defensive and accusatory. Had the lady respectfully said that was the policy, I'd have probably just accepted it and moved on. However the woman got straight up argumentative, informing me I should have known and more or less making a scene. Now, this is the first time I had flown with Vista in a year. In the past, including my last few flights, they didn't charge me for overages like that (their minimum is 2 hours for the weekdays, 3 during the day) - hence why I did'nt even know they existed. Despite not having flown in a year, and despite the mulitple staffers I spoke to failing to mention it - I suppose the blame there is mine. I'll accept that. But this woman singlehandedly ruined what was otherwise an amazing day, and hopefully by writing this someone else doesn't go through the same experience. One of the friends I had flown in with is getting his license and I had told him to check out Vista Aviation. Almost entirely because of his experience with this lady, he's not even considering Vista after he gets his license, and I cannot blame him. On a side note - the 3 hour weekend minimum is at best an annoyance and at worst a blatant money, as almost every interesting flight from Whiteman in a 172 is under an hour each way (Big Bear, Catalina, and Santa Ynez among many others), which means on a weekend - where most people are going to do their flying, since we have jobs - the majority of your ideal destination spots are too 'close'. Especially for customers who reserve planes in advance and who have been flying with them a while, it'd be nice if they'd make an exception to that minimum once in a while (which they did last year, but tell that to Marissa...) read more

Very rude. Asked a few questions, and was completely ignored. Do not recommend! Go to Van Nuys airport instead! Vista is not a fun place

When I decided to take flight lessons I met with a lot of pilots. It was a fascinating experience - some male instructors would only talk to my husband, one told me he smelled good (which I guess is kind of important in a small space :-)) and others were just looking for flight time so they could move on. Then I met Robert Illian. He is professional, patient and best of all, a great pilot and teacher. It took me a while and Robert was there all along encouraging me, coaching me and supporting me. I don't think I would have gotten through this challenge without him. I will say though, Vista and it's pilots take flying seriously - so if you are someone who doesn't understand the risk - then first of all, please stay on the ground, but secondly find another school that doesn't care about your safety as much as they do. Plus Cassandra and Allie at the front desk and store are awesome! read more

When I first began flying with vista for my first 2 flights with them, I was quite impressed to an available schedule and reasonable price for the plane and instructor and a quite average instructor in steve. Part of my positive impression could have been due to my unfortunate training history where I have moved from school to school, plane to plane, and instructor to instructor. After these two flights I was forced to take a year off from flying due to medical reasons. I have now been attempting to return to training as I am finally able to fly again and I have reached the number of 5 consecutive cancellations for my flights with one reason more bs than the other. As I called to schedule for the first time in a while, I quickly discovered how crowded and busy this school had gotten and there were no openings for a while and absolutely none with steve so I was offered to move to Leo so I accepted. I was scheduled to fly 688 with Leo and I got a call telling me the plane got a flat tire and was grounded. This was unfortunate but I accepted. The following time, I was notified this plane was being retired and I was willing to give it one more flight just to get in the air but Leo refused to fly in it with me. The following two times were due to weather, but they were most definitely not weather conditions that made it necessarily dangerous to fly just some light rain. The last time is what angered me the most. There was a decent amount of fog the day before I was due to fly and Leo called me and said he wasted the day at the airport and tomorrow would be the same. I wake up the following day to the CLEAREST day of the month. I call him around 10 and he rejects my call. I text him and he says he made a mistake but already made plans for the day. Absolutely unbelievable I am so fed up I just threw the towel I am leaving this school and this airport in general. There are much better options waiting for both me and you at Van Nuys. read more

Went to get checked out at vista aviation. After going up once the flight instructor me we need to go up one more time( no problem). After arriving for my second flight in a plane that was in poor condition( one radio did not work. The interior light did not work and the seat back was broken. After we landed to instructor said we need one more flight because the second vor did not work. How is that my fault. Do not rent from this place . Van Nuys is a much better place to rent. read more

This place has the worst planes for students and for people to rent. I know first hand that these planes are old and beat up. With broken panels , radios that don't work and you don't find out untill your in the air trying to communicate . Bald tires . Parking brakes that don't work and much much more. But Vista knows all of this and still ignors it and rents these planes to first time solo students who fly these death traps because as student's they don't know better. And lets not get into their terrable , inexperienced , imature, young flight instructors who most have not even had students of their own pass the faa private pilot exam. This place in a joke . Don't rent , buy or fly as a student here. read more