Most instructors don't really care about your personal goals. If they do, they often lack patience…read morewith someone who hasn't flown before. I went through several instructors trying to find one who would actually stick with me and help me achieve what I was paying them for. Instead, it felt like some were just trying to build hours or take control of the flight, and I ended up wasting thousands of dollars.

This is a large family owned and family run flight school with 4 locations. My background is…read morehaving ran a twin-engine flight school and a single-engine flying club in Georgia so when I surveyed the schools as a place to do my flight reviews, and send friends and their children to, AvAd came out on top. They also have been one of the main schools at Leesburg while others have come and gone. They also hire and train students and retired or career changing professionals to run the front desk, giving them aviation management and dispatch experience. I have flown with a few of the instructors up here and they are all different in how they teach but all are focused on safety, fun, learning, and promoting aviation. "Uncle Mike" is a fantastic advocate for aviation and even politely spent time going over weight and balance. I was 314 or 317 at the time and made it down to 270, which opened up the ability to fly other aircraft like the 172z. I made it down to 253 a few weeks ago and 230 will open up all aircraft, help me live longer, and make it easier to pass my 2nd class medical that I need for my commercial. Mike reviewed this with me very professionally, very politely, and shared his journey with me. He also took my son for a lesson. You would be hard pressed to find a better instructor, human being, safety, and aviation advocate. Safety is always at the top of my list because mistakes in aviation can be very unforgiving. You can fly safely in safe aircraft and still have fun. My favorite instructors are "Uncle Mike" and Mitch. However, I have also really enjoyed time learning from Bob, Ray and past instructors. Buck left for OpenAir, Dan went to fly KingAirs and Connor went to fly Learjets. This is part of aviation. Instructors are hard to find and good instructors are Unicorns. AvAd has had quite a few unicorns and some remain! Eventually they will build their 1000 hours with a degree from Liberty and go to the airlines with their ATP-R or get their 1500 and move on. That's just how aviation goes during a strong economy. Their aircraft are well maintained, particularly for flight school aircraft. I really enjoy flying the 182, the Cherokee Six, and the Grumman Cougar but also dropped weight so I could fly safely within the weight and balance envelope in the 172. My goal is to drop enough weight to fly LSAs like the 162 for fun! Bob and his family are amazing for aviation and have stellar employees and nice aircraft.

This school has several new (at the time) and near new Cirrus aircraft that they use for flight…read moreinstruction. The planes are gorgeous. These are not old beat up inexpensive 172s but really nice Cirrus aircraft, comparable to a new Cessna 172 or 182. These have aircraft parachutes (CAPS). They also are a little more expensive but comparable with other schools in large metro areas One of the instructors, Buck, was really funny and has a unique ability to train. Also, he doesn't believe burning time on the ground (20-30 minutes) trying to teach the G-1000 to new students like another school on field would do. There are less expensive computer programs and ground trainers.

From the owner: We specialize in training individuals in complex and technologically advanced aircraft. Our mindset…read moreon training is a little different; instead of training to minimum standards, we take it one step further and train our students to be equipped to fly from point "A" to point "B" confidently and most importantly, safely.

Went to this place with a friend and bought the ticket through Groupon. This was the most…read moreexhilarating experience of my life. Even more so than skydiving. Let's start from the top. My friend and I came here and we filled out all our consent forms and gave them the Groupon code. Then they took us to the back and explained everything to us. In the plane, you basically sit shotgun while the experienced professional flies the plane into the air to a safe altitude and then they give you control. Flying the actual plane was such an amazing experience. It felt scarier than skydiving to me. The instructor let's you fly for about 20-30 minutes and then he takes you down to the location. He also lands the plane. It apparently gets added to your flight hours if you were planning on becoming licensed. This is a once in a lifetime experience that I high encourage you try. I don't regret it in the slightest and the staff here make you feel safe.

My experience at dream flight school was just what I expected. Started off with the Discovery…read moreFlight right through the Private License. Friendly staff and great Certified Flight Instructors. I highly recommend Dream Flight School if you're looking to obtain your PPL or IFR certificate. The planes used are clean and well maintained, some are even being updated with the newest technology. Additionally KDMW Airport is clean, and the Skytech staff are friendly. It's always nice to have the people fueling your planes encourage your progress -- just adds to the overall experience at Dream Flight School!

I have been flying since 2005. During that time I have used a variety of flight schools and…read moreinstructors, but hands down, 1World Aero has been the best I've experienced. The aircraft are clean, well maintained and comfortable. They decided to stick with mainly Socata planes because of their comfort and handling characteristics. The management is incredibly detail oriented and I am always left feeling like I haven't missed a thing when I go back for some recurrent training or practice work. If you are looking to fly, do yourself a favor and at least check 1World out to compare. Once I discovered them, I wished I had found them sooner.

I've been flying with 1 World Aero for 7 years, and they're a fantastic organization! The planes…read moreare maintained in fantastic condition, I feel very safe every time I take one flying. Terry Russell is an outstanding instructor, manager, all in all pilot, and I highly recommend any flying you'd like to do at 1 World Aero!

I had a discovery flight this morning with Jonathan Outmezguine (adding his last name just incase…read moreanother Jonathan is there) from Washington Flight Academy, and it was such an amazing experience. From the moment we started, he was incredibly friendly, calm, and easy to talk to, which made a huge difference as someone who had never flown before. He gave clear, helpful direction and made flying feel way less intimidating than I expected. His patience and confidence really stood out for me, as well as how comfortable he made me feel the entire time. He also went out of his way to capture a lot of footage for me, which I really appreciated. Overall, my instructor was great and made this such a smooth, enjoyable first experience. I highly recommend flying with him, and I'll definitely be back again in the future.

The flight instructor/ pilot was cool, informative and fun…read more.. This was our 2nd time here with one person being 1st timer. This day was a bit busier than our previous visit as they were behind in discovery flights. Our time was 1:30pm our instructor came to begin the briefing at 1:54, guess it's really like an actual airport in training lol. (They do have scheduled chartered flights, pilot training etc, which shouldn't have much impact on discovery flights) Good experience overall will use them again

I recently earned my Private Pilot License (PPL) with Pilot in Training Flight Academy, and I…read morecouldn't be happier with my experience. From my very first discovery flight, I knew I was in the right place. My instructor, Jan (CFII), was incredible--he is really a great guy, highly experienced, patient, and always made me feel at ease. His great sense of humor was an added bonus! The owner, Slava, is also a great guy and genuinely cares about each student's progress. He was always flexible and responsive. I also had stage checks with Jeremy and Dost, who were both excellent instructors and added to the solid training I received. The academy's professionalism, organization, and strong emphasis on safety gave me the confidence I needed to ace my checkride. I am now continuing my Instrument Rating (IFR) training with them. If you're considering flight training, I highly recommend Pilot in Training Flight Academy.

Jinlin was my ground instructor and she was thorough, clear, and super helpful. 10/10 experience…read more Plus I was part of a nearly all-women's class, and as a woman this made me super happy.

If you are looking to become a pilot, this is the to go! The CFIs are excellent and the curriculum…read morethat NAFC uses meets FAA standards. The CFIs work together to prepare the students for check rides and the pass exams.

This place is excellent! I recently took a flight lesson from them, booked through…read morethingstododc.com. I paid maybe $160 for a half-hour flight with maybe a half-hour of pre-flight instruction. I worked in aircraft simulation for many years, so I was familiar with the pre-flight procedures the pilot went through before the flight. We flew over downtown Annapolis and the bay near the Naval Academy. I was able to handle the controls for maybe about ten minutes. The scenery was fantastic from about 1500 feet up. It was just like being back in the simulators years ago. I don't know If I will get a pilot's license, but I would definitely go through them if I did. The instructors are very knowledgeable and professional. Excellent job. No complaints.

It was easy to get checked out in their Cherokee Six with the new G3x touch. The instructor spend…read moreabout 45 minutes on the ground and about an hour in the air with me. We were able to go through the nuances of that specific model. Eventually I ended up flying on one of their adventures, with a friend of a friend, and really enjoyed their Manassas office and aircraft. I will say that they had a few more people in Manassas but I also really enjoy the folks up in Leesburg.

I hate to give anyone a poor review, but Aviation Adventures was one of the worst experiences in my…read morelife, and I was in the military. I had to leave my first flight school because the college I was at was not affiliated with that flight school. Aviation Adventure is. First to start, I had at the time around 70 hours of steam gauges. Due to COVID I had not received flight instruction in almost a year. I brought up an issue I had with a CFI and after that it was down hill. My new CFI was horrible. I was his first student and he told me in the plane that he didn't want to be a CFI but was forced to because of a deal he made with Bob Hepp after buying a Cessna from the University of South Dakota. He said I needed to be there an hour early, but would show up sometimes 30 min late. When I asked for ground instruction on the G-1000 he said it was a waste of time, we would do it in the air. Going from steam to G-1000 was tough in the air. The CFI insulted me, cursed at me and told me I was acting like a sensitive millennial. He went on a rant while I was flying about people being too sensitive. I didn't feel comfortable asking questions because when I did the guy told me I was stupid. When getting ground instruction and my CFI wasn't on his phone he was chatting with other CFIs. At one point he made fun of me in front of other students and CFIs. It finally came down to one last flight and I had enough, after the guy yelling and cursing at me I just wanted out of the plane. I pretended to not understand trim so he would end the lesson early. I am sure there are good CFIs at Aviation Adventures, but I never encountered one. The CFIs I encountered were vindictive, Bob Hepp bashed me at my college, and my CFI wrote nasty notes in my online record. Why? I asked for help, I wanted a new CFI, I wanted instruction on the G-1000. Flight training is expensive, it takes a lot of time and study. Aviation Adventures treats student pilots horribly. We are paying customers, but are treated like dirt. I almost quit my dream of flying because of my experience with Aviation Adventures. I was excited to start there, there aircraft are nice, you get experience at a towered airport. That aside, you want tailored instruction, in a friendly learning conducive environment look elsewhere. I concur with the other reviews, it is not a place where student/customer concerns are valued, they are punished till you get frustrated and leave and Bob Hepp has your money.

I am currently working on my complex endorsement, and really like the flight instructors and the…read moreattention to safety detail. If you are looking for corporate-polished, uniform and epaulets on your instructors, then by all means this is not your type of flight school. But if you want solid instruction and professionalism in a low-key and friendly environment, then Brenda and her team are for you.

From the owner: At Bravo Flight Training, we specialize in turning aviation dreams into reality. As a Part 141…read moreFAA-approved flight school, we provide professional training for every stage of your aviation journey—from your very first discovery flight to advanced ratings such as Instrument, Commercial, CFI and CFII Our fleet of well-maintained aircraft and our experienced team of FAA-certified instructors ensure that every lesson is safe, efficient, and tailored to your goals. We also offer aircraft rental, ground school programs, and advanced simulator training to give students a complete and flexible learning experience. Whether you’re pursuing a career as a professional pilot or flying for personal enjoyment, Bravo Flight Training is committed to delivering the highest standards of safety, professionalism, and customer care. Located in Frederick, MD and Martinsburg, WV we proudly serve students across the region and beyond.