Ken Levins. Explosive temper. When I screwed up he treated me as an idiot. He screamed at me to turn in my OAK badge. I did as complied. He failed to tell OAK when I mailed in my badge to OAK. Literally cannot fly out of there because we had "words." read more

Great rates and instructors but found it difficult to get security deposit and an inadvertently charged $500 fine returned. Board is highly unresponsive and takes 5+ follow ups over multiple weeks for a response. Though it sounds like I am not alone in difficulties with club leadership based on a few other reviews. read more

This place almost ruined my love for flying. They have good rates and great planes but there is a boomer with a power trip that you would have to put up with if you fly here. He is a stickler on their rules and chooses when and how intensely to enforce those rules. There is very poor communication and the rules are only for us not for him. When it was time to get my deposit back after leaving the club, he didn't follow any of the protocols the club has set up. He has made a bad reputation for other good pilots in the area and doesn't want to have any power taken from him. The CFIs are great there. Honestly can't say enough good about them and some of the board members but the boomer ruins it for me. read more

French ppilote here. This aero-club is really nice. I flown with Liz Sommers and it was a real pleasure. She knows everything about the place! The planes are great and the location of the airfield is perfect. Highly recommend it. read more

Alameda Aero Club - Flight Instruction Near Me - Alameda, California

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(Written by the Mr.) I researched all flight schools and instructors I could find in the Bay Area, visited most of them, and then joined Alameda Aero Club. I'm so glad I did! great people. great rates. Great instruction! Liz Sommers was my CFI, and she is a true professional. I went from a white-knuckle first flight to being a licensed pilot and taking my family on a 360 mile cross-country multiple-day adventure to new airports in a matter of months. And let me say that there's no better view of the Golden Gate than in a 45 degree turn around center-span as pilot in command. I recently left the Bay Area, but if you're there and looking to earn your wings, AAC is your place. read more

First of all, AAC is fantastic. I appreciate the fact that they were able to help an unmotivated fool like myself not die or hurt anything other than pride while pursuing an original childhood dream. Joel Klein was my (last) primary instructor, and his tireless patience drew no end of surprise, even as he suffered my first attempted landings and absorbed my navigational anti-cluons. I recommend him to anyone, large and small. Everyone I have ever met at AAC has been genuine, helpful, and an honest joy to know. Please ping Joel (he's on the website: http://www.alameda-aero.com/pages/FlightInstruction) and ask for a discovery flight. To the fine folks at yelp: Respectfully, no semantically appropriate categorization for topics in the sphere of general aviation (aircraft charter, flying clubs, aircraft rental, flight instruction, fixed-base operators (FBOs - think private jet terminal), aircraft purchase) appears to have been defined, at least in yelp's publicly accessible dataset. There are ~600,000 pilots in the US, millions more in the industry. As a group, we tend towards the passionate. Yet GA cruises in the digerati's turbulent wake; the interwebs are heavily underutilized in aviation. So, please add some categories that give pilots (who travel a lot, right?) a way to enter and find good data on the geospatially distributed organizations that matter to us. Thanks! An avgeek read more

I heard of Alameda Aero Club through some friends a couple of years ago. For Christmas 2011, my wife purchased a flight lesson at another facility which we quickly returned and went to Alameda Aero Club instead. Other schools provide an introductory flight and you may find Groupon or LivingSocial special offers for some discount, but Alameda Aero Club has a no frills rate that is far cheaper than the other folks. The instructors at AAC are amazing teachers and very friendly folks. Join AAC and you get a lot of added perks such as chatting with other pilots or student pilots. The planes are well maintained and are fun to fly! I joined at the end of January 2012, started my lessons, and by mid-summer 2012 I had my Private Pilot License. Liz Sommers was my instructor and is extremely patient. She let's you make the silly (non-dangerous) mistakes and has a great sense of humor to help you figure out your mistake... those are the mistakes you'll forever remember and not perform again. Scheduling with Liz is relatively easy and weather permitting you are good to go flying. AAC has a nice protocol amongst the instructors in which there are a couple of cross-check rides with different instructors to ensure you are proficient in the skills required for the various stages of your education. The members of AAC really make you feel welcome and are always willing to answer questions! The instructors will take you to the edge of your comfort level, which is exactly what you need to progress at your pace. It took 20+ year for me to start my lessons, and am glad I finally took the time to learn to fly. My wife and I now enjoy weekend excursions that we most likely would never have done if we had to drive to places we visited. read more

Bay area flying at its best I did my initial private pilot training here with Drew Kemp and can't say enough good things about the club and him. Flying twice a week on average -- once after work and once on the weekend -- I completed all my training and passed my checkride in exactly 4 months. (Now I am a self-starter and did all my ground at home via an online course, so your results may vary!) Drew kept things fun even when I was struggling with landings by suggestions such as we go to Half Moon Bay on hot day and practice there. The club itself is a mixture of student pilots, young professionals and the retired "I've been in aviation all my life" folks, but it works. While I was there washday barbeques were common, movie nights in the hangar were organized, and we even participated in the Alameda 4th of July parade. Price-wise, it's one of the best deals in the Bay - not fancy, but great instruction, solid planes and good people. read more

If you want to learn to fly a plane but not sure you want to invest yet, the Alameda Aero Club has an excellent introductory flight lesson for only $49 per person. It's about an an hour flight time. The first time, I went with my cousin. He got to pilot the plane from Oakland to Livermore while I sat in the back praying to buddha for dear life. I flew the plane on the return trip to Oakland. The instructor was great. He will give you a tour of their clubhouse before going on a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft. Even during the flight, he pointed out different instruments and landmarks. It's tons of fun. I wish I had enough money to take the full lessons. read more

The best part of AAC are the people that make up the club. Everyone is warm, welcoming and especially supportive to student pilots. All of the club instructors I flew with were both fun and professional. I've remained a member of AAC after finishing training in part to take advantage of what is likely the best deal on plane rentals in the Bay Area. While it might seem like a busy airport isn't the best place for a beginner, if you learn to fly at Oakland you'll be well prepared to go out on your own. If you're at all curious about learning how to fly, the club offers a low cost introductory flight read more

My wife got me a flying lesson for a 40th birthday party, and wow - what a great way to spend a morning! Our instructor Christian was extremely friendly,knowledgable, and clearly a good instructor. To my surprise I was actually flying the plane, even doing a part during take-off! Not bad for the first time behind the yoke. The flight was 30 minutes, round trip around the Golden Gate bridge. Incredible picts and a really good time. I'm seriously considering more lessons. read more

My initial flight training was in gliders, and in the glider community, most organizations are non-profit member-owned clubs. As a part-owner, the rates are usually better, and there is a much better sense of camaraderie. You can learn to fly at a traditional business, where you are a customer. You'll show up, and it's like any other business transaction. Or, you can join a club, where your fellow club members are part of the support system. AAC has regular club events, and you get to meet with and talk with your fellow pilots. I finished my airplane training in about 8 months, but that includes a couple of gaps from work-related travel that I couldn't avoid. If I'd been able to fly consistently, it probably would have been around half of that. read more

Alameda Aero Club is a wonderful way to fly affordably in the bay area. The planes are well maintained and the club is well managed.

I spend a semester at UC Berkely and contacted the Alameda Aero Club, asking if I could fly with an instructor there -- I fly at home in Germany, but have no experience with flying in the US. A flight could be arranged at short notice, and I was made feel very welcome. I spent a wonderful day flying with one of the instructors there, and I strongly recommend to experience. read more

The AAC is a great flying club and a fantastic place to learn how to fly. Since it's a club and they own their own planes it's the cheapest place to rent in the Bay Area. Located at the Old T hangars on the North Field of Oakland Airport, so you don't have to brave the drive to San Carlos, Palo Alto, or Hayward. Don't let the funky clubhouse and ratty interior on the club 172s fool you, maintenance and safety are top priorities. Great CFIs for whatever rating you're going for. The club is not for profit and run by volunteers so the overhead, and hence rental prices, are kept low. The only downside is that the club has grown in popularity and the planes fill up fast, especially on weekends. That, and there is no twin available for rental. Other than that, it's great folks who are fun and really enthusiastic about flying. read more

Got my husband an introductory flight lesson here for his birthday. $59 for a full hour lesson, ride for 2, beautiful views and the most pleasant instructor Drew Kemp. Need I say more? read more

If you want to learn to fly in an atmosphere of friendly, professional support then Alameda Aero Club is for you. The planes are inexpensive to rent and are maintained by a dedicated volunteer staff along with the head mechanic. All the CFI's are great people with apparently infinite amounts of patience with student pilots. I have no idea how they put up with my not very blazing knowledge acquisition rate while at the same time cheering all signs of progress. It is their enthusiasm that I appreciated most of all as I worked toward my private pilot certificate. Their general goodwill is a feature of the club members as well, whether at one of the AAC hangar-side potluck BBQ's or in passing as we come and go from our flights. AAC is a social group where you're likely to make fine new friends while you learn to fly. Go to the website and sign up for a discovery ride with a CFI. Who knows, it may change your life! read more