Got my private with South Bay aviation, my instructor was William. Everyone at South Bay is super…read morefriendly and knowledgeable. I went into my checkride feeling knowledgeable and prepared. At the end of my training I ended up with around 75 hours.

I had a GREAT experience. I really enjoyed my first taste at flying during my discovery flight. I…read morehave been in small jets and Cessnas but never as the pilot. I opted for the hour flight and it was worth it. My instructor Andy was informative and seemed to gauge my abilities well to allow me to navigate freely along with his proper guidance. I've had the same experience with instructors at the Porsche experience. Trust is everything with training and I appreciate when an instructor thoughtfully measures your competencies to allow you to you to spread your wings a little further if possible. Everyone at the facility was super friendly too! I really liked my plane and I'm excited to continue moving forward with more trainings and getting more hours under my belt.

Excellent experience! Having flown at several flight schools and flying clubs while earning my…read morePrivate Pilot license, I've learned [the hard way] what to watch out for (good and bad), and I had a good vibe about Beach Cities from the first time I walked into their office, to work on my multi-engine add-on pilot rating. Everyone I've interacted with there is friendly and welcoming and has been patient with my asking a million questions, as I tend to do! Many of their students have gone on to fly for the airlines, and most of BCAA's instructors were students at the school that were hand-picked to teach for them. Plenty of flight schools have big shiny signs and posh offices and are eager to get you to lock in and put down a ton of money buying overpriced block time, then they show no interest in the student's success, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Beach Cities runs a good fleet of well-maintained aircraft that they rent out by the hour, that could probably use a little paint work here or there, but all have recently-renovated engines and updated avionics, from what I've seen, and a very experienced staff that always makes me feel like they genuinely care about safety, professionalism, and about helping their students meet their goals. Thank you BCAA!

I have not trained through this flight school, so I cannot comment on its overall training program…read more However, I have trained extensively with one of its instructors, Lucas, outside of the school as he has a side gig of nearly killing his students with his own private instruction. My primary concern is cockpit communication. In my experience, I found the instructor's spoken English difficult to understand, and communication between us was often challenging. While that may not be an issue for every student, I believe it became a significant safety concern during a takeoff incident. During the event, the aircraft failed to climb as expected, drifted substantially off the runway centerline, and I became concerned about maintaining control of the aircraft. The stall warning was sounding, density altitude was elevated, and I believed the situation required immediate intervention. I repeatedly told the instructor to "take the controls." instead of immediately assuming control of the aircraft, his attention was focused on adjusting the flap settings. This instructor knew about my thousands of hours of weight shift flying history and I had informed in great detail that I could be prone to dangerous mistakes due to faulty muscle memory that could surface under a stressful urgent situation.... Many controls are opposite fixed wing. The experience left me with serious concerns about cockpit communication and decision-making during time-critical situations. Aviation training depends on rapid, clear communication and immediate coordination between student and instructor when safety is involved. Based on my experience, I would not personally choose to train with this instructor again. I understand that this instructor theoretically was giving me a chance to correct the dangerous situation on my own before he took the controls, but I've never heard of an instructor refusing to take the controls when the student essentially insists I could've been having a medical emergency for all he knew. This is why it is insane for an instructor not to immediately resume control when the student urgently states take the controls you have the controls to an instructor This review reflects my personal experience and opinions regarding this instructor and is not intended as a statement about the flight school's other instructors or overall operation. But my understanding is, he's worked there for many years.... So I think they must have very low standards if they would employ a dangerous instructor like this.

This flight school is amazing! The owner takes great care of the operation. The flight instructors…read moreare very knowledgeable and professional. I highly recommend Royal Aviation. I have been a customer for 8 years. it is a great place to fly.

I couldn't have chosen a better flight school. Earned my private pilot license here and am…read morecurrently working on my instrument rating. This flight school is seemingly the only one at John Wayne airport that charges reasonable prices for their aircraft and instructors. I pay only $65/hour for instruction and $169/hour for the Cessna 172S I fly, which is equipped with a GPS/moving map, and many other add-ons which come in handy! Similar models go for $210~ at other schools. I pay by the lesson, and have been able to keep the same instructor, Mike, whom I really like. He doesn't charge me for the time it takes to drive to the field, preflight the plane, or debrief. His teaching style is great for me and he's always been calm and nurturing, even when I've performed poorly. I've also worked with Erick and would highly recommend him as well as any other instructor here. If you're looking to learn how to fly, there is no better place to come than Royal Aviation!

Just finished up my private pilot license with ACI and can't say enough good things about them!…read more Have received instruction from another local KSNA school, went through multiple instructors who always left as soon as they had enough hours for the airlines, making for a poor learning experience. It's a smaller operation at ACI, but that is a huge selling point. With the 2 other bigger schools at KSNA, you feel just like a number to them. At ACI, you are treated like family, and they care greatly about your success. Jackson, my main instructor, is extremely passionate about aviation and teaches students the skills they need to be a safe and knowledgeable pilot. Very comprehensive in-depth training, rather than just checking boxes in a syllabus. You will be well prepared for your checkride here! The quality of aircraft here is above any other school I've seen, and they are very on top of their maintenance and detailing. Have a nice fleet of Cessna 172S's, both 6-pack and G1000 versions. Have a few beautiful Cirrus SR22's as well. Pricing is right in line for the SoCal area, and I see other places charging the same but with high-time, older airplanes. Will continue to rent from them and enjoy my PPL, and also plan to work on my Instrument Rating with them in the near future.

I will forever be thankful to this school for helping with my training. The instructors genuinely…read moreseemed like they wanted to help you and the owner is always fun to talk to. The aircraft in their fleet are some of the nicest I've seen for a Part 61 school. I would definitely recommend doing your training here if you live in the Southern California area.

I recently met with Omar to discuss the 9 month Airline Pilot Program. After researching different…read moreflight schools in the area (ATP, Orange County Flight Center, Spartan College) I was a bit overwhelmed with my options for how to begin my career as a pilot. Omar took the time to meet with me and answer all my questions and so far, I'm very impressed. I'd like to think I'm a good judge of character and I never got the feeling that Omar and the team is just there to take your money, but rather to help you start flying! Nice people, nice facilities, and nice location (I much prefer SNA to LAX lol). I'm very excited to take the next step and enroll in the Airline Pilot Program and I look forward to flying with y'all soon!

Not one to typically write reviews, but wanted to share my experience at this school. I started my…read moreprivate training here (I am now a CFI) and have been to a total of 5 flight schools throughout my training, due to moving for college. OCFL was unfortunately my least favorite by far. What caused me to eventually leave and find a new school was a transponder issue on my night flight to Camarillo. A transponder is required equipment when flying through LA airspace, and ATC reminded us that we are not allowed to fly through the LA airspace with this issue. My instructor wisely chose to land at Van Nguys Airport instead of (illegally) flying back to John Wayne. Yes it's inconvenient, but certainly the safe (and legal) choice. He called Omar, the owner, to notify him of this inconvenience. Omar then proceeded to get upset with my instructor because of the time and money it would cost to pick up the airplane in Van Nguys. Omar advised that my instructor should've just flown over LAX, at night, and pretended to not notice to issue. This was years ago, but since then I have only heard of similar negative experiences from other past students of this school. Now that I am further along in my training, I see how dangerous this money-over-safety mentality truly is. I write this review only in hopes for other aviators to look for safer flight school options or for this school to hopefully institute some safer practices. Thank you!

We went here for my brother's 16th celebration…read more We had an amazing time. His instructor was Blake Phillips and we ended up on the Cessna 172S. The process of ordering the one hour demo package was very easy and straightforward. The website was super easy to navigate, and the staff was always super friendly on the phone. We were asked to arrive 15 minutes early to complete complete paperwork and that process went very smoothly. The only issue that we had was parking but since we got there early, we still got there on time. Blake was an amazing instructor and explained everything very thoroughly as well as interactively. I appreciated that he asked my brother about his interest in plains because he was able to incorporate specific topics that chained to my brother's interest in flight school. He was able to answer all of our questions and never felt like he was rushing. The flight itself was great. Blake made it clear that my brother would be able to actually fly and he would step in as needed. We had a one hour flight in Long Beach, where he explained air, flow manipulation, and aerodynamic very well to an understandable level. He was able to effectively communicate all of the factors that make a plane fly without being overwhelming. The aircraft was well kept, clean, and the views were great. We both throughly felt safe the whole duration of the flight, even with the stronger winds. Once we got back, he provided us resources for my brother in case he wanted to pursue flight school, as well as provided us with the foot footage taken during the flight. All in all, my brother and I loved the experience. The website is easy to navigate, the building itself was clean and easy to find, and Blake was the perfect balance of teaching, safety, and making the most of the package. I highly recommend :) thank you again

I can't say enough great things about Pacific Air Flight School in Long Beach. From my first…read morelesson, the experience has exceeded my expectations. My instructor, Jackie Peterson, is exceptional. She earned her B.S. in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and her knowledge, professionalism, and passion for teaching show in every lesson. She is organized, patient, and thorough. Jackie doesn't just teach you how to fly; she makes sure you understand why you're doing everything, both in the air and during ground instruction. She explains complex concepts clearly and genuinely wants her students to succeed. When I told Jackie my goal was to fly 4-5 days a week so I could earn my private pilot certificate as efficiently as possible, she made it happen. She keeps me on schedule, sends reminders, and has gone out of her way to reserve the Cessna 172 G1000 aircraft for my training whenever possible. That dedication has made a tremendous difference in my progress. I also want to recognize Denise in the front office. She is the backbone of the operation, always friendly, professional, organized, and helpful. Whether I'm calling with a scheduling question or need help with paperwork, Denise handles everything quickly and with a smile. Great customer service like hers makes a huge difference. The entire school is first-class. The aircraft are clean and well maintained, the instructors are knowledgeable and supportive, and the operation is run professionally from top to bottom. Pacific Air is clearly committed to providing a safe, high-quality learning environment. I'm currently working toward my Private Pilot Certificate, and there's no question I'll be staying here for my Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot Certificate. Choosing Pacific Air has been one of my best decisions. If you're looking for a flight school that truly invests in your success, I wholeheartedly recommend Pacific Air Flight School, Jackie Peterson, and the entire team. You won't be disappointed, and I can't imagine a better place to train.

I trained for my Commercial Multi with Instructor David Russell and check rode with Brandon…read moreKuchmecki and passed! The instruction was superb and the facility is top notch. Everyone I talked to and met were super friendly especially the staff. I'm glad I chose them for my multi.

I looked all over the country to find the right flight school to take my multi-engine rating. I had…read morerecently purchased a DA-62 and wanted to complete my rating quickly, but also get great training. I considered going to a standard ME school that was training in a Seneca or other traditional twin. But the pilot I purchased my Diamond from, an Airbus Captain for Delta Airlines, recommended I get type specific training and focused my efforts on a Diamond specific training center. That was GREAT advice! I called Angel City Flyers with my local flight instructor and drilled their Chief Pilot, Cary Jones, with questions about their ME program and syllabus. He impressed my local CFI/MEI and ultimately I scheduled a week to go work on my ME rating with Cary himself. It was awesome. When I first met Cary, I'd say he seemed quiet and reserved. He had a very natural way of teaching -- mostly asking questions -- prodding to find my weak areas in either systems knowledge, aero dynamics, or when flying. Like most single-engine pilots... I'd never shut down an engine in flight... not a great idea in a SE. So I had some nervous anticipation doing that for the first time in the air. But man, Cary is so sharp in the cockpit. After going through a solid ground briefing, and watching him demonstrate in the air, he made it all look easy... probably too easy of course! Anyhow, I had an amazing experience. Knocked out my ME rating fast... learned a ton in the process. The more I picked Cary's brain about emergency procedures and experiences he's had... the more I grew as a pilot. We also had some fun along the way ;) Oh -- and one final note -- training at LONG BEACH is awesome! Busy airspace that helps build your game as a pilot. Consistent cross-winds on 26L/R to help with your confidence on those... and a coastal practice area. For someone who flies in the mountains all the time -- this was epic!

Fly at both their facilities out of Brackett Field and San Gabriel Valley Airport. Planes are well…read moremaintained and instructors are excellent. Great place to get your pilots license.

Old Airplanes, all Instractor's there want just to build hours , waste time and money , I don't…read morerecommend this flight school at all .