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!

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!

The staff are the best, my instructor specifically, Jonah and the receptionist Audrey are helpful,…read morepatient, knowledgeable, and friendly. Their fleet of planes are nice, clean, and well maintained. I feel safe in the skies with their fleet of planes and instructors. My personal favorite plane I've flown is N651KC, it's awesome due to it's a new and refurbished instruments. If you want a good fight school, come to Pacific Flight Aviation.

I've been a student at PFA about 6 months now and I couldn't be happier! I was looking for a school…read morewith a program specifically designed to help helicopter pilots transition to fixed wing. I looked at 5 or 6 schools, some of them even out of state. Some schools required huge loans upfront (80k or more), other schools didn't have a syllabus's, other schools had questionably airworthy aircrafts, and a lot of places had no idea what the requirements even where to transition to fixed wing. More often than not, pilots were trying to pressure me, and sell me their school. Thank God I am already a CFI and I know EXACTLY what to look for in a reputable school. Being actively involved in aviation on the helicopter side (6-7 years), and working as a CFI, I knew exactly what I was looking for but it was hard to find. There are a lot of shady things that go on in aviation unfortunately, but right away after meeting with the Chief/Owner Wayne I knew this school would be different. Wayne is transparent, honest, knowledgable, and truly cares about his students and their progress. All of his aircrafts/SIM are maintained in pristine condition, his logbooks are always in order and he is never late or unprofessional. He has a background in business and it reflects in his demeanor, and the way he treats students/employees. He hired a new pilot Summer a few months ago and she has easily become my all time favorite instructor! To call her smart would be an understatement, she is one of a kind. She constantly surprises me with her vast knowledge and skills. I feel safe with her and she accurately gives me feed back along with necessary critiques. She creates an atmosphere where I have fun flying and I'm learning new skills. Im just so thankful Wayne hired her. Usually you find an instructor that's fun, but just wants to fly or smart but too rigid. She's super fun and when she critiques me she isn't harsh. I have done some dumb things while learning how to fly (you will do them too!) but we laugh them off, refocus and overcome challenges together. Thank you Summer for not loosing it with me while I learn how to land! If you're looking for a flight school you need to find a place that checks all the boxes, specifically these; - Has an organized syllabus - Excellent maintenance - Professional, honest, knowledgeable CFI's that are staying abreast in the industry - Fits your budget ( don't ever give a school thousands and thousands of dollars upfront) - Accommodates your schedule - Understands your goals whether it be a PPL or ATP, and can keep you on track. Trust me the last thing you want to do is have a school send you to a Checkride unprepared. You will fail, look like an idiot, and waste your money. In aviation reputation is everything, it's a small world, the school you go to along with your character and credibility will matter immensely in aviation. If you're considering this school, do your research, go in and talk to Wayne. As you narrow down your choices, and filter out options im sure you will also realize this is absolutely the best place to fly in SoCal. Stay safe, have fun and happy flying!

Took my first demo/introductory/discovery flight at OC Flight Center. Michael was my flight…read moreinstructor and he let me taxi, takeoff, talk to ATC, do flight maneuvers, and finally land. Amazing instructor, beautiful views, and a surreal experience! $150 is a great price point as it includes both the plane and the instructor. Generally most planes rent for around just that price. They let my wife tag along in the back seat for $35 more. The experience starts with checking in at the front desk and signing waivers. Then you do a quick run down in the office with your instructor of what to expect during the flight. Then they take you out to the airport and do a pre-flight inspection of the plane. Finally you're seated into the pilot's seat and start taxing out. Total time in the plane was about 45-50 min of which 25 min was in the air (from take off to landing). We also lucked out in that they assigned us to their newest plane (a Cessna 172S - N227WC). It came equipped with a G1000, which was awesome! It was so similar to my experience with the Cessna 172 in Microsoft Flight Simulator. :D Michael was a super attentive and encouraging flight instructor. I loved that he gauged how comfortable I was in the plane and let me do so much more then I was expecting to be able to do on my first flight. I loved that he let me make the calls to ATC. Also it was incredibly cool taking off and landing by myself (with his guidance of course). Michael spent a lot of time after the flight answering questions that we had. In total my wife and I spent about 2.5 hours at OCFC. I will definitely come back here if/when I want to start my PPL training--hopefully with Michael as my flight instructor!

I trained at OCFC many years ago and it was a fantastic experience. It had all the personality and…read moreattention to the customer that you would expect from a small, well run business. Unfortunately, that has all changed after a corporate buyout. I'm having my son train there now, but gone is the personal service and in it's place are big business rules. If you don't keep at least a $500 minimum balance (which would still cover 2 and a half 1 hour flights), they cancel any an all scheduled flights until it's brought up. But the worst part is the lack of maintained aircraft. Out of 13 aircraft on the line, only 3-4 are ever available to fly due to maintenance issues. He is only able to fly about 65% of the scheduled flights wasting his time his and his instructors time. I will send him elsewhere for his advanced training.

Absolutely stellar first experience! My introductory flight was everything and more. My CFI, David,…read morewas a great balance of professionalism and fun. He really provided some great insights and tips that I've now carried back over into my daily VR flight training. I may never become an actually licensed pilot, but the experience alone was something I'll always remember -- and I'll absolutely be coming back for more in the future (possibly taking the controls of their SportStar for the next go-around

I have heard nothing but good things about Sunrise Aviation. My grandson took flying lessons…read morethere. I am aware that the lead pilot, Michael Church, is an amazing aviator who teaches the best of the best (I'm a little prejudice as I'm a retired USAF CMSgt) the Air Force has at the Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB. While my rating is based on hearsay, I'm pretty sure my grandson would give credence to it.

I want to start off by saying that this was a big first for me and I'm happy to have experienced it…read morewith my fiancé and BIG shout out to our helicopter pilot, James for big informative, a pleasure to talk with and most of all make sure we had a great time and flew safe. But all I have to say is this is beautiful and I suggest yall experience it at least once!

I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing a helicopter ride with Rogue Aviation out of Long Beach…read moreas a birthday surprise from my wife, and it was nothing short of phenomenal. From start to finish, the entire experience was surreal and exhilarating. The team at Rogue Aviation was outstandingly professional and friendly, and James, our pilot, made the whole ride both safe and thrilling. He even let me take the controls for a moment, which was an unforgettable experience! Seeing Los Angeles from the sky is a whole new perspective that I'd recommend to anyone--whether you're a pilot enthusiast or just looking for a unique way to enjoy the city. Five stars all the way!

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.

Flew with John Scruggs this Morning! What an experience. Thank you for a flight I will never forget!read more

From the owner: 5g Aviation specializes in Tailwheel and Aerobatic Flight Training in our Super Decathlon and Extra…read more300LP. Our instructors are highly accomplished aerobatic pilots. We are also an Authorized American Champion Aircraft Sales center and we offer the entire ACA line for sale.

In many professions, there are trade secrets that can only be learned through experience. Sometimes…read morethat experience may come at a dire cost. At OC flight lessons, safety is the top priority as expected of a reputable flight school. Students will be allowed to fail up to the skin of catastrophe. That is good. In failure, we learn many things, assuming we live to reconsider the circumstances. The flight instructors at OC Flight Lessons will make sure you will learn all the most crucial details in being a pilot while making sure you are safe. It is a noble ambition to pursue flight and test the limits of humanity and Omar's team of instructors are all eager to explore its complexities and impart knowledge and experience in supporting you become an aviator.

I had an amazing first intro flight with my instructor Chris! He took me over the ocean and I was…read morealso able to see the city skyline from a beautiful vantage point. After performing a perfect landing, we went back into the building and Omar was able to answer any questions I had about the flight school. The experience was out of this world! 10 out of 10 would recommend!