George's aviation took me from .9 hours (I had previously had a discovery flight with a different company) to private pilot in less than 50 days and that includes the check-ride. I was in Hawaii for work on a 50 day temporary assignment. I wanted to get in a flight or two while in Hawaii just to see the sights. Once I went up, I was hooked. George mentioned that he thought I could solo in Hawaii if I worked hard. Well, I got to solo at around three weeks. When that happened, George mentioned that I might be able to finish my PPL before I left the island. I thought he was crazy, but HE made it happen! George along with the rest of the team at George's Aviation treated me like family. I spent a lot of time with these folks and it never felt transactional. As a matter of fact, I'd have to ask them to pay so my bill wouldn't be so large at any given time! I got to know them very well and they got to know me. They all had a vested interest in my future as a pilot and I spent time outside the hanger with several of them going to dinner, sporting events and other local places having a great time! I was able to make some great friends while in Honolulu - especially at George's Aviation. George has several planes to choose from. He has everything from a six pack Cessna 150 for the budget conscious pilot all the way up to a nearly new Cirrus SR-20. I chose to fly in the newer Cessna 172S equipped with the G1000. He has three to choose from, so I never had to wait on a plane to be available. His maintenance staff is on-site and are constantly working to keep each plane airworthy and safe. Again, I never had to wait for a plane while in maintenance. I made several trips to check out his maintenance shop over the 50 days I was there and I can say that I trust the planes being worked on by George's Aviation to be safe and dependable. Now, back to the instructors. I had about five instructors helping me along the way, with two main instructors ensuring I was able to fly as often as my schedule allowed. These people worked day and night to ensure that I was safe and proficient. I had three instructors with me the night before my check-ride to make sure I was fully prepared. I was also able to knock out my high performance endorsement while I was in town also. I can't recommend George's Aviation enough. Thanks so much to George and Donna, along with Bianca and Spencer for making my dreams a reality. Also, a special thanks to Elan, Brandon, Dane, Jasmine and Jimmy for helping me throughout my journey to becoming a private pilot! And thanks to all those who I didn't mention specifically as there are many I connected with at George's and everyone there made me feel like a long time friend and welcomed me into their Ohana. Next stop instrument training! read more

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I've had the opportunity to train at various schools in Southern California and here in Hawaii. And I can wholeheartedly say, training at George's Aviation has been a very positive experience. Their updated facility, advance simulator, friendly staff, knowledgeable CFIs, and varied planes to choose from are perfect for any flight school student, from the casual pilot to someone focused on a future at the airlines or corporate aviation. One aspect I appreciate is the personalized approach to instruction from their large network of CFIs. Not every student is the same and I appreciate their efforts in tailoring their instruction to fit my schedule and needs to become a competent and confident pilot. Lastly, the reality of the situation is the cost of training is high anywhere you go, but the experience gained while flying out of a busy Class Bravo airport like Honolulu International is uniquely invaluable. As a student, you'll learn more and be better equipped to tackle flying in a truly faced-paced professional environment. Look no further than George's for your flight training goals! -Joe Sillaman read more

One of the flight instructors, Keoni Rivera is truly top-notch - patient, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive towards his students. His attitude and personality toward students make you feel comfortable and confident every step of the way. The quality of instruction and overall service is easily a 10 out of 10! I recommend this place to be the start of anyone's aviation journey, and Keoni Rivera is the best model to exemplify what an outstanding flight instructor should be like as an instructor and representative of George's Aviation Services. read more

I'm a commercial pilot and we booked what was supposed to be a tour of the island with a CFI assisting. We called ahead and asked specifically to fly over stairway to heaven as part of the flight and this was confirmed by the CFI. When we arrived the plane and pilot was not ready, delaying our departure. The entire place was very unkept and unorganized with personal/random belongings everywhere. Despite it being in a hangar you have to walk through what feels like a messy living room to get to the bathroom. After a ground delay due to the pilot being behind schedule from other flights. Our CFI right before the flight told us that flying over stairway to heaven was not possible. He changed his story, he said it was ceilings then later said a more Sr flight instructor told us it was not allowed. The ceilings were very high, and while we were flying we saw a helicopter making a great pass over it on another tour. Cloud Ceilings and company policies are two very different things. Fibbing to customers and your co-pilot is not a good way to start a tour, but we were already there and we had been waiting so we decided to go anyways. The CFI was very "robotic" in flying which made the entire experience feel more like a prescribed point to point instrument flight rather than a fun way to experience the islands. Rather than it being a Freeform "look at this" tour it was more like flying an arrival or instrument approach. Overall pros 1. Airplane was new and clean - instructor put extra effort into getting us a good plane 2. CFI was very safe and professional he knew the airplane very well and followed all checklists perfectly Cons 1. You get charged full Hobbs time for the delays the Bravo airport takes to taxi to the ramp, this is standard for flight schools but awkward for tours. As it's a bravo airport you can get 20+ minutes as we did stuck on the ramp. They bill off full engine Hobbs at Hawaii prices rather than air Hobbs. Because of this it would have been more cost effective to take helicopter tour. 2. We made one request which was stairway when we made the reservation and this was denied on the ramp right before takeoff. The reason given changed from ceilings to flight school policy. It's just dishonest to say it's Ceilings when it's actually an arbitrary rule they created. 3. Flight instructors are not trained in customer our tour service and did not make it an enjoyable tour / scenic flight. It felt more like a tense flight lesson despite it being a beautiful day. 4. Our group felt like the objective was get it over with / go through the motions rather than have a great and memorable experience. This is probably a fine place to learn how to fly but not a great tour to take on vacation - the helicopters from Magnum looked like they were having a lot more fun. It was a beautiful day to fly, a great airplane, but a strange and rigid flight school attitude wasted it all. To my personal experience - I'm a 1500 commercial hour pilot that does tours. This was my third time booking a tour around the Hawaiian islands - the last two times were on Maui and both flights were 5/5 simply because there was a more relaxed and fun flight experience. read more

Two stars because the planes were clean and well maintained, pilot was excellent, unfortunately the price we were quoted and the price they charged (we could not pay in advance) was almost double. When your talking in the $325 range and they charge you double..... dam! That's robbery! Planes.. great. Pilots.... Great. Owner..... TOTALLY DISHONEST!!! Demand to pay first! read more

This company continues to offer charter services on its website. When one inquires via the online form, inquiries are not returned. When one calls, the representative, with some hostility, states the company no longer offers charter or air-taxi services due to the pilot shortage. That's fair enough. But why keep the charter page active on the website? And why be discourteous to people calling to offer business? Perhaps because business is unwelcome. read more

Flying a plane has always been on my bucket list, so I had always wanted to take a flight lesson at some point in my life. I decided to book a flight lesson and I went with Kanta (whom I highly recommend), and it was a GREAT experience. Parking wasn't a problem, everything was pretty straight forward and not only was the flight itself super fun, the office space you start out from had a warm, sort of co-working space kind of vibe which I liked. Will there be another flight? I'm not sure... but if I do decide to book another flight, I know exactly where I'm going to do it! For anyone looking to take to the sky, I highly recommend you do so with this flight school. read more

George's Aviation Services - Flight Instruction Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's been about 25 years since I've been up in the air. I never got to finish getting my PPL, but now the desire is there and another FBO was a no-go due to their plane being grounded. A co-worker recommended this place to me and I gave them a call to schedule a "discovery flight". I tried to give some background, ask a few questions, but she didn't seem interested and just said that a flight instructor would call be back after taking down my info. A week went by and the call never came. I called back and the same person answered and she again said she would have an instructor call. That was in June and it is now the end of July. read more

George's Aviation is an amazing place to start off flying with No experience. This was my first time flying any aircraft from taxi, take off to landing. We flew a Cassena 172 & I had an amazing flight instuctor who helped me know the basics of flying before we left the hangar. After we flew we discussed more about payments, how flight training will go, what I need to study and plan/process to get my private pilot license. My first advice is to call them in advance to see if they have availability for that day, pricing & other questions you may have before going. This place is located at the end of Lagoon Dr. I parked at the end and walked. If the gates are open you may park in. Definitely will be going back for my next scheduled flight training. read more

I have had many friends & colleges start their aviation career at this school, so when one of them recommended George's to my parents for a flight so they could fly around the island for their anniversary they were extremely excited. They were quoted normal rate $215/hr for plane + $70/hr for CFI. Which my parents were more than happy to pay for, as my dad used to have his private license back in the day. So the plan was to go up for an hour & enjoy the island view. Little did the know they would be charged more than almost double $618.21. They're flight did go over an hour so they did expect to pay more than just the hour planned flight. But they did not expect to pay almost double. The school told my friend who recommended the school that it was because there was an aircraft swap, still a Cessna but an upgraded one. Which no one at the school notified them of the change in price. If my parents were notified of double the price increase they would not have taken the flight. Not only that when they were charged they were not given an itemized receipt. They had no knowledge of why the price increased so much. My friend had to call to find out what the unexpected price change was due to, because the calls my dad made afterward to understand the price change were being ignored. George's took advantage of my parents. read more

Thank you Kanta for a wonderful experience, I looked around and called a couple of different places, George's aviation answered all of my questions and was accommodating to our schedule. My 13 year old son took his second flight lesson ever with Kanta and it was incredible. My husband got to tag along and experience the flight. I would recommend our instructor and look forward to another lesson for our son the next time we are here. read more

George's Aviation Services - Just after take off, amazing view! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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George's is absolutely the best helicopter tour on Oahu. No contest. George himself flew me and two friends celebrating their 20th anniversary on a fantastic tour of the island. George was safe, fun and gracious. We got to see Waikiki, Diamond Head, the lighthouse, hanama bay, the marine corps base, the Polynesian cultural center and the north shore from a beautiful birds eye view. It was an amazing trip and I'll definitely be back. read more

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This place may have been very nice 5 to 6 years ago, but the 172's are in pretty bad shape. If you don't believe me go check it out yourself ( I dare you ). One of the 172's windscreens has so many tiny cracks that you can't see out of the window when flying into the sun going westbound towards the end of the day. These planes are falling apart and are in dire need of overhaul. There is a much nicer flight school at John Rodgers but this isn't a review for them. Try it out yourself and you will see what I mean. I will change my review if I see some of the planes get a much needed overhaul. read more

Best place to rent small propellar aircraft on Oahu. Several choices for single engines, as well as options for twin engine and helicopters. Their instructors are top notch, which is crucial to know how to fly at a class Bravo airport. For pilots visiting the Islands, this is your chance to taxi, takeoff and land with the "big boys" (next to 747s, etc) and sometimes be surrounded by fighter jets on practice missions (F22s, F16s, etc). Plus nothing is more beautiful than Hawaii by air. Make your flight plan to see the Pali of Molokai, which is a short time away and amazing perspective of both Oahu and Molokai as well as the channel. The prices are reasonable. Just plan on reserving your plane about 5 days prior to flight for the time you want. If you live locally, it is a great value to join the "club". read more

His operation is not safe. He uses old planes and three diamond planes he leases from other flight schools are bit up planes. He uses his own cheap mechanics and his planes are not safe to fly... He tread his people like a trash and he lies about whom he is working for. Look at his company history. Ask his insurance company!!! read more

I don't quite know what it is about Hawaii, but these flight schools have a major failure when it comes to answering the phone or calling back when they say they will. I went in person several times and called more times than I can count. Unprofessional. While it would of been nice to fly out of Honolulu, I can drive another 15 miles to give a flight school that actually wants the buissness my money. read more

Great Place to Fly, Answered all my Questions and Hooked me up With a Great Instructor... read more

Been taking flight lessons here with Nathan Koller Ingram in the DA40. Nathan is a great instructor and very organized. He is also a helicopter instructor so if I decide to do that we'll already have a good relationship and understanding. All the planes are well maintained and ready to fly. All the DA40'S are equipped with the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. Flying out of Honolulu International Airport will get you used to heavy traffic pretty quickly. Highly recommended. read more

George's Aviation Services - Flight Instruction Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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While vacationing in Oahu I decided to take a flight at George's. I flew with Steve and he was fantastic. Not only was the instruction great but we got a detailed scenic flight at the same time. If you're looking to do a scenic flight or learn how to fly this is the place to go. Can't wait to come back. Kevin read more

If it wasn't for a great instructor who I flew with today (Mark) and one of the front desk employee, I would have given this place 1 star. I am a private instrument pilot working on my commercial/CFI ratings and have visited O'ahu with my wife and our family friend this past weekend for a vacation. Given that it's our first time in Hawaii, we wanted to explore the island from the air. I called on Thursday while still at home and inquired about the availability on Monday-Wednesday of the following week. The girl who I spoke with (didn't get her name) took my phone number and said she will call me once she checks with an instructor. After I mentioned that I would like to have the tour done in a piper arrow( because I have two more people flying with me), she said tour flights are not done in Arrow, even though I said that I'm a pilot and complex endorsed. Two days went by and no call so I called again on Saturday and she basically said the same thing and took down my name and number. On Sunday I called again after not hearing back from them and spoke to some guy (again didn't get his name). He said that all instructors have waitlist of 50 people and they usually have no available planes and that most likely they won't be able to accommodate but took my name and number and said he will call back. On Monday after not hearing from them again, I called and spoke to another employee, Ava. She was very professional and said they have both Cessnas and diamonds available. After I said that since I have two more people with me and asked if we can do it in the arrow she said absolutely and that both Cessna and arrow aircraft is available on Tuesday and Wednesday but she needs to check with an instructor for his availability. She said she will give me a call and she called me only 2 hours later to confirm that an instructor is available on Wednesday either before 11 am or after 4 pm. I chose 9 am since we had other plans in the evening. This is the type of service I was expecting from the very beginning by a professional flight school and an FBO instead of calling back and forth for 4 days without any results. On the day of the flight we came 30 minutes earlier (8:30 am) as requested by Ava to fill out a paperwork. We came at about 8:30 and the front desk person said that the instructor changed my reservation from 9 to 10 am. What strikes me is that I wasn't informed about the change the day before or even on the day. If it was just me, it would be fine, but I had my wife and my friend wake up earlier to get there at 8:30 am and had to wait for 1.5 hours for the instructor to arrive. From the point that Mark arrived, everything went 5 stars, except the condition of the aircraft. It is a 2001 model but the inside and outside looked like it was a 70s aircraft. Although, mechanically I thought it was a sound aircraft and performed well for the 1.3 hour flight. I want to express my gratitude to Mark for the flight and giving us the tour of our lives, pointing out and telling us history about all of the landmarks. Since it was my first time flying out of and into Bravo airport he was kind enough to take care of all communications while I concentrated on flying the aircraft. All in all the flight itself was amazing and it is the reason why I gave three stars instead of 1. The flight school can be a good place for visiting pilots who would like to fly around the islands but the school need to hire/train their front desk/scheduling staff much better. read more

This is an update as now a resident of Hawaii and a club member or Georges. There are not many flying clubs in Oahu but George's has the most planes in it's fleet and also has new Diamondstar DA40's with G1000 avionics. They have a low club fee of $25 which makes the prices of their rentals go down. CFI rates are also pretty low. Most of all I'm pretty happy I joined this club. read more

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When I called to make a reservation for instruction and a check out, the voicemail was promptly returned. When they were running late, I got a text well ahead of when I was supposed to leave my hotel. Very friendly and accommodating to what we wanted. read more

I've been taking my helicopter lessons in their R22. Michael Tepper is both my ground & flight instructor. He is reliable, highly experienced, knowledgeable & calm in intense flying situations when I'm learning new & potentially dangerous maneuvers. He is all about teaching me to be aware of the helicopters limitations & logic behind the rules we need to follow. He is really good about allowing me to take full controls & if I'm starting to lead into a potential error, only stepping in at the last moment if needed (giving me a chance to correct it in my own). In my opinion he is everything a student would want in an instructor. read more

George's Aviation Services - Flight Instruction Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great instructors, service, and aircraft. They are the best at getting your plane ready when you schedule it. Prices are very reasonable and totally worth it. The hangar also got renovated, so its very modern and nice. Thank you Nathan for being my instructor! -Dylan read more

George's Aviation is situated on the corner of the PHNL airport. There is a chain linked fence with no signage on how to enter. You actually have to call their office to have someone open the gate for you. They have a medium sized hangar converted into an office. A good way to figure out that your in the right place is by looking at the plane parked on the tie down area. Their website has N numbers of their airplanes. Called earlier to schedule a dual flight with a CFI. Decided to reschedule but in the meantime went over some ground work, did not realizing I was being charged a full hour for this ground work, did not have a chance to utilize a full hour of time with the CFI. Customers beware. For a visiting pilot to rent an airplane here, you need to do a checkout with one of the CFIs. They do not allow night flying on their rental planes. There is only 2 airports you could fly to from Oahu. One airport is 5 minutes away and another in north shore called Dillingham. Inter-island flights require a checkout to Molokai and back. About 1.5-2 hr flight. Finally schedule a time later to do a sight seeing ride to Molokai and Lanai with another CFI. After hearing the usual ramblings of flying in a Class Bravo airspace, mind you, I live and fly in Los Angeles and own the exact airplane that I renting with this company, owned this aircraft for 4 years. I have flown in San Diego, McCarran, Tijuana and Ensenada. And not once quizzed on my aeronautical knowledge or knowledge of the aircraft. I am also a private pilot as well. Started the plane, taxied, performed the run up. CFI was helpful in the radio calls and GPS usage. The area has strong winds with gusts. Pilots there fly more aggressively than in LA and well above Vy speeds on taking off. The view on taking off and seeing the waikiki is amazing. It is very pretty and I was in awe with the island, water, sky. Flying out of the island, the view at kailua bay is awesome. The water is so blue, it just looks unreal. For anybody thinking of doing a flight around Hawaii it is worth the scenic value. Went over to Molokai, did a touch a go at Kualapuu. There was alot of gusts, I was 800 AGL on final and with all the drafts was able to bleed all that altitude on final for a nice landing. 70 kt final in a 2000 Cessna 172 SP. Wanted to land at Kauapapa but was told that we couldn't leave the airport without state permission. If you have reservations with a tour guide, then you can leave the airport with the tour guide. Kalaupapa airport is a very scenic area, an airport at a tip of a peninsula, and light house on the side. The cliffs on Molokai are awesome. We headed over to Lanai, saw a few shipwrecks and headed back. CFI said it's been 6 months since he's done this scenic route. Got back to the ground, some complaints on the landing even though it was good. I was frustrated and annoyed at the end of flight and it didn't have to be that way. This wasn't a lesson and some of these suggestions was more religious than practice test standards. It's like whether you like your toilet paper over or under, whether you like to sleep head facing up or down or whether you prefer coke or pepsi. Things they can do better. Better spelling of customer's contact information. My contact information was spelled in island phonetics. CFIs there need to stop treating visiting pilot like idiots and just straight quiz the visiting pilots on their aeronautical knowledge for competence rather than assuming no competance. Hobbs time was not recorded upon starting plane, be sure you check this before you operate the airplane. CFIs needs to inform customers up front whether they are being charged for their time. 2.5 stars but we'll say 3 since Yelp doesn't allow for 2.5. read more

I want to thank all the people at George's Aviation Service for helping me to get my ATP Air Transport Rating. They have a full time maintenance crew of 3 people that keeps all of their planes in awesome order. The front desk staff are friendly and awesome. George and Donna the owners are very supportive. The planes are newer than most flight schools. They have many full time flight instructor to choose from. Thank you much to my flight instructor Stephen Holmes for training me for my ATP. This place is an awesome place to get you moving in your career in aviation. Thank you and much aloha to George's Aviation Service. read more

George's Aviation is awesome. They have a handful of well maintained, late model single engine planes and one twin. They provide instruction as well, and George and his folks are very kind. The real value is to certificated pilots like me who come over from the mainland and want to fly around the islands. George will have one of his people do a checkride (to either Lanai or Molokai), and then you are good to go by yourself. It's a bit pricey, but hey - that's aviation Brah. read more

From Chicago.. Coming to Hawaii on a family vacation and love to fly and close to the hours need to get a pilots license. Made an appointment 4 months ago after no return phone calls for two months at Barbers Point. Was told to call Barbers Point one week before hand to confirm and when I did was told "Sorry, plane is down for maintenance!" . Looked frantically at the last minute for a place to fly. George's Aviation picked up where Barbers Point left off. At last minute they scheduled me in with only about a week and a half notice and spent half of a day flying around the Islands with my son. Our instructor Aaron was very knowledgeable about the islands and made our flight very enjoyable. Although Barbers point was at my back door staying at Aluani on the southwest side of the island and they would have been much more convenient they left me no option since I "HAD TO FLY!". Thank You George's Aviation for a very memorable experience. read more

Excellent flight school. Second to none in Honolulu! Best customer service. Most aircraft of any company. Excellent maintenance record. Easy to work with. Numerous instructors ready to assist. Low monthly fee. Nathan helped me get my ASEL add on extremely quickly. Always wiling to accommodate my difficult schedule! Can only say positive things about this organization and the employees!! read more

I've been flying the Diamond Da40 through George's Aviation for the past 4 years and they are the best planes in Hawaii. The g1000 navigational system in the DA40 has no comparison, and really does give you the best flight experience. The mechanics are friendly and always helpful getting the aircrafts safe for flight. Mahalo nui loa to the instructors and team members at Georges for having a professional yet comforting customer experience. Nathan Koller-Ingram is one of the instructors at George's Aviation and he represents one of the many well qualified instructors. He (Nathan) has many years of experience in both fixed wing and rotorcraft aircrafts. Professional yet casual enough for a positive learning experience. read more

As an Oahu resident I have flown Geoges Aviation to Lanai Airport. The trip was everything they promised us! Safe, professional and on time! We are plan to use again to Kauai for special event. Once you fly inter-island one a private plane, it's hard to go back to a commercial flight!! read more

I came to Georges Aviation with specific goals and no previous flying experience. I cannot thank the flight instructor George's put me in touch with, Nathan (808airmen), enough for helping me find my passion for aviation and more specifically helicopters. Being born and raised on Oahu, I've seen more of the islands from the sky than over the 25 years I've been here! Nathan's enthusiasm for flying is contagious! He stresses safety on every flight and goes above and beyond to explain concepts of aviation, flight, and to meet my specific goals. I learn and see new things on every flight and there is never a dull moment in the sky. He's a true professional and great at what he does! read more

My stepson has been flying with them for a while and they have been giving him the run around!!! One of his instructors was named Matt Lee and he was very unprofessional! Unless they give some of their instructors etiquette classes I would not recommend! read more

First of all I want to start out by saying that I have been to many flight schools throughout California and Hawaii, I have never found a better group of folks than at Georges aviation services. Georges Aviation Services offers Inter-island Charters that cater to the customer's personal needs. As far as customer service is concerned, I personally believe it can not be beat! Secondly, if you were interested in becoming a pilot yourself George's Aviation Service's offers personalized flight instruction with a multi-culture group of pilot/instructors that will cater to your personal needs! Last, I almost forgot to mention that georges aviation services even has helicopters. You know those things with the propeller on top! The instructor's on hand are hand picked by the company partners, one of which is an Airline Transport Pilot himself! Basically, as to not ramble on too much, you walk through the door and feel like your at home! Thank you George's Aviation Services! read more

George's is a great outfit with top notch planes and instructors. Special props out to Nathan- a fantastic instructor.

I have been taking lessons with George's Aviation for about two years now. Everything from the planes to the staff has been wonderful. I've flown with Nathan and he has been great! We have worked together to make my goals attainable. This was the best choice for me. read more

OKAY after a few years flying in Hawaii and a bunch of other places, I'm back in with George's and things are a lot better. The rental fleet is awesome - esp in the 'Galvin' stable of planes - including three Diamond DA-40s with pristine G-1000s - and they're nicely available. If you're a member of the club ($25/month) the hourly costs are extremely reasonable and cross country/overnight rates are good also. Check-out was snappy but thorough and it always helps to have very recent experience in make/model. Strongly recommend George's for students as well as rentals. read more

Wonderful flight!! Easiest way to get from Lanai to Kona at very reasonable price. The seats were comfortable and the ride was great!! Loved the pilots!! read more

About as professional as it gets on the islands. Prices are OK. But the condition of some of the rental aircraft is sketchy as are some of the safety procedures. Good flight instructors that seem to care. read more

I first checked out George's Aviation on their website to see what checkout requirements were and what the rates were. I had planned to take my wife on a site seeing tour around some of the islands when we went there for vacation. Their website indicated that in order to do cross country flights between islands that a check out cross country flight to Lanai was required with one of their CFI's and that's all it took. That was the first misstatement. I even called the FBO to clarify what I needed to do and they told me that same thing and asked that I schedule as far in advance as possible to get an available CFI. I scheduled a duel checkout flight with one of their CFI's (Matt Lee) for a Tuesday afternoon and showed up over an hour early so I could do some cross country flight planning and weights and balance on the aircraft. This CFI sat there and chatted with me while I was doing my flight planning but little did I know they were charging me for this "ground time". Even though ground time is instruction time and this instructor clearly stated that he couldn't provide instruction during a check out flight he still charged me for ground duel time. Then when I went to do the pre-flight of the plane and this CFI was observing he didn't once indicate anything different in the 172 SP model versus the older 172's, such as each wing having 5 fuel sample points, and only said something after most of the pre-flight was complete. After that I called for clearance delivery and we taxied to the run up area and did run up. Now I'll be the first to admit that my class B airspace ATC skills were a little rusty since I hadn't flown in class B airspace in a few years but I could have definitely gotten through it.... Just a little slower than pilots with experience flying out of this airport. We got clearance for takeoff and headed for Maui. Now here's the second issue I have with this organization......their website says a check out to Lanai is required but this CFI said he does the cross country to the furthest island that you plan to fly too so since I was planning to fly to Kona he wanted to do a check out to at least Maui (easily 3.5 hours........so much for the two hour check out to Lanai). We headed first to Molokai. Flight was good, no problem with flying or navigation. When almost to Molokai he changed his mind and said we could land at Kalaupapa and then cross over Molokai heading back to HNL and that would be enough. We landed at Kalaupapa and did a touch and go then headed back on the east side of Molokai. Long story short.....I had no problems with flying skills or navigation skills and had a few issues talking to ATC in class B airspace but nothing that should have prevented me from flying on my own. Now here's the kicker to this story. I actually completed my initial flight training Honolulu International Airport and did my FAA check ride here back in 1997 so I had done all my duels and solo cross country flights between all the islands, except Kauai, and had done quite a few flights after getting my private pilot license between all the islands so I definitely remembered the characteristics of flying in the islands and in HNL class B. When we returned to the FBO this CFI then stated that he couldn't give me a check out but if I wanted to fly my wife around I could get one of their CFI's to fly along. He then stated he would have to charge me for ground time as well as the 1.5 hours of duel, which was essentially a waste of my time and money. My opinion of the FBO is that it is a money pit! They take advantage of visiting pilots by charging for ground time and excess cross country duel flight time to further islands instead of what they state up front in their website and it's obviously to charge the visiting pilots more money, knowing that they are probably dealing with a onetime rental. The rates at this FBO are REALLY HIGH!!!. On top of that, their website list the hourly rates but what they don't tell you is they charge a certain amount per hour for fuel instead of letting you fuel up at the current price and they don't tell you that until your there to rent the plane. I would stay as far away from this company as possible and if you're looking to do some cross country island site seeing then hire a pilot and plane to do it for you because it will definitely be less expensive. read more