Dear Jakob kieldbierg Instructor you are amazing I would…read morelike to sincerely thank you for the wonderful Discovery Flight experience I had with you. It was very valuable to me and increased my motivation and passion for flying. I also truly appreciate your guidance and patience during the lesson. I am very glad I had this opportunity, and I look forward to learning more from your knowledge and experience in the future. Best regards, Selina

We highly recommend - bought the downtown Chicago flight as a birthday present for my husband and…read morethe experience. far exceeded our expectations. Yes, the views are incredible but you also learn so much. Such a thoughtful and gracious and fun training. I recommend doing the video upgrade. You will have a video before the wheels hit the ground. It's incredible. Jim Kwasek is so engaging with so much to share. He has just the right touch for this work. We are new to the Chicago area and this is a great way to introduce yourself to the city.

They closed suddenly within the last year or so. I had paid for a discovery flight which they…read morerescheduled several times due to bad weather, and when I called back to reschedule once again, no one answered. I learned Dean Ellis shut down operations abruptly and I can't get a refund.Apparently Dean also owes his former employees money but he disappeared. I tried contacting multiple people to get a refund but they were unable to help. What a shitty thing to do.

I was interested in Sim lessons. I've been flying for 20 yrs. and wanted to transition to glass…read more I wrote them an e-mail on Sunday to which they responded, answering my initial questions. I called on Mon. to schedule a lesson and was told Liz would call me back. I didn't hear from Liz so I wrote an e-mail on Thurs to which they did not respond. On Friday, I tried again - - no response. I'm disappointed in the poor customer experience but incredulous at the poor business sense. I'll take my business elsewhere. You blew it.

I booked a discovery flight with CityWings at Pilot Pete's as a birthday gift for my husband, and…read moreoverall it ended up being a really memorable experience. Our reservation was scheduled for 4:00 PM, and when we arrived there was a sign outside instructing guests to call or text a phone number upon arrival. I immediately sent a text and waited, but after about 10 minutes I still hadn't received a response. I then tried calling the number multiple times with no luck. By this point, I was getting a little concerned because there wasn't anyone around to check us in or let us know what was going on. Thankfully, a kind gentleman nearby offered to walk across to one of the airport buildings to ask about our reservation. Shortly after, Victoria came out to greet us. She was incredibly sweet, apologetic, and explained that they hadn't realized we were waiting. Unfortunately, by that point it was already around 4:30 PM. Despite the rough start, Victoria completely turned the experience around. She was knowledgeable, professional, and took the time to explain everything thoroughly. She made us feel comfortable and excited about the flight. One of the coolest parts was that she even let my husband take control of the aircraft for a bit, which made the experience even more special. A few things to know before booking: the Discovery Flight is around $100 and only accommodates two people--the instructor and one guest. If you're planning this as a gift, keep that in mind. My biggest complaint was the communication. Ironically, the phone number I had been texting and calling didn't return my call until around 6:00 PM, after the flight was already over and I was practically home. That was definitely disappointing and something I think could be improved. That being said, the actual flight experience was fantastic and made for a unique birthday gift. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and professional. There was another flight company across the airport that appeared to have a more traditional reception area and staff available on-site, although it was significantly more expensive. It may be worth researching both options depending on the experience you're looking for. Overall, I would absolutely recommend CityWings for anyone interested in a discovery flight. Just make sure to confirm your reservation and arrival instructions beforehand. Thanks to Victoria, what started as a frustrating experience ended up becoming a birthday memory we'll always remember.

Sebastian is truly a professional trainer! I bought a 60 minute introductory flight for my…read moredaughter and she loved it! He took her to 2 other local airports so she could practice takeoffs and landings. He took time to explain all the features of the plane - before and after the flight. He also set her up on the simulator in his office both before and after her flight. If you are interested in purchasing a flight - I highly recommend Citywings with Sebastian.

Is this business closed? I called and left TWO more messages this past week and still have not…read moregotten a call back.

Flying a hellichopper for the first time is like trying to balance a full martini while riding a…read moreunicycle! Which, is not nearly as easy as it sounds. That said, local flying legend Chris Bachman is the Man and makes you feel comfortable and confident piloting his helicopter. More details to come soon but life is too short to not take a few lessons up at Bachman Aero. I recommend a 30 minute lesson to get your wings wet, then buying a package of 30 and 60 minute flights....

I have been a member of TEA for a while. They do flight training but also it's a place to rent…read moreplanes for your 100$ hamburger. I just got some recurrent training from Mike, great guy and even better instructor. Also if you need to rent a plane once you're checked out, TEA does that! Some flight schools do not rent or are not as easy to work with getting a plane to rent once you get your license. The "schools" use their planes for training and are not able to let them go for a few days for a trip. TEA has rentals in their DNA. The owners Lori and Ken are easy to work with, friendly and down-to-earth people. I've checked other rental policies around DuPage airport. TEA is the most reasonable. I absolutely love this place! You should give them a call or stop in.

(First of all, contrary to the Yelp location, the address is 3N060 Powis Road…read moreWEST CHICAGO, IL ) ... I started having these dreams of flying. Sooner or later though, you always have to wake up... Or do you? I began investigating flight schools near and far. Then, I focused around Aurora airport and Du Page airport considering flight clubs I wanted to be part of that were convenient for renting planes. These airports are 15 - 20 minutes from my home. There are a couple flight schools at KDPA, but they do not have a flight club, and I wanted to be part of the organization from training to club member. I called Travel Express Aviation at Du Page and happened to get the owner Ken Phlamm, and he offered to stay late to meet me after work to give me the tour. I parked off Powis road on the East side of Du Page airport and entered the door into the hanger, which sort of seemed to be the "back" door, as the lobby faces the airport. Unlike other schools I visited, TEA has quite a range of planes from trainers, to Cirrus, a large Pilatus plane, a jet and a T34 trainer and others in this hanger. I found my way to the lobby and Ken gave me a great tour and explanation of the program. It is pay as you go (billing is monthly) on the set rates for instructor and planes at wet rate. They provide a complete set of Jeppesen books to buy, which is better than trying to find all the info on-line. The over all cost will be around $10K, but depends on how fast you learn. I found they do not waste too much time/money on over extended ground time, and it is best if you can read on your own and save money. The lobby is clean, modern looking, not old 70s throw away leather furniture like other flight schools. Coffee is always brewing (or available) and the bathrooms are clean. The training fleet is not the newest I've seen, but definitely not the oldest. The training planes are just what you need to learn and they are very well maintained. I was happy to see the planes did not have duck-tape repairs I have seen at other "economical" schools and they are having all the interiors re-furbished and these planes are looking very nice! They have club flights for the "$100 hamburger " at exotic places like Madison, WI. I will be taking a cross county flight soon to Oshkosh , WI with another student to log cross country hours and visit the air museum there. Overall, the planes are well maintained. There are planes of various technologies in which to learn to continue your training after your initial Private Pilot Certification: trainer, high performance, Multi-engine, high altitude. The staff is great, friendly and helpful. Travel Express seems to be the best bang for the buck.

Intro flight was great - will continue lessonsread more

My husband bought us a Groupon for instruction in a flight simulator, and we had a great…read moreexperience. Our instructor, Michael, could not have been better. He was calm, friendly, thoughtful, and definitely taught us a lot. Neither of us are pilots, so we felt a little intimidated coming in -- but were quickly put to ease with Michael. We bought the Groupon partially to overcome some fear of flying, as well as try something new. Both were accomplished! Would recommend this experience to anyone, and would love to go back in the future.

I attended the Aircraft Dispatcher course at Avel Flight School and can not recommend them enough!…read moreI had absolutely 0 aviation experience before starting the program but was able to pass both my written and oral exam first try with the help of Avel. The instructors are extremely accommodating and knowledgeable (so is Leah at the front desk) which creates an excellent learning environment. I highly suggest coming in and checking them out if you have an interest in attending a flight school because they have everything you want to offer!

Last month I successfully completed the ADX course at AVEL and got my dispatch license. It was…read morequite the ride for me personally with a very heavy full time schedule, moving into a new home and a newborn, trying to do this was not only a goal but more of an obsession to complete. Prashanth and all of his staff made it happen for me. Although the material is intimidating because it is so much it never appeared to me as if it was impossible. The classroom focus helps to narrow the study down, organize thoughts and make the learning material manageable. My classroom preparation was on point with what was asked during my exam and I should add even the examiner was so nice and made the experience a great one. I would do this all over again, with the chaos and all! I highly recommend Avel for anyone who wants to stay within the Chicago Area and get it done and not to disrupt the rest of your life....work...family..etc. Thanks Avel for helping achieve this! See you in the spring for some flying lessons next!

I was looking for that perfect birthday gift for a friend. You know the one, where everyone…read morewonders, "Why didn't I think of that?". So after considering all the options for this special guy (everything from sports memorabilia to electronics) I finally decided on a gift that would put his head in the clouds. That's right! Airplane rental! Now, of course, it helped that he is a licensed pilot so that part was taken care of. But I had to find an airport and someplace that would rent him a plane- and the kind of plane that he knows how to fly. Enter Illinois Aviation Academy. They are located out at the Du Page airport and rent about 6 different types of airplanes, from Arrow to Cesna, Piper to Diamond. Since an Arrow was what I was looking for, my search was over. And the even better news is that they have licensed instructors that will do the pre-flight approval. Prices are in line with other places with the Arrow going for $165 an hour (wet) with the pre flight coming in at around $65. It was also nice to see it was a new plane (2004). This is a well run place with the school located at one end of the hanger, and for the more experienced pilots, the lounge and preflight room are like being in a nice club somewhere. And the lucky part? My friend wanted to take me with him when he went flying and so we were off for a picnic lunch in another state soaring over the lakes and trees. And all I could do was marvel that you can rent a plane almost as simply as you can rent a car. Talk about a perfect day! Not for everyone- but if you are looking to rent a plane- give Illinois Aviation Academy a call. And your head can be in the clouds too!

I'm a pilot that got out of flying for a while and wanted to get back in. A friend of mine…read morerecommended Illinois Aviation. First impressions were fantastic. There is a lot of energy in the building. They have lots of people around, lots of flight instructors and lots of planes. From the front desk people to the instructors, all are super helpful and nice. This isn't your grandpa's flight school. I'm older but the place is filled with a big mix of people. Young, old, guys, gals. Everybody seems like they're trying to learn to fly. Which is a good thing today as it's all about experiences! The owner Bob is around often and more than willing to chat with you if you have questions. One Sunday I walked in a got a big hello from an instructor, not my instructor, but just a guy behind the desk. My lessons with Ben have gone very well. He is a great guy! Flying is the coolest thing you can do. They'll give you an introduction flight if you want to try it out. Call today and set up a time to have them take you up for an intro flight, you will be hooked.