Our son has earned is private pilot's license and is currently working on his instrument rating…read morewith PFA and has had a good experience with the school overall. The instructors are top notch - reliable, knowledgeable, and friendly. The school itself is growing and has expanded into multiple hangers with a variety of small aircraft. We've been pleased with his experience and have enjoyed the benefits of being his passenger.

I bought the Discovery Intro Flight as a gift for my dad who has co-piloted several times before at…read moreother flight schools (Dilligham airfield, Torrance California, Van Nuys California). Pilot Kai spent so long getting the plane ready for take off, the planes at this academy are older than at other flight schools so they need more maintenance and checking. Pilot spent a long time on the runway trying to close the door shut. That extra time waiting right before take off is billed to you. Pilot flew to the west side of Oahu, which is not that scenic. We would have liked to see the Eastern or Windward side, which my dad mentioned. Pilot was only able to let my dad pilot the plane for a very short time because the older plane is more difficult to control (not as automated with more advanced newer planes). My dad wasn't allowed to co-pilot take off or landing. At least the front desk staff is friendly, helpful and accommodating. My dad also gave the pilot a good tip. Unfortunately, because of those reasons my dad didn't enjoy his flight and I didn't feel that we got a good value for the experience.

George's aviation took me from .9 hours (I had previously had a discovery flight with a different…read morecompany) 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!

One of the flight instructors, Keoni Rivera is truly top-notch - patient, knowledgeable, and…read moreincredibly 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.

For my husband's birthday while we were on Oahu, I purchased a 1 hour Discovery Flight from Lani…read moreLea Flight School. While it was the most expensive discovery flight service I found, it was the only one that had openings last minure (I had only started looking for a flight a week before our trip) so we went with it. We had a great time! The Lani Lea offices are very nice. Prior and after our flight we were served drinks in the waiting area, and after the flight we got snacks too. The team was very hospitable, and also took photos of us on the plane before our flight. We did the 1 hour island tour, and since it was at the end of our trip it was cool to see all the places we had visited, but from the sky! We flew on a Cessna 172P with instructor Matt, and would recommend the experience again. It was a little bit windy and rocky, but I brought ginger candies so I wouldn't feel as sick. My husband got to fly the plane, and I sat in the back and watched. Matt said that it is up to us - my husband could decide to fly as much as possible, or take a break just to take photos. Even if you don't want to fly the plane yourself, it's still a neat experience.

Had a horrible time with Lani lea flight school, they told me i had an appointment with them on…read moresunday the day they told me they were open but saw they were closes and i asked twice to make sure if they open on that day 3 months in advance for a lesson out here while im on vacation, the day comes i get no calls and i try calling and no answer, i show up in person and like i expected the store was closed and walked around for an hour asking other stores if they had another meeting spot which i went to and no one was also there, they are super unprofessional and i wouldn't recommend anyone to try flying out with this school

Great service. Their website is in Japanese only, but for you English speakers just give them a…read morecall. Emi scheduled our helicopter tour, and even picked us up from our hotel on-time. She was super nice. What a great experience - ask them for their specials.

AWESOME helicopter tour! I did this on my 25th birthday as a present to myself (2nd present…read moreactually - Hawaii was my first present!) I booked and the person picked me up and dropped me off promptly. There was another couple from the mainland on the helicopter tour with me and the pilot was nice enough to let me sit next to him in front (although the husband seemed pissy when the pilot asked him if I could sit in front). Anyway, the pilot was really cool. I told him I was afraid of heights and when we were going through some turbulence, he kept talking to me to make sure I wouldn't freak out. We veered off course and got to see more than what was planned for. He also pointed out every landmark and some whales (or what he thought were whales!) as well as gave some interesting facts/history about the things he was pointing out. If you're ever in Oahu, give them a call! They are super friendly and super professional!!!

I am a current private pilot and decided to add a glider rating. It has been 20+ years since I…read morefirst flew a glider. Brian and Yuko have a fantastic operation. This is the only winch tow at the airfield and is by far my favorite way to get to release altitude. This is an amazing place to add a rating. I am looking forward to my ongoing training here!

Although I visit one of the islands every year, it's been many, many years since my last visit to…read moreOahu. On this visit, there was one definite item on my list of things to do...and that was to go soaring! As a power and glider pilot, I've been lucky enough to be exposed and get training under various conditions. But the one condition that has always eluded me was ridge soaring. But here on Oahu (in particular, Dillingham Airfield) ridge soaring is fairly predictable and common. On a scouting drive to the airport, I met up with Brian who courteously gave me all the information I needed to set up a lesson in the following days. He stayed in touch with me by phone as minor changes detoured our arrangement slightly. Arriving at the airport a few days later, I got to watch sailplane operations...both winch and aerotow. Brian next introduced me to the flight instructor that would accompany me on my flight..."JJ." After the standard discussion about my piloting experience, JJ and I were buckled in and ready for our winch launch in a Grob103. Now most of my glider experience is through winch launching. But when I was told they typically winch to just 900 ft, I was a little skeptical as that is the altitude I'd usually be at when preparing to land. But this is their turf and I completely trusted in their professionalism and expertise. Releasing at 1100 ft (we got a little extra altitude), JJ had me bee-line directly for the ridge on the south side of the runway...and just like that...lift! So up we went! After just a couple passes up and down the ridge line, we'd gained just over a 1000 ft of altitude. With altitude, we could now extend our soaring range along the ridge. On this particular day, we found some really strong lift and some sink as well. But we worked a couple areas that had really strong lift and eventually made it up to 3800 ft. Besides seeing a few other sailplanes, you get a spectacular view of the coastline that stretches north (AKA North Shore)....waves as far as the eye can see! We also spotted a few whales breaching and making big splashes just off shore. But for me, the real beauty is awesome views in all directions...like the large windmills in the distance and clouds right above you. Even the green treeline on the ridge we soared above was a true sight to see from the air. Seeing everything from the air, is just better in my book! Of all the things I did on my vacation to Oahu, this tops my list of fun things I did! As we flew, I had numerous questions about ridge soaring which JJ promptly answered and explained. It was great to meet and fly with people that knew the game so well. If you are ever on Oahu, I'd strongly suggest you take a ride with HGSA. If you're a pilot too, take a formal lesson...you might be amazed at what you can learn from the unique conditions this area offers. Much thanks...Brian and JJ! If either of you are ever in Prescott, Arizona, come check out our winch operations!

Bill and his guys are excellent. Safe, fun and absolutely stunning to see and experience. My son…read moresaw two whales this week while in the glider. This is a must do when on Oahu!

Great experience!…read more Bill was great, and my pilot Sean was a real pro and very knowledgeable! And it was an absolutely fun ride!

Maui Plane Rides is located in Maui Hawaii at a small airport deep in the island near the Costco…read more We were out enjoying happy hour in Maui when we met a young couple originally from Colorado. The female half was a pilot. While talking she recommended to us that we should take a sunset flight over Maui with her old boss at Maui Plane Rides. She said it was truly a life changing experience. Well, that was enough for us, we booked one and embarked on our journey a few days later. We arrived to the small airport and met our pilot, Eric was his name maybe? He was originally from New York and was a very friendly fellow. He did his pre flight checks and we loaded into the plane and away we went. The pilot flew us all over the island and he was a very informative with his knowledge of the island and local history. The flight path he took was truly EPIC! He let my wife fly the plane for about 5 minutes, which was super cool of him. The flight was absolutely a must do if you have the opportunity and the funds. You will never see a sunset quite like the sunset over Maui from a plane. It was the most beautiful sunset ever. And I have seen many sunsets in many locales. The experience was top notch, the pilot was A+++++ and the night was truly incredible as our newly met Colorado friends stated it would be. I cannot recommend Maui Plane Rides enough, the experience was truly like nothing we've ever done before.

Had a wonderful panoramic view of Maui and the surrounding Islands with an engaging and informative…read morepilot.

I had the most amazing experience paragliding with Doug. The weather was perfect. His instructions…read morewere simple and easy to understand. We were in the air in about 10 minutes after arriving to our starting point. He always let me know what to expect during the process. I personally wasn't nervous to begin with, but once we were getting ready to go, he just confirmed my expectations. He will record and take photos with a GoPro for small extra fee, which I found worth it. Then you can enjoy the flight. Also, if you're interested he will teach you how to control the parachute once you're in the air. Communication was seamless. Easy to reach via phone, and also provides detailed instructions through text. Definitely worth trying (at least once- I plan to do it again)!

What a tremendous experience! This was the highlight of the trip for my fiance' and the experience…read morecould not have been an better! First off, the communication was simply outstanding. Doug was always very responsive with scheduling, planning around weather/ wind, and preparation for the flight. He makes safety a top priority and that was comforting for both of us. The flight was amazing. Incredible views and he pointed out landmarks and other notable areas of the island. Easy take off, smooth landing, and everything in between was great. He's also a great resource for O'ahu activities; dining, snorkeling spots, etc. Fly with Doug with confidence. You will not regret it. Mahalo, Doug!