I was looking for that perfect birthday gift for a friend. You know the one, where everyone wonders, "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! read more

Illinois Aviation Academy - Flight Instruction Near Me - West Chicago, Illinois

I'm a pilot that got out of flying for a while and wanted to get back in. A friend of mine recommended 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. read more

My son received his Private Pilot License from Illinois Aviation Academy in only 2 months in 2019. The school worked so hard to make sure he accomplished this goal while providing awesome support, knowledge and care. About 2 years after achieving his private pilot license my son was training at a Part 141 flight school in Long Island, New York and unfortunately we found out they were not training him properly for his instrument rating. This was very stressful because my son only had to complete his end of course to finish with this school. We had to make a decision to leave the New York school because they were not getting the job done. After some praying and thinking we decided to go back where my son started so we called the owner Robert at Illinois Aviation and explained the New York situation and asked if they could help my son complete his instrument rating end of course. They immediately came up with a plan to get my son completed in two weeks under Part 141. I knew this was going to be a little challenge because my son could only transfer a certain amount of his credits to Illinois Aviation, however the owner, the chief pilot and instructors were ready to get the job done. They started training my son from the moment he arrived off his plane from New York in June 2021. They had an awesome plan that worked so well my son was able to get his Instrument Rating in 9 days!! My son came back home with so much more confidence in himself because of their training and support and I can't thank them enough!! What is priceless to me besides the training is the support, the people and the care they provide because good support is definitely needed during training. Thank you Illinois Aviation for all that you do! I only wish you could duplicate your school around the country. If you are considering a flight school even if you are not living in Illinois it is so worth having your training completed there. Wish you all the best with your training!! read more

This was my 12-year old's first time out. So, we were both excited about the experience. Fortunately, for almost mid-November, it was a sunny day and winds were less than 8mph. I forgot the instructor's name who gave a detailed pre-flight and then took us out. My son flew about 65-70% of the time under the patience guidance of his instructor and took off and landed 5 times--three times at the Aurora air field. The final bill aligned with details provided during the reservation call. It was a great experience and something my son looks forward to doing again and logging in his time until he can become certified several years away. It should be a great journey. read more

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I started instruction here for my private license FAA part 141. IAA has recently become 141 approved. I waited a couple weeks to really get a feel for this place before posting any of my opinions about it. Managed passionately by a skilled pilot, this school is the place to be. I've done quite a few flights here with IAA. My intent is to get my Private license, before moving to Florida. I'm currently 11 hours in, and just completed my first 8 landings. KDPA is great, as it gets you into radios, but is not overwhelming. The planes they have run great, but more importantly, their instructors and staff are top notch. Lots of positive reinforcement, and coaching where needed. My current instructor (Ben G) Is professional, but not intimidating. I see that as an invaluable asset to IAA, as taking your first few flights are intimidating enough! Overall, fantastic school. It's a blessing I live 15 minutes away... The only thing I'm not thrilled about, is that I won't be in the area to get my IFR, MEI, and commercial with them since I'll be out of state! Go ahead, schedule a tour, they got me in same day after work. Scott M. (Chief Pilot) will evaluate your needs, and give you a recommendation as to your next steps depending on your end goals. (He specifically paired me and my instructor, as my personality would have learned well with him. A bit strange to me at first assigning an instructor that way, but in 10 hours of flight I went from clueless, to full confidence I that I can land the plane properly and smoothly. Good call Scott!) read more

Illinois Aviation Academy - First solo in Qubecker - Flight Instruction Near Me - West Chicago, Illinois

We met with Scott Malcolm to gather information on flying lessons. Scott was extremely informative, patient, and knowledgeable. We spent over an hour touring the fantastic facility at DuPage Airport. Scott's straight forward approach to this unique process was refreshing. Scott shared with us his career path and offered a myriad of amazing possibilities. We are definitely excited about working with Chief Pilot Scott and his outstanding Illinois Aviation Academy team. Dr. Dan S. read more

Would recommend to look elsewhere. You feel like you're just another number here and the staff here , that I have felt, either is apathetic to you or rude. I would find another school that treats you like they want you more than just a paycheck. read more

Was a student with IAA for 3 years and made the decision to end my flight training after safety concerns arose with their fleet and staff. IAA offers aircraft rentals at good prices, but the trade off is, in my opinion, a lack of consideration for safety with an antiquated fleet of aircraft and a severe lack of customer service from their management staff. Many of their instructors are/were knowledgeable and friendly, but shortly after I left IAA, I found what I feel to be a much better school in the Chicagoland area and am happier than I ever was in my 3 years at IAA. One star for IAA due to lack of safety, outdated aircraft, shoddy training facility, bad management and poor customer service. read more

I have always been interested in learning how to fly. Illinois Aviation Academy was one of the first websites to appear when I searched for flight schools in Illinois. I was really impressed when it said that they were the only Illinois Board of Education certified school. When I called, the woman on the phone was very friendly and was able to immediately set me up with an appointment to meet with an Instructor for an intro-flight. I was even able to invite a friend to ride along in the backseat. When I arrived, my instructor Brian was waiting for me and my dad. During the flight, I was able to taxi the plane, he even allowed me to do the takeoff! We flew over my house and even stopped at another airport, where we had free cookies! It was a really fun experience and I felt very comfortable in the plane. I would highly recommend going to Illinois Aviation if you are interested in aviation. They had incredibly reasonable prices and a very clean and friendly environment. The employees and other students are all very knowledgeable and willing to help and I felt very welcomed. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Illinois Aviation Academy. read more

Illinois Aviation Academy (IAA) is a great flight school. I completed my private pilot training over a year ago and I am now working towards my multi engine and instrument rating. I came in with a simple curiosity of flight training; It was something I always wanted to try and thought about for a career. I checked out several schools in the Chicago area, however I chose IAA because of the prices and flexibility with my schedule. I strongly recommend this school to anyone that is serious about becoming a pilot. Their flight syllabus is a great way to stay on track with training and helps keep the overall costs down to a minimum - Trust me, you don't want to get off track in aviation. It costs too much. Here are some pros and cons Pros - Low prices for aircraft and instructors. - great safety record. - professional and friendly staff. - large variety of aircraft (Aztecs, cirrus's, cessna's, anything you could want) - knowledgable and experienced flight crew. - they have their own maintenance department and staff. - they went around MY schedule, other schools told me when to show up. IAA simply asked me when i would like to show up. : ) - they offer a Pilot Finance loan (if needed) - Dupage airport is a great environment to learn; it has a ATC tower and lots of runways. - they have an Elite Simulator to help keep cost down for instrument training. - IAA actually lets you fly their aircraft for fun after you get your private pilot license. Other schools don't allow you to do that, some may only let you rent it for "training," not for fun flights. - they let you "Time Build" with other pilots which gives you a 50% discount on plane. Cons - Chicago winters are tough on training so you have to be prepared to fly when weather is good. read more