I couldn't think of a better place to write my first Yelp review than Lani Lea Flight School @lanileaflightschool and I especially wanted to give a huge shoutout to Auli'i (Janyn), who continues to mentor me as I pursue my dream career as a pilot. Currently, I'm a CFI and I owe so much of my success to her incredible instruction during my private pilot training at Lani Lea flight school which paved my foundation and confidence. When I started my training at Lani Lea, Auli'i was my instructor and she is nothing short of AMAZING. Her patience, professionalism and dedication to her students are unmatched. She is incredibly conscious of flight time, ensuring I never wasted money while still getting the most out of every lesson. Her clear and concise instruction made complex concepts easy to understand. On top of that, she regularly shared videos and gave me handouts to help improve both in the air and during ground training. She also loaned me her aviation books and let me use her daughters Bose headset while I waited for mine to arrive. Although I eventually had to finish my training in California to expedite the process, the solid foundation Auli'i gave me made a huge difference. My instructors in California were so impressed with my skills that they even reached out to Auli'i and the Lani Lea staff to commend her work! Recently, I referred a friend to Lani Lea and insisted they request Auli'i as their instructor. My friend couldn't stop raving about her, and just this week shared an incredible story: During a flight, with a another student they lost communication (radios were not working) and had to squawk 7600. Auli'i handled the situation like the seasoned CFI-I she is - navigating light gun signals and landing safely at Kalaeloa Airport. If you are considering an intro flight at Lani Lea or looking for a flight school, do yourself a favor and request Auli'i as your instructor. She's the kind of instructor who inspires confidence and truly cares about her students' success. Thank you, Auli'i for being such a special part of my journey! Btw... Auli'i gives all the credit of what she knows and the person that inspired her during her CFI-I training to Mark at @bpflightschool team work makes dream work! read more

We had a truly wonderful experience with Lani Lea Sky Tours from start to finish. The team member who helped us over the phone was incredibly sweet, kind, and patient. They went above and beyond to find a time that worked for us, even though we had a very limited schedule on the island. On the day of our tour, they arranged for a hotel pickup, and the driver was absolutely splendid. Not only was he polite and kind, but he also acted as a mini tour guide, pointing out interesting sights and suggesting things to do along the way. It was such a thoughtful touch that added to the overall experience. Once we arrived, everything was perfectly set up to create a memorable and luxurious experience. We felt like VIPs from the moment we stepped in. The staff was professional, warm, and welcoming, ensuring every detail was taken care of. The pilot was equally exceptional--kind, patient, and thorough. He took the time to explain what we could expect during the flight, discussed the current weather and wind conditions, and how they might impact our tour. Using a 3D map, he gave us a preview of the route and encouraged us to share any specific sights we wanted to focus on, making the experience feel personalized and special. Every member of the Lani Lea Sky Tours team went above and beyond to provide an incredible experience. If you're looking for a professional, thoughtful, and unforgettable sky tour, we cannot recommend them enough! read more

This is probably the best flight school around, with the absolute best instructors. The school has a great environment, always kept clean, with a great friendly staff. The owners are periodically in and out, and they are very very nice! They care very much about this school. Lindsey who works up front is very helpful, patient, and nice. The planes are kept up nicely on maintenance. Karl the mechanic is so great and informative! Before my check-ride there were a few fouled spark plugs and Karl took the time to show me and explain to me what they looked like and what caused this. My instructor Natalie is the best instructor around. I believe she honestly teaches from her heart, because she truly loves to teach. Her way of teaching is unique, she is very informative, great at explaining things, and a very smart and safe pilot. She's very flexible with schedules, and will work with you and push for you to succeed. I have learned so much from this flight school, I honestly don't think I could have found a better school and learning to fly in class Bravo airspace is such a bonus! I know I couldn't have found a better instructor, and I plan to continue my education in aviation here. read more

I am a soloed pilot. My training was interrupted first by a health issue, than for a year by COVID-19 restrictions. While on vacation in Oahu, I decided to go up with an instructor to assess and refresh my skills. My experience in a C-172 with CFI Clay was amazing. He navigated me out of class B airspace to a practice area and did some air work, then touch and goes at Kalaeloa Field. CFI Clay has a wonderful manner and is a great communicator. In addition, the hospitality shown by the owner and staff at Lani Lea was 5 Star. Not only did they pick me up from my hotel but their facility is spotless and the reception area is like a living room. The Japanese hospitality included a pre-flight beverage and snack while I completed the paperwork and a post flight beverage, snack and cold moist towel to cool me off. Satomi-san in the office is bi-lingual English-Japanese and CFI's are either English or Japanese-speaking. read more

During our stay in Oahu in October, we selected Lani Lea Flight School to fly around the island. We met Kai, our flight instructor, early in the morning for our introductory flight before the clouds rolled in. My husband is a pilot so he flew the majority of the route. Kai was excellent to fly with, patient, and knowledgeable about the island and he handled all the radio communication to the tower. We flew over an hour and circled the island while I was able to take great photos. We would highly recommend Kai as a flight instructor, he was very accommodating, thorough in prepping our flight and professional. Lindsey was great to work with also, she was very considerate in handling our payment and always pleasant in person and on the phone. The flight school was clean, inviting, and all employees were friendly. We highly recommend Lani Lea Flight School. read more

I was on the island for a vacation (November 2021) and wanted to take my wife flying. I'm a pilot and aircraft owner, so I know what to look for with regard to maintenance and safety. All the necessary maintenance records were available for my inspection, and they were perfect. Service and amenities were outstanding. Round-trip transportation from our resort, fresh baked goods available on our arrival. Very professional flight instructor took the right seat and was very accommodating to a fellow pilot. (Pilots: Be ready for tricky maneuvering when reentering the HNL area, and don't be too proud to let the instructor handle it if you're not completely comfortable with busy airspace and tight quarters.) I would happily fly with Lani Lea again, and recommend them without reservation for anyone who wants to fly or just take a tour. read more

Lani Lea is an outstanding flight school. My children came to visit and I wanted to do something out of the ordinary for them. After looking around, I called and spoke with Lindsey about flight options. She was extraordinary with her customer service, worked with my last minute schedule, and even suggested an Introduction Flight for my daughter. She absolutely loved it! Natalie was the instructor suggested for the intro flight, and we couldn't have asked for a better one! She was very patient and reassuring with my daughter, and was extremely friendly and knowledgeable throughout the entire experience. Both my daughter and son were all smiles the entire day. It was a truly memorable experience and I highly recommend Lani Lea. I will be going back! read more

I got my PPL through this place. Initially everything was fine. But lately things really took a turn for the worst. First they said you can no longer rent their planes as a pilot and take a friend or a family member. Then they came up with a policy that says if you are going to fly solo, the CFI has to sit in their office while you are flying and get charged for their idle time. But the best part is the following: I put an extra $1000 in my fling schedule pro account and told them I do not want to fly with them anymore. They refuse to refund me. With all the restrictions above, how can I even bring down my balance. I am thinking about calling the FAA and report them. This has got to be some type of fraud. read more

I had a wonderful time here! I love aviation and hawaii so much, the Circle island cessna tour is one of the best things that I always want to do in Hawaii. I visited here in 2018, 2021, also 23rd Sep. 2023!! Guide (latest visit : instructor was CFI Ian) are very professional, and the venue and Owner are truly ALOHA, welcoming atmosphere is amazing. I have also tried similar venue (such as, Washin air, George's, Pacific air charters, etc etc. ) they are all great but Lani Lea is the BESTEST to me. Absolutely worth it. I will definitely come here next visit. LOVE and ALOHA. read more

I'm in the military and I needed help with my pilots licence. I needed to finish a private pilot check ride that I couldn't finish in my original location due to transfer. I flew with Kai at Lani Lea and with a little polishing from him, nailed my private pilot manuvers time after time. I took my final check ride with the local examiner on saturday! I could not say enough good things about Lani Lea Aviation. Natalie has been beyond helpful and I would re comend to anyone looking to pursue aviation to seek out this operation. read more

This is the only place I'll ever go when I'm looking for an airplane to use in Hawaii. The staff: Satomi, Warren and Mike were the most warm and welcoming people I've ever met. The place was spotlessly clean, the aircraft well maintained, and the Instructor Warren was completely familiar with the very complex arrival and departure procedures. I enjoyed every moment of the experience. I recommend Lani Lea Flight School and Sky Tours without any hesitations. THANK YOU for an AMAZING DAY! read more

I ended up completing my flight training from Private Pilot through the Commercial certificate. The flight school provides the best instruction on island with aircraft that are well maintained and available for rent for a reasonable price. The instructor staff at Lani Lea is extremely professional, patient, and knowledgeable. Finally, it is worth noting that the facility that they operate of is immaculate and second to none. read more

What looks like a well kept lounge with friendly staff members turns out to be a flight school filled with knowledgeable flight instructors. Started my private pilot training at a different school but so glad I ended with Lani Lea. Shoutout to Mark Ramos and Ian Hofreiter for the excellent instruction. Highly recommend anyone wanting to learn how to fly to begin at Lani Lea! read more

Awesome place. I am in town for work. After calling and visiting a few schools, I came across Lani Lea. Lindsey gave me the run down, and provided excellent customer service. Natalie was my instructor on my flight around the island. She's very articulate and patient. If I lived here this is the school I would choose. The plane was in great shape. Outstanding experience! read more

I happened to have an opening in my conference schedule while visiting Hawaii and looked for a flight school / aircraft rental company that could accommodate me on the spot. Lindsey from Lani Lea bent over backwards to find a fellow pilot to fly with me and freed up an aircraft to meet my schedule. It was a phenomenal experience! I will return next year! read more

I have always had great experiences at Lani Lea. Natalie was my instructor, and she is amazing! She worked with my schedule, it was fun leaning from her, and I wouldn't change anything about the experience I had. She is a great person, and I've learned so much from her. Lindsey is also so nice and always willing to help. I highly recommend Lani Lea. read more

Lani Lea has great service and took care of us from the moment they picked us up at the hotel to the moment they dropped us off. Our pilot / tour guide was very friendly and the staff were great. We had a fun time doing a loop of Oahu and learning some of the good sightseeing spots all over the island. read more

We had a great time seeing Oahu from the sky. Our pilot was fantastic and the entire staff was very kind. Our driver was very interesting and nice and the entire experience from start to finish was a great time. I would highly recommend. read more

Went for an island tour with these folks and had a great time. It was the perfect balance of flying and sightseeing for an out-of-practice VFR pilot like myself. Highly recommend. read more