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.

Dave is one of the best instructor in the country. He has such a calmness to his tone of voice and…read moreinstructions during the training. Without Dave, we wouldn't have gotten our licenses. We purchased LSA before the training and he didn't even hesitate to instruct us in a different aircraft. If anyone is planning to get their license near Chicago area, this place is a must. Also, if you just want to see / feel how flight instruction is like, then take their introductory flight and/or flight tour of down town Chicago! I would highly suggest to take their introductory flight during the holiday season! Simply fly is simply awesome!

Fantastic airplane and the introductory flight was amazing! Made me feel very welcome and got some…read moregreat information. I would highly recommend giving simply fly a chance. It's my top pick.

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!

My son received his Private Pilot License from Illinois Aviation Academy in only 2 months in 2019…read more 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!!

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.

My son has been taking guitar classes for a couple months in St. Charles. Originally we signed him…read moreup more for fun. Didn't realize how impressed I'd be with how much he's grown in his playing ability. He loves his teacher and looks forward to his lessons every week. Really cool to see his progress, can't recommend enough

Literally the most unprofessional business I have ever dealt with. Zero or actually negative…read morestars. While my oldest daughter worked with Kaitlyn for voice lessons for a few years and had a great experience with her, the business is so poorly run, and they will just take your money and run. About a year ago, we were informed that we owed over $2000 in back pay due to their lack of proper accounting. It took me hours to go over records and verify that what they were claiming was correct. And in the end, I still wasn't sure if there was some inflation of charges since it was over a year's worth of billing that I had no invoices to keep track of. After this blunder on their part, they changed their accounting and billing policy and actually started sending invoices monthly. But the invoices reflected payments for 2 months in advance. So essentially if you decide to quit, they have 2 months worth of your money. My daughter's voice teacher, Kaitlyn, decided to leave AMI, and we were only given 1 week's notice prior to her leaving. In fact Kaitlyn said she was instructed NOT to say anything up until one week before. And my daughter is about to go to college, so switching now to a new teacher made no sense. So now we are left with over $800 in credits that we will never use. I asked several times for them to reconsider and reimburse our money. In the medical field where I work, it is customary to give patients 90 days notice if you are leaving so they can find a new provider. And we have worked with other music related businesses and none of them were crooks like AMI. Look elsewhere.

My preschooler loves Ms. Jessica. she is always doing fun curriculum with them. My school ager…read moreloves Ms. Larixza. Larixza has good classroom management and is really on the curriculum too!

My family has been with this daycare for 6 years, and we couldn't be happier. My oldest son…read moreattended here, my younger son has been here for the past year, and now I'll be bringing my new baby as well. The staff is caring, supportive, and truly treats the children like family. Director Amy is wonderful and always goes above and beyond for the kids and parents. I am so grateful to have found such a safe and nurturing environment for my children!

International Flying Club is a volunteer group of pilots and student pilots whose goal is to…read moreprovide an inexpensive way to fly. The club has been around since 1975. There are three planes, two very suitable for primary (beginner) training (Piper Warrior and Cessna 152) and several patient, skilled and friendly instructors. There is also a single engine complex (Piper Arrow). The hourly rates are "wet" which includes fuel. You can get your Private Pilot for around $5k here... not bad! Check out the website and give a call or shoot an email.

Our son has been going to SOR for 2 years. The regional manager Brandy Boska walked into the co. 6m…read moreago with zero customer service edicate! I expressed some conncern when I learned about a Manger leaving. I talked to her about some concerns of personal growth for our son and she had disregarded all of it as well you want this then you have to pay. Last week I was trying to work with the on site manager about maybe trying to have our son work with a teacher who can flip flop weeks through the month to teach piano and drums. As other students have been able to do this. Next thing I get is an email - we no longer want your business basically because they didn't like constructive criticism of suggestions from a loyal paying customer wanting to grow their child's musical talents. When I called the office the manager tried telling me its because I yelled at teachers on multiple occasions. Lie! I have gone in only speaking with the manager and with kindness but expressed some frustration. I was told she will get back to me as things are changing around here. So my 12 yr old son who was exited to start a new band, instead I had to be tell him that the school of rock terminated our business! Wow terminated a customer because they don't want to provide accommodations! Last time I checked a stong business goes above beyond to accommodate a customer or to talk about options to assist. Nope not the Geneva nor Schaumburg location. I guess getting too rich too fast to care about word of mouth goes far! Becareful customers!

My 12 year old son and 9 year old daughter both attend SOR in Geneva and absolutely love it there!…read moreThe staff and instructors are fantastic and they've done a great job of creating a close knit group of kids, with emphasis on positive encouragement and support. We've seen both kids progress in terms of their musical ability, but it's also really helped their overall confidence and desire to learn more. Lastly, the focus on performance is teaching them accountability to their band mates. Overall, a great experience and a great team in the Geneva location!