Training at PSA Flight School has been an outstanding journey for me. I've been working toward my private pilot license over the past couple of years and have had a very positive first-hand experience. The instructors are top-notch -- highly skilled, professional, and genuinely invested in their students' success. The scheduling system is flexible and easy to use, which made it simple to plan lessons around a busy schedule. I have a full-time job with limited availability during the day, yet I could usually find a plane as early as the next day or the one after. Airplane availability has been excellent, allowing for consistent progress without delays. Throughout the process, I felt fully supported -- especially when navigating FAA paperwork, regulations, and other requirements that can be overwhelming for new pilots. I want to give a special shoutout to my instructor, Michael Hull, who has been exceptional. He's not only a fantastic teacher with deep aviation knowledge, but also a truly kind and encouraging person. He builds my confidence for the check ride in every lesson, and his clear, structured approach to both flight maneuvers and ground topics makes even the most complex areas easy to understand. Thank you, Michael! read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

Avoid at all costs!! TOTALLY OVERPRICED!!! $10 fuel surcharge??? Haha!! Oohhkkkay buddy! This is in concord !! Not exactly an expensive area to begin with!!! Forget this place! $229/hr for a g1000??? $105 for cfi??? SHOP AROUND FOLKS... this is highway robbery!! read more

I've been training at Pacific States Aviation for over two years now and have over 150 flight hours. I never had any negative experience with them. PSA team and instructors are certified professionals who strive to provide the best training possible and expect you to do your best on your lessons and fly up to standards. But don't worry because they will guide you every step of the way in order for you to get to that level. They have multiple planes that you can pick for your lesson and you can also pick an instructor that works best for you based on your schedule. I already had two instructors, Karim Saleh and Shaun Baker and both of my instructors already went to airlines! Karim Saleh had a student who is now an instructor at PSA and his name is Michael Hull. So if you want to have a professional, knowledgeable, chill and understand instructor to guide you towards your goals, Michael is the guy to go to! Another thing to know is that if you're going to be a new student at PSA, make sure you understand the PSA policies and rates and what is required of you as a student before you begin your training. Do your research and understand that some planes will go into maintenance when they reach 100 hours or a flight can be cancelled due to unexpected bad weather. COMMUNICATION is the key! You have to know how the school works and you have to know yourself and what you really need and want from the school because the school and your instructor would work with you directly to provide you the best experience possible. So, like I said above, I've never had a bad experience with PSA. I like how they send me an invoice after each lesson so I can see exactly what I'm paying for and that helped me to find a balance between school, work and personal life and that's why I'm taking my sweet time with my training. I'm basically doing it at my own pace and enjoying it. Of course there are a fast pace programs that the school provides and besides a private pilot license, you can also get your instrument rating, multi engine and commercial license with PSA. You can always talk to the main office or your instructor if you want to learn more. It's been great! Looking forward to continue my training at Pacific States Aviation Academy! read more

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Tanya is the best! Dropped Hertz rental car off and everything was taken care of. It's so cute here and they have a pool table and fresh popcorn!! read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - Inside where all the fun is happening - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

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Pacific State Aviation is really one of the best flight schools around. I have had some of the most encouraging instruction and experiences as I pursue my career in aviation. So far I've completed my instrument rating and currently am pursuing my commercial rating with Michael Hull and hopefully soon will have that under my belt I appreciate the flexibility of my instructors to work with me around my schedule and how they push me to do better each time I go up always striving for perfection thanks PSA and thanks to all their wonderful and friendly staff who are helping me along read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - The day I became a more rounded pilot getting my instrument rating to add to my skillset - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

PSA helped me achieve a life long goal of getting my pilots license. I now have crossed off many trips and adventures thanks to the lessons I learned from my instructor Eva Robinson. She's super organized, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in making you the best pilot you can be. Take a discovery flight, KCCR is a great place to learn. You get a lot of practice talking to tower. 427EP is the best. read more

Thank you Conner, Kimmie, Aracely and everyone else at PSA. Hands down the best program in Northern California. Not just a great flight school in a great location with a great program - these are wonderful people who work hard at ensuring every student succeeds. Thank you again!! read more

Great instructors like Michael H, Xavier D., and Johnny T. All have helped me get where I need to be in my pilot training.

I trained at Pacific States Aviation and earned my private pilot's license, in August, 2024. PSA is an excellent training environment, and I had a very positive experience with my instructor, Eva Robinson. She was my instructor from start to finish, and she trained me to become a safe and competent pilot, and to enjoy aviation. For anyone considering flying as a career or hobby, or would like to see what's it like (on a discovery flight), I highly recommend PSA. read more

One of the most complete flight schools in the area - Simulators, lots of aircraft including multi and TAA, plenty of knowledgeable and engaging instructors (shout out to Conner and Matt, both of which are great to work with), and on-site maintenance. The leadership team has been involved throughout my entire process so far and have really made me feel like the quality of my experience matters. If you're in the market for a flight school, absolutely stop by and check it out! read more

I have been going to PSA for around 2 months now and it has been amazing! All of the students are very welcoming and all of the instructors are incredible. My instructor is Xavier Diaz and he is the best instructor I've ever flown with. He is always making new lessons that work for my learning style to help me improve the most. Xavier is an amazing pilot and has taught me so much and thanks to him I am able to make my dream a reality! read more

I have really enjoyed flying at PSA. The planes are well taken care of, their programs are well organized, and they take student education seriously. I learned a lot very quickly with CFI, Eva Robinson. Eva is a fantastic teacher and is very good at explaining things clearly and in memorable way. My ground knowledge went from meh to great in a short while thanks to her coaching. In the air, she's super encouraging while helping perfect your technique and get you on standards. I just got my private pilot license yesterday and I couldn't have done it with Eva and the whole team. Now I'm looking forward to keeping going to get my IFR rating. :-) read more

Pilot was young person nice and polite demonstrating knowledge and explaining all and answering my questions never get a follow up from office but was a good experience read more

PSA is an amazing flight academy! I love learning with Conner because he is very passionate about aviation and teaching, which really shows in every lesson. I am really glad I chose PSA, and especially lucky to be learning with Conner. read more

The whole airport and flight school has a positive and welcoming atmosphere. PSA has a great facility, curriculum, and staff including many intelligent and competent instructors such as Conner Stone, Matthew Yoon, and many others. I would highly recommend! read more

I would like comment on my instructor Eva. She really helped me in every aspect of my journey in getting my pilots license. Her knowledge, patience and overall relaxed and fun demeanor was exactly what you would want for such a challenging position. I highly recommend her if you are planning to learn to fly!!! read more

Well... We bought a couple of Groupon certificates for their Intro Flight w/ PSA and were able to make an appointment pretty quickly. BUT they cancelled the first appointment with about 24 hrs notice saying it was unscheduled maintenance. Fine... who wants to go up in a plane that needs maintenance?? Today, they cancelled with 1 hr notice saying it was maintenance again and we were already on the way there. WHAT A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. One cancellation for maintenance is one thing. Using the same excuse twice is questionable. And one hour notice for a young adult who is exploring pilot training... well, I would not schedule anything with them again because... I'm quite sure they'd waste more of my time and energy. We were able to schedule an Intro Flight today with a great flight school in Livermore and got the kid in the air. read more

Did an intro flight at PSA with instructor Sean Lee around Bay Area. I got to see the Golden Gate Bridge, the Alcatraz Island and the city. It is unlike the view from anywhere else. The city feels different from above! Other than the eye opening views, the overall experience feIt very safe, instructor Lee is knowledgeable and explained everything to me before executing it. I asked way too many questions and he patiently answered them all. I even asked him if I can take over and fly a little for fun (I have 0 flight experience) and I can't believe he said yes! I flew the plane for a minute or so under his supervision and can now check that off of my bucket list (: The landing and departure was also great. There were no "bouncing" during the landing that I sometimes would feel flying on airline planes. Great experience and highly recommend! read more

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I have been learning to fly at PSA with Wade, he has been great, above and beyond on every level, really patient and friendly. Everyone at the front desk is kind and are there to set you up for success. Is definitely quite challenging to remember everything but I feel more confident every week. Is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for! read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

Wow, amazing, amazing. My experience here was another one of The Best times in my life - definitely one that will go in the unforgettables page! Thanks to Living Social I scored a two-hour introductory airplane flight lesson!! Brent, my flight instructor, was super nice, friendly, knowledgeable and made you feel comfortable. I basically flew the plane the whole time we were in the air (except during the times when I wanted to whip out my camera and take pictures) - from take off to landing!! Ok, the landing part is more difficult so I had a little help from Brent, but ultimately he let me take the controls about 98% of the time. He offered to do some crazy stunts in the air but I wasn't ready for that. lol For it being my very first time at the controls, the ride was really smooth. The views are so amazing and after this day I believe I'll be shooting for my own pilot's license! Major plus is this introductory flight counts toward your private pilot's license! read more

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I was a student pilot coming from out of state to continue my training at PSA. I can't emphasize enough that as a student pilot, PSA is one of the worst places you can go for multiple reasons: They are one of the most expensive places in the area. Their plane rental is much higher than any other schools or rental places nearby. They also tack on a significant fuel surcharge making them even more expensive. Along those lines, they also charge you instructor time for pre and post flight. The pre flight is because you have to fill out a form before every flight, and the instructor has to sign it. You won't even see your instructor for this time, but you pay for the privilege of their signature. They also charge you for signing your logbook after the flight. The school will milk you for every single dime. I was a part 61 student, but they still force you to do the stage checks that part 141 students do. So you have to pay for these flights and instructors, and if you are ever so slightly out of the head instructor's preferences, you have to redo the entire flight with them costing you another couple hundred dollars. The instructors are not versed in what the head instructor wants in a stage check. Because of this, you end up wasting a lot of time in training only to fail the stage check and then having to spend more money on more training and retaking the stage check. You are effectively paying to have PSA train their instructors. The stage check examiner expects you to fly like he flies. As a student pilot, we're going to make mistakes. As long as these mistakes don't lead to dangerous situations, that should be ok. But they expect you to fly to commercial standards from the get-go. And the final reason I left PSA was because of Jonathan Shand. Jonathan Shand is the worst person to fly with. He did my stage checks and will make you hate flying. I legitimately wanted to jump out of the plane after flying with him. He didn't explain what he wanted, and scrutinized me when I failed and overall makes you feel like the worst pilot in the world. After 10 hours of solo time, we were on a stage 2 check, and it wasn't going well. On the final landing, I was a little low (3 red, 1 white), and was trying to fix it, but then he took the controls and didn't allow me to continue. Even worse was he wouldn't even let me taxi back to the school. He made me feel like I was unfit to even touch the controls of the airplane. After that, I left the school and went to a different instructor. After the first flight with that instructor, he signed me off on solo and he just helped me tweak a few issues. I soon after got my checkride and I passed with flying colors. The DPE actually said "You fly really well." It just gave me one more signal that it wasn't me, but PSA and Jonathan Shand. read more

Pacific States Aviation is a top of the line, full service FBO, Repair Station and Flight Academy. I have done most of my training here, earning my Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot License and I am currently finishing up my Multi-Engine Add On for my Commercial Pilot License. Amazing flight instructors who will give you the best training in the San Francisco Bay Area. They care about the students and want them to exceed and excel in their Pilot training and future careers. Jay Vyas, the Assistant Chief, is an amazing person and an outstanding instructor. He runs the flight academy like clockwork. Rashid Yahya, Chief of the flight academy, wants to provide the best training possible! I highly recommend training with Pacific States Aviation! Ammar and his team in the FAA fully certified Repair Station are incredible. They have top notch maintenance and maintain safety as the number one priority. Maintenance personnel keep us pilots safe!! Tanya, manager of the FBO, runs the place very well! Highly recommend this FBO if you are stopping in the Bay Area. Thank you PSA!! read more

Bought a groupon for my son to do a lesson. Cancelled 5 times day before the flight and received excuse after excuse. Do not use this business. Horrible! read more

I surprised my bf with an introductory flight and Nerville was our instructor. He was awesome! Very knowledgeable and friendly. He put my anxiety at ease and made the whole experience seamless and fun read more

I got the $105 2-hour flight deal through LivingSocial for my wife. We just went up for her first flight and it was a great time. I did upgrade to the 4-seater plane, but I read that other paid $25 while I believe I paid $50. Not sure why the discrepancy. There was a small issue with the seat on the plane as well (it was not pushing up all the way, and my wife is only 5'4"). We checked it out before hand and it was still manageable. PSA was very willing to reschedule as needed. Now the flight was simply amazing. The instructor (Jamie) was really cool and seemed to customize the flight path to what my wife wanted to see. We headed north up to Travis, got clearance to fly over the AFB then headed back down over Vallejo, over the Carquinez Straight, Over Point Richmond, across the Bay, over San Francisco, over and through the Golden Gate Bridge, back over Berkeley, then over American Canyon, quick landing at Napa Airport, back towards Concord for some maneuvering skills, and then landing at the Buchannan airport. Since I rode in the back, I got a lot of great pictures of the area, even my childhood home in Vallejo. If they run another deal, then I'd like to sit up front myself :-) read more

It's not easy to get a birthday present for a 17-year-old, so I was really excited to see a 2-hour flight lesson advertised on Social Living. My son has wanted to fly a plane ever since he figured out that growing wings was not an option. Scheduling was easy, but do look at the weather forecast before you call. We got a gorgeous clear calm day, making for a stunning experience. In addition to the $95 I paid for the deal, I paid an additional $25 to size-up to a 4-seater airplane so I could ride along. Other have described the detailed pre-flight instructions from the instructor (BK in our case) that explain what you need to know about the control panel, pedals, etc. You then get headsets, strap on the seatbelt, and go. Wow. Just wow. I'm sure the flight path depends on the weather, air traffic, etc. Our flight was a "Bay tour" circle of SF, the Marin headlands/Tiburon, and the North and East Bay. Gorgeous. (See photos.) The program seems organized and safe, and my son would love to take more lessons (time and money being minor obstacles, of course). It was cold when we flew--I was comfortable in a down coat, and I'd advise a warm topper unless you tend to run really hot. I loved this experience, and I loved sharing it with my son. He was like a little boy again when he told his dad about it. Highly, highly recommended. read more

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Update 01/20/2016: I have now completed my seventh hour of logged instructed flight time towards getting my Private Pilots License! My CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) is Loren Tom and he is the best! He works very hard in instructing my abilities each flight, and is the best instructor I could have asked for. He does a fine job in working around our personal schedules and stays on top of keeping in contact when needed. Loren is amazing in trying to get us to problem solve our issues ourselves when flustered or not sure what's the problem at hand. Each time we have a flight I feel closer to becoming a pilot. Each lesson I receive at the controls, Loren knows when to push my limits, but also knows exactly when to give encouragement, or when to tell me to relax and stop white knuckling the yoke. He is also giving my one-on-one ground school lessons when the weather is IFR or not safe. All in All, I am so glad I had my Discovery Flight here and actually took the commitment towards getting my PPL. ------------------------------ Originally Written 8/25/2015: I completed my Discovery flight with Pacific States Aviation one day when I purchased a Living Social coupon. I already knew that I wanted to get my Private Pilots License and was using the coupon for finding out if this was the place to complete my training... as well as get a discount on my discovery flight. It was an awesome experience and I had a tremendous time! The person who scheduled my the flight (Jason) called stating there was a scheduling conflict for my flight only 24 hours prior. They did eventually find me a pilot. I was able keep my original scheduled time and date for my flight. My flight instructor (Mohsen) was relaxed and very informative whenever I asked questions or advice, not to mention made it quite a thrilling ride. We flew from Buchanan Field to Mount Diablo, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate bridge, and then back to Buchanan, giving me the controls almost the entire way. I banked this as my first hour of flight time towards my PPL and am going to continue my license hours here at Pacific States. read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - PSA Light Sport aircraft - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

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I purchased a LivingSocial deal here for a 2 hour flight instruction for the bf for his bday. The deal was originally for 1 person + the pilot, but I paid an extra $25 fee to upgrade to a 4 seater plane so I could go along for the ride. Upon arriving, we ended up having to wait for a little while for the pilots and previous students to return. We then did a 30 minute overview of the TINY TINY plane and the way it operates. After the pilot took off, we were in the air for approximately 30-45 minutes, which ended up being extremely smooth and relaxing. We flew over treasure island, alcatraz island, and San Francisco, with almost no clouds in the sky. I was very nervous, but the pilot made me feel at ease and checked up on me while we were in the air (to make sure I wasn't having a nervous breakdown or crying my eyes out). Our instructor (his name escapes me but he has a heavy Italian accent) was extremely friendly but I could tell he wasn't used to explaining basic concepts to newbies like us due to his vast amount of experience. Overall, the experience we had was phenomenal and completely worth the price of the deal. However, I was a little disappointed we were not in the air longer and it did not feel like we received a solid 2 hours of training. I would still definitely recommend it to anyone who has any interest in airplanes (I'm talking to you BOYS) if you can spot a deal. I overheard another student talking about doing tricks in the air, so ask about it if you dare. read more

Pacific States Aviation is an organization that has both a flight school, and fixed base operations. I got my private pilots license at Pacific States Aviation flight school. Later after I purchased my first aircraft, I began parking my aircraft at their ramp. Their staff has consistently been friendly, knowledgeable and competent. Kudos to John Earl and Jennifer. I will continue to use Pacific States Aviation for the foreseeable future. read more

Terrible.. not a good environment, very rude people! Just took my FAA Knowledge test there and they were very unprofessional and made it very hard for me, in spite of that, I passed with 95% score. Stay away and try more professional schools./ Test Centers! read more

If you've ever dreamed about flying - stop dreaming. This flight school located at Buchanan Field in Concord has been around for 50 years. You can have a pilots license in two months! Flying is not expensive. This school give you an introductory ride to see if you like it and you will. During this introductory flight, you'll be steering the plane and making turns! The cost is just $69 for the hour! Call 'em and get hooked... read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - This is what it'll look like on your first day at PSA- You'll be flying! the plane! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

Highly recommend the experience of learning how to fly a plane. The views are amazing and also a great adrenaline rush. I will be honest and say that I have only had one instructor (Matthew), but he is so great that I'm convinced that he's one of the best flight instructors you could ever possibly have. The ground class was very interactive and hands on (not like a boring classroom setup) and the in-flight class was so fun that time just flew by. Matthew is fun, friendly, and very knowledgeable. He even takes great pictures and footage of you flying! I felt completely safe the whole time and I already want to book my second flight. read more

My fiancé gifted me a Groupon to PSA for a one hour flight as I'm into aviation and have always wanted to learn to fly. I gotta say this was a dream come true. I flew with instructor Jonathan in a Cessna 172. First off, Jonathan was a great instructor. He made the experience enjoyable and shared lots of important insight about flying basics. We flew over DT San Francisco and I had real hands-on flying experience. I would recommend PSA for anyone looking into getting lessons or just going on a discovery flight! read more

My daughter and I took a flying lesson from this company. Lots of fun. Educational. Enough to whet our interest. Worth the price. Tony from Thailand was our instructor. Excellent,pleasant, fun. Highly recommended. read more

Bought an introductory 2-hour flight lesson from LivingSocial.com for $145, which included 1 hour of airplane familiarization on the ground, and 1 hour "discovery" flight. You actually get to fly a plane! SUCH an AWESOME life experience. I had such a good time in the air, visually seeing everything, experiencing all of the fun maneuvers, just taking it all in. Aaron, my instructor, was interesting, easy to talk to, and great overall! I like that it's in Concord, too. Conveniently located. When I saw the offer on LivingSocial, I thought, "that'd be REALLY fun to do!" And it totally was! I knew very little about flying or planes prior to this, so it was very informative. Aaron went over the basics of how to fly an plane, went over the pre-flight checklist, and answered the questions that I had. He was patient and skilled, with a sense of humor. I took pics of Alcatraz, which I had not visited before, but now I have (from above)! Also, got pics of the mothball fleet, Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, etc. Aaron asked me where I wanted to go; I just wanted to see the landmark Bay Area sights, so what we did was perfect. Perspective from above is like nothing else! Aaron took pics of me in front of the plane after we landed, and of me with my headset on during the flight, since I asked! He introduced me to basic maneuvers, chandelle, rollercoaster, steep turns, stalls, lazy 8s. I like real rollercoasters, but this was way better, smoother, and visually more stunning. Some of the maneuvers they don't do if the person isn't up to it, so if you get motion sick, no worries. Very respectful of what you want to do and what you're comfortable with. At the end, I got a Pilot Logbook that Aaron filled out and signed, and a "Certificate of First Flight." Legit! I definitely recommend doing this! I'm mildly afraid of heights, but had no problems with this. I felt very at ease and safe at all times. Scheduling is easy. I called earlier in the week, and they were able to accommodate me for a Saturday morning flight. They send you an email confirmation of your appointment. I would have paid to do this regardless if I had the LivingSocial voucher; LivingSocial just helped in letting me know something like this was out there. Worth it! read more

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Visited last week on an Angel Flight. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and the parents felt right at home waiting for our delayed arrival. It's a nice facility with all the amenities a Pilot might expect and they even have a pool table! Will never go anywhere else when stopping in Concord. Thanks! read more

Pacific States Aviation Flight Academy - Flight Instruction Near Me - Concord, California

PLEASE STAY AWAY IF YOU VALUE YOUR MONEY GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL FOR QUALITY TRAINING AND AVOID THESE RUDE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THIS SCHOOL! PSA has two goals. Those goals to lie to your face and take your money. Instructor Nathan Olesberg has no clue what he is talking about because I was told by another instructor at PSA that what he had taught regarding certain maneuvers was incorrect and by the examiner himself that some of the knowledge things he had taught me were incorrect. Also I had overheard multiple instructors talk bad about their students because they couldn't understand a concept and then be glad because it just meant that PSA and that instructor would get more money and hours from that student. Also my instructor was late on multiple occasions but still expected to be paid for the time he had been late for. Also my instructor Nathan refused to study with me the day before my test because he just wanted to go home early even though I had booked his time for an hour more before hand. Next Jay is a slick salesmen whose only interest is taking students money and lying about how good their school is whenever the only good thing. He had told me on multiple occasions that i would be more than prepared for my checkride, yet PSA did little to nothing besides charge me for unnecessary things to help me get ready for my checkride. Also another instructor at PSA wouldnt even help me push the plane back, just straight rude and lazy. Also while I was taking my checkride an instructor from PSA interrupted so he could talk about personal flight hours instead of waiting because I had paid $800 to take that checkride and he had done nothing but harm and interruption. Finally, PSA charges you for simple things on top of their high prices, like getting your log book signed and a checklist for the plane which is to properly make sure the aircraft is safe. I tried to call and make things good and was told by Jay I was a liar and everything was my fault, while he denied every fact I had been writing down since my first day with PSA great customer service! PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS EXCUSE OF A BUSINESS! read more

Good luck actually getting into the air with this company. My son wanted some flying lessons so I booked him for flight training and they canceled on him five different times. They called me each time the day before his lesson and gave me no explanation as to why he couldn't fly. Go to Sterling Flight Training Center next door instead of these dead beats. Sterling has amazing instructors and the owners are very friendly and personable. read more

I believe I can fly...and indeed I can. Went here for an introductory lesson. Friendly personnel and they had ice cream social the afternoon I went, sweet! My instructor was B.K. He has been flying for 5 years and spends around 6 hours flight time everyday. It's just you and the instructor and you get to sit on the driver's sit. Before take off, we spent around 30 minutes going over the dials inside the plane (there were 12 or so of them). We checked fuel and then checked every single moving part of the plane. Making sure nothing's bent or broken. Seriously, the exercise made me feel so much safer. We taxied the runway for a bit. Since I was short, even with the sit all the way to the front, I can't fully reach the pedals. So it was hard for me to control the plane but I eventually got the feel of it. Plus I can't entirely see infront of me, I probably need a pillow to sit on for elevation. For someome like me, I need to learn on a 2 passenger smaller plane. And off we go from Buchanan Field. So surreal! The view and feeling is different from a smaller plane. It was not scary at all. B.K. Showed me several tricks like steering steeply left and then right, floating where you go up then "float" down (scary but awesome) and gliding (engines off!). We circled Mt. Diablo. It's a little more turbulent close to mountains. Awesome views and I got to control the plane. You can get a license after 40-50 hrs of flight time for $9000. Yup, it's not cheap. Renting is about $140 an hour, fuel inclusive. Now, wouldn't it be cool to fly your friends to Tahoe or Vegas? At the end of the lesson, you get a flight log book and a certificate. Gotta jet. See me fly over your rooftops soon :) read more

I'm a local instrument rated single engine land pilot. I just started with PSA after learning they have two Redbird ATTD simulators. These are full motion sims and qualify towards instrument currency. They are configurable for a number of different aircraft. In my case I predominately fly Cirrus SR20 and SR22s and the sim can be set up be very close with the side stick, PDF, MFD, etc. Great way to practice a lot of approaches in bad weather, failures, and without the autopilot, something Cirrus pilots rarely get to do nowadays :-) The Cirrus configuration are Avadyne based with dual 430s but they are in the process of upgrading to G1000 panels. Honestly it's good enough the way it is though and gets your brain engaged with a bit less intel and automation. The Chief Pilot / Instructor is Rashid Yahya. He is an excellent coach, very friendly, and has already taught me some new tricks ;-) He was interviewed by KTVU and KRON recently on pilot shortages and the 737MAX issues. You can UTube that to see him stalling the sim in that interview. Pretty realistic! Anyway this is a hidden gem for local pilots who maybe like me are trying to stay current on their instrument rating without always having to rent a plane or pay for instruction. They also do the full pilot training, whether you are training to fly as a hobby like me, or working towards a full blown commercial rating, twins, etc. Thank you PSA!! read more