At the beginning of April, I made the decision to pursue a private pilot license. I love traveling…read moreand I figured that having the certificate would allow me to access destinations in a shorter period of time and combine my love for adventure and freedom as well as test my resolve and commitment to a new and arduous hobby. Every spare weekend and evening that I've had has been dedicated to flight training at the Lancaster Airport with my trusty instructor, Bob Smith (Robert C Smith). I found him through the Western New York Flying Club, which is a non-profit flying club whose goal is to make flying affordable and accessible to all. For $100/month, which covers insurance and maintenance of the planes -- you get to access their fleet of four airplanes practically at-cost for what it would cost you to own them yourself. You're basically a co-owner of these planes, along with all the other club members. The result? Much cheaper flying and instruction. As part of the club, there are a few CFIs -- those with a certified flying instructor rating who can help you on your journey to get your license. Bob Smith is one of those. A retired guy who has saved my life in the process of training, now...on at least on a few occasions. What I love about Bob is that he will let you make mistakes pretty ruthlessly as you learn to fly (it is a part of the process!), but he always keeps you safe as he's able to judge very accurately those moments when it's absolutely necessary to recover from that mistake. The result? Fast-paced learning. I've logged about 12 hours of flight time with Bob so far and last week celebrated a milestone of my first landing where he didn't manipulate the flight controls at all. No, it wasn't exactly a solo flight, but he didn't touch a thing. I was super proud of that and I'm grateful to have Bob as my instructor. His rate is $50/hour and you must belong to the club in order to access the trainer (unless you have access to a plane of your own), but joining is pretty simple and painless. It will save you lots of money in the long run as opposed to going to a traditional flight school. Another plus? It's super flexible as opposed to a flight school. He's available most weekends and you can schedule a few lessons at your schedule's convenience. I wish Bob would utilize a syllabus a bit more. The lessons feel a bit unstructured at times, but they do all come together. At first I was worried that "I wasn't learning," but after completing that "unassisted" landing in a Cessna 172, I'm 100% singing my praises for Bob. If you're considering pursuing a pilot's license, definitely look into him as one of your options!

I went up for a discovery flight with one of their instructors, Stephen Rhinehart at the end of…read moreApril and I loved it! It was wonderful to get an aerial tour of Niagara Falls and get an introduction to flight training. Before setting up the flight, I gave them a call and talked to Patrick Finnegan -- the owner of the school who remained accessible and was patient with my questions. He then connected me to Stephen and we took our discovery flight in the school's Piper Cherokee airplane. The flight took me with an aerial view over Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. I witnessed the sun set while getting instruction on communications, straight and level flight and more. It still remains one of the most memorable flights of my life. If you're considering flight training or have an interest in airplanes in general, I would recommend giving these guys a call and setting up a discovery flight to see if aviation is something you're interested in. The school is based out of Lancaster and they have a structured program in place akin to Part 141 schools, although it's technically a Part 61 school which will give you a little more flexibility in your training.

What an incredible ride around buffalo! I highly recommend trying it out this summer. Can choose…read morebuffalo, Niagara Falls, or both. Such a different and beautiful way to see our amazing city. Everyone that I spoke with was so friendly,and they were accommodating about scheduling a time. Can't wait to go back again!

I had purchased a Groupon for Niagara Falls helicopter tour for our family. Mike was very friendly,…read moreaccommodating, and professional. He's an extremely good pilot and the tour is amazing! The views from the air are magnificent! I would strongly recommend the fly buffalo team and the Niagara helicopter ride! It is 20-25 min ride that's once in a lifetime, memorable, thrilling and unique experience!

my nephew can not stop talking to his friends how good mr…read morepete was telling him how to fly and what to do he was just like his teacher did not stop teaching from take off to landing and wants to go back as soon as uncle wally will pay for another lesson great job pete

From the owner: P&L Air owner, Peter Lockner, has been a private flight instructor since 1986. After graduating…read morewith a master's degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, he went on to become a well-known single-engine, multi-engine and IFR-certified instructor in the local aviation community. With over 11,500 hours of flight time and experience with over 100 models of aircraft, P&L Air can help you get ahead in the field of aviation.

This is a fantastic little regional airport in Akron, NY -- used mainly for general aviation and…read moreflight instruction. For flight instruction, there are a number of planes for rent here: including an old 47 tailwheel Aeronca Champ (which is a bargain to rent at something like $78/hour) and a Warrior for instrument/PPL training. This is one of the only places to rent a tailwheel airplane in the WNY area, so if you're looking to grab a tailwheel endorsement -- Akron Airport should be one of your first stops. They also have hangars for rent here starting at around $200/mo -- I have no experience renting one, but call them for availability/information. What I love about Akron Airport is the community mindset. You can go into the main office and catch a lot of pilots eager to talk aviation. The mechanic onsite (Kevin Rose) is very friendly and open to helping others learn. There is also quite a few warbirds at Akron Airport -- from a Stearman to other beautiful airplanes. If you're interested in these airworthy relics of the past (and want to fly them!), look into becoming a member of the Buffalo Heritage Squadron -- for a $250 annual membership, you can help preserve old airplanes of the past. If you live nearby, Akron Airport is a great stop for flying lessons and if you're a pilot and want to fly in and check them out -- be sure to do so!

It is cool I like air place because they take off at the runway and landing.i like to water flowers…read moreand pulling .