Got my private with South Bay aviation, my instructor was William. Everyone at South Bay is super friendly and knowledgeable. I went into my checkride feeling knowledgeable and prepared. At the end of my training I ended up with around 75 hours. read more

I had a GREAT experience. I really enjoyed my first taste at flying during my discovery flight. I have been in small jets and Cessnas but never as the pilot. I opted for the hour flight and it was worth it. My instructor Andy was informative and seemed to gauge my abilities well to allow me to navigate freely along with his proper guidance. I've had the same experience with instructors at the Porsche experience. Trust is everything with training and I appreciate when an instructor thoughtfully measures your competencies to allow you to you to spread your wings a little further if possible. Everyone at the facility was super friendly too! I really liked my plane and I'm excited to continue moving forward with more trainings and getting more hours under my belt. read more

South Bay Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Torrance, California

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First discovery flight: unforgettable experience and instructor!! For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by aviation. As a kid living abroad, I fondly remember flying home alone for the holidays and being shown the inside of cockpit. I love the feeling of accelerating down a runway, the feeling of rotation, and I love the engineering, mechanics, and aerodynamics that makes planes fly. I always wondered what it would be like to fly a plane, and to perhaps one day become a pilot. A few weeks ago, I was visiting some friends who just moved to LA, and they were both interested in trying it out as well. I called a few schools to see if any could accommodate all 3 of us flying together (we are all under 150lbs) and South Bay aviation went above and beyond by booking us on short notice for what would end up being a truly unforgettable experience.Because I am already interested in becoming a pilot, I purchased a simulator yoke(*) and rudder pedals to get a bit of training in, and my friends and I each flew maybe 5-10h each in the simulator at home. This is not a requirement, as anyone can do a discovery flight regardless of experience, but it was helpful for us as we were able to hit the ground running (or to keep runway heading one might say). I waited a few days to write this review because I have since done 2 other discovery flights (both out of Van Nuys) and wanted to have something to compare this to. Hands down, without a doubt, I would recommend to everyone to book flying here with Maxine, wether it just be for a discovery flight, to train for your PPL, or just to improve your flying skills. If I lived in LA I would be a student at this school. Here's why:Let's talk a bit about the flights first: all 3 of us did a 1 hour discovery flight, but we took a few different routes:I went first, doing a memorable flight over LA including sick views such as Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory, Dodgers stadium, downtown LA, coast line, and amazingly, a corridor right over LAX that so many pilots dream of flying through. After sight seeing we had a bit of extra time and we did some maneuvers/training, more on this later. The other two flights were over Palos verdes, the coast, the port of Long Beach, and included significantly more time for maneuvers, which brings me to the main reason I am writing this review:Flying with Maxine wasn't just a ton of fun, it was also a masterclass in how to approach education and training. I am a big fan of the Magic School Bus TV show because the children in the show are always the ones figuring out how to do stuff, instead of adults figuring it out for them. From the very beginning during pre-flight check, to taxi, take off, climb, cruise, descent, and landing, Maxine pushed us to learn and improve as much as possible given our very limited experience and short time together. She spent the extra brain cycles to not just keep us safe and entertained (for example pointing out specific points of interest or history of port of Long Beach), but to help us become better pilots in just one short hour. For example, with both other flight schools, the instructor rushed to set up the plane without much explanation as to what was going on, Maxine showed us some of the steps and even had us help push the plane from/to its parking spot! She also showed us how trim actually works, and explained to us the various moving control surfaces. She explained the operation of the stall horn in an unforgettable way. Once on the runway, Maxine let us do the rotation and climb, while giving constant feedback when possible, instead of constantly grabbing controls -something I now know less experienced CFIs tend to do.Having spent a few hours in the simulator, I had a tendency to stare at my instruments instead of the horizon. Maxine clocked this right away and gave me feedback to improve my flying. She also helped us all understand the fundamentals of flight and trim, and once we were comfortable, we even tried some more advanced maneuvers like slow flight, turns around a point, and steep turns. Once again, Maxine evaluated what we were capable of and pushed us to try hard things, and then directly demonstrated specific, more technical maneuvers when we asked to see those. All while flying in one of the most scenic locations in the world! Flying with Maxine was the highlight of my trip to LA. She has a true gift for teaching, a true passion for flying, qualities I will look for wherever I end up training. We all left not only with incredible memories of flying over LAX, the coast, the Hollywood sign, but with a much better understanding of what it takes to be a pilot, and with significantly more confidence in our ability to master the art of flying over time. My only regret is that I don't live in LA, but I will be sure to come back as often as possible for flying lessons with our very own Ms Frizzle! (*) in retrospect a joystick would have been just as good & half the price read more

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My son and I stopped by today to inquire about flying lessons for my son. They were so helpful and gave me all the information he'll need to get his private pilot's license. The first step was a discovery flight for $125 which included flying in a Cessna 172 with an Instructor. Our instructor Zeke was awesome! Very knowledgeable, professional, and empowered my son to fly the plane. We're going to sign him up for more lessons :) read more

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I needed to start flying again after took a 40 year break. I have about 60 hours with SBA now after about 6 months. I have used three CFII instructors at SBA and have over 30 hours of dual. I have rented only 172 airplanes. David, Rafael and Keith are all excellent instructors. Rafael signed me off on my 2 year flight review so I could act as pilot in command again after 40 years! The prices for the rentals are a good value and they don't have hourly minimums if you want to take the airplanes on a trip. You don't wait long for fuel. SBA runs the fuel truck at KTOA and they have a full time maintenance guy Danny who takes care of the squawks pilots write in the book. The airplanes are older so they do collect squawks between routine FAA required inspections. The company is run by Richard and Mae. They run a hard working crew and Richard has many years of airplane experience. It is a good reliable place to rent aircraft and you can tell this if you hang around a bit. I have read a few negative reviews I would like to comment on: 1) While I have had and do expect to have issues with older aircraft in the future, *all* issues were addressed by SBA and SOMETIMES THE PILOT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESCALATING (and *helping to duplicate*) the issue to Richard and Danny after properly squawking the issue; The aircraft are on leaseback so the owner has some "say" issues other than airworthiness. If you don't like one aircraft owners taste .. rent another aircraft .. at least you have selection at SBA unlike other places! 2) The instructors make the Flight School and they are all excellent and love their jobs. 3) I believe Richard is honest, professional and cares about aircraft maintenance and is very concerned if things are not done in a safe correct manner. read more

Instructors take advantage of students by not setting expectations and following a syllabus. Students have no clue how they're progressing towards completing the FAA check ride. All by design to maximize the schools earnings at expense of student read more

Very unprofessional group of individuals whose main goal is to make you open your wallet by any means necessary. You will often hear phrases like the following. "I am not in this for the money so just listen". "Don't be selfish and try to reduce training time". "I used to know all this stuff when I was 13". These are just a few of the phrases from CFI's at SBA. Had a bad engine during startup? Don't worry they will make sure to charge you for the 0.1 hours. There is absolutely zero structure to flight training here, CFI's don't even mention a syllabus or a goal for each lesson. There were also a couple of instances where a CFI would try and track down a plane not on a radio(legally) during a lesson. Completely reckless and unprofessional behavior. If you are looking for a flight school, I would look elsewhere, there are better options I assure you. read more

The best flight school in the South California. I been renting a Cessna from them for almost a 6 years now, always friendly, willing to help, work around your schedule to book a plane. Planes are always kept well maintenance, clean and most importantly relatively new models. Can't imagine my aviation life in South Bay area, without South Bay Aviation. read more

Had my intro flight 2 years earlier, was the best day of my life. If Cfi Rob is available to fly, choose him, as he was great and hands off for most of the time and provided great instruction. read more

South Bay Aviation - Dylan and Rick Mork CFI (not 100% sure on the last name) - Flight Instruction Near Me - Torrance, California

My review is for the FBO, I fly into Torrance from NorCal to see my mom. Pre-covid, I'd fly into Hawthorne & take an Uber since it's a little closer. I won't let her drive to Hawthorne to pick me up since last March. My first flight was in May, she had been totally isolated those few months. The couple that runs South Bay Aviation were extremely accommodating while she got lost and confused picking me up the first few times. It's really nice they have the golf cart come & load you up, free parking, and their ramp guys help you out and are very friendly. They've been a godsend until I can get us all vaccinated and back to Uber!! read more

Update to the review below: I received a call from the company's owner, Richard, who was very apologetic about everything that had happened and that had been handled by the company's other employees. He offered to reimburse me the cost of the check-out and generally make things better. This does not make up for my ruined trip (or the hotel deposit I lost) but goes a long way to demonstrate honorable behavior. He is holding the plane for me for the weekend and I may take advantage of it. I've increased my rating on that basis and may increase it more as I work with the company. ------Original review----- I was visiting from Italy and I wanted to fly to Las Vegas with my wife, fly the Grand Canyon, and build some time in the US. I chose South Bay Aviation because they had a C172RG and I prefer faster airplanes. I called South Bay Aviation and asked about the airplane's availability, then I scheduled a check-out with one of their instructors. After the check-out I reserved the airplane for two days to conduct my cross country. I then booked my hotel in Las Vegas. The day before I was supposed to go on my trip, they called me to tell me I could not take the airplane overnight because the airplane's owner (I guess it's a lease-back) needed it on the evening. They offered to rent me a straight leg C172, but said I had to fly with one of their instructors before I could take it. This, in my opinion, is unacceptable for a number of reasons: 1. Unexpected things in aviation happen. Weather, mechanical, etc. But that an airplane's owner should run roughshod over the business' customers is not one of those things. South Bay Aviation should have clear rules with owners such that once a reservation is made, the owner cannot override it. I've worked at another flight school as a CFI and we would never have permitted an owner's desire to trump the company's customers. 2. The offer of the C172 should have been made to the owner, not to me. 3. The offer of the C172 would have been acceptable (not great, but acceptable) had they waived the flight with their instructor. I have rental privileges at several facilities and the general rule is that insurance companies accept a check-out in a complex version of an airplane for covering the pilot on a fixed version. I've checked out in Piper Arrows and the check-out is valid on fixed gear warrior/cherokees. I've checked out in C172RGs in other places, and the check-out is valid on the straight leg version. Etc. I wonder whethery they even called their insurance company to find out. As a result of this, I wasted $306 on an RG check-out that did me no good. I wasted $98 on an unrefundable hotel reservation deposit in Vegas for a hotel room I will not use. And I missed out on a nice trip with my wife. This has never happened to me before and I certainly will not patronize this business again. read more

Great place to learn how to fly. I recommend Keith. He's tough but you'll learn a lot.

The owner, Richard, has run South Bay Aviation for over 30 years. A pilot himself, he is dedicated to customer satisfaction. Their fleet is the largest in the South Bay by far allowing them to have more open slots than anyone. Before you go anywhere else, just go in there. They are so friendly and knowledgeable you won't want to leave. read more

I took my son (2-1/2) on a Discovery Flight, and we had an amazing experience. I was a little skeptical considering the price was a lot lower than the other services advertised, but again--the experience was Great! Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Keith was an excellent instructor. I would recommend this company to anyone. read more

South Bay Aviation - Before our Flight @ South Bay Aviation. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Torrance, California

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Best place in LA tolearn to fly!

This is probably by far one of the most unprofessional experiences I have come across by a business. There are a lot of flight schools to choose from in the area, that offer a much more customer centric management. I wasn't impressed with the maintenance of the aircraft, and my instructor had some questionable concerns about how maintenance is taken care of here. The owner Richard, seems to have a very poor reputation, and my interactions with him echo some of the previous negative comments posted. No business acumen or professionalism during any discussions. He falsified information, and lacked the integrity to admit his error. Who knows what other information regarding his aircraft procedures or maintenance could be inaccurate. I would steer clear of this flight school and go down the street for a much nicer experience. read more

Richard and Mae (the owners) are extremely friendly. They have the best rates in So Cal. i have rented planes from many different flight schools and they go above and beyond for their customers. They have their own fuel trucks so you never have to pull up to the pump, they provide extra headsets at no charge for your passengers, a wide variety of planes from, senecas, 172,s warriors, arrows, etc.... Richard is always willing to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer. They are far more interested in the customer experience and safety then they are about charging extra dollars. We love this place !!! read more

This place is a gem in so many ways! I purchased the discovery flight for my fiance as a birthday gift ~ overall, we had an unbelievable experience! We flew over Long Beach, saw Catalina (at a distance), flew up the coast and even got to fly over our house! We were lucky enough to have the most amazing instructor David, who was friendly, professional, and had a great sense of humor that made the day even better. My fiance flew at takeoff, landing, and for most of the flight (we switched mid-air so i could take a turn) and David helped take pictures and a video of the landing with our cameras. All in all, we both had an amazing time and we hope to go back soon for another lesson with David! read more

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Great Professional & Experienced Staff!! I will be back to start earning my wings read more

South Bay Aviation - Come Fly with Me - Flight Instruction Near Me - Torrance, California

The worst place ever to fly. Be careful with Richard. All of the planes are always breaking down & he does the bare minimum to repair it. Don't believe me ask all the flight instructors that used to work for him. They left & took thier students with them because if was not safe at all. read more

I had an awesome first flight here for my birthday, thanks to my brother! The entire experience was smooth and easy, the customer service from everyone we encountered was friendly and professional, and the actual flight itself was unforgettable! You don't actually get to manually do very much but the instructor does allow you to get pretty hands-on during take-off and landing. Also, you can take one passenger in the backseat for free! read more

Very dedicated owners that are almost always there and ready to help. The flight instructors are all helpful and I've had a great experience with mine. Did my Solo recently and looking forward to my check-ride in the next few months. Highly recommend beginners or seasoned pilots to visit this FBO; you will be glad you did. read more

I stopped by to inquire about getting my pilots license. I checked a lot of local flight schools and this is by far the best in So Cal. All of the instructors seemed very knowledgeable and make sure you are comfortable both on the ground and in the air. Being in the same spot for over 30 years says a lot about a business and its staff. read more

I brought my husband for a 'Discovery Flight' It was amazing! Keith was a great instructor and the view was beautiful! The hubs is now on his way to earning his wings! read more

I was doing flight training here and it was going well. Everything goes well as long as you stay in the owners good graces. Once you do something to piss off Richard you understand why 50% of the airport hates him. He's a bad business person, he's not reasonable, and he's just a vindictive kind of person. He will go out of his way to make sure that he gets the upper hand. I'd recommend flying literally anywhere else except here. read more

Awesome staff, flight instructors, and very welcoming family-like atmosphere. We've been doing business with SB for years and only great things happening around Richard and his crew. Great for just for a quick intro class on learning to fly [seriously, anyone and everyone should at least try once!], learn about how aviation works, supplies... they got it. They brought me in with wide eyes but there's no other way to learn self-confidence like a pilot's :] Thanks South bay! read more

Awesome place and with all the knowledge I need to learn how to get my private pilots license easily and effectively. I am a drone pilot and the FAA is now requiring me to get some sort of private pilots license or sports license. After talking with Richard and looking at the airplanes that they have I decided to go for my private pilots license and I've been very happy. The whole staff there is very professional and will answer any question you have and they have the best instructors I've ever seen. One nice perk, is there a flight simulator included with the training. This is great to helping me practice landings and to get ready for the real thing. I highly recommend this place for anyone that needs a sports or private pilots license for the new drawl requirements or just to become a pilot. read more

South Bay Aviation is the best in the South Bay! Our son dreamed of flying since he was a little boy. He is now a pilot and very happy. Thanks to all the help from all the instructors and Richard, the owner, he has achieved a dream. You guys rock! read more