Absolutely stellar first experience! My introductory flight was everything and more. My CFI, David, was a great balance of professionalism and fun. He really provided some great insights and tips that I've now carried back over into my daily VR flight training. I may never become an actually licensed pilot, but the experience alone was something I'll always remember -- and I'll absolutely be coming back for more in the future (possibly taking the controls of their SportStar for the next go-around read more

I have heard nothing but good things about Sunrise Aviation. My grandson took flying lessons there. I am aware that the lead pilot, Michael Church, is an amazing aviator who teaches the best of the best (I'm a little prejudice as I'm a retired USAF CMSgt) the Air Force has at the Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB. While my rating is based on hearsay, I'm pretty sure my grandson would give credence to it. read more

Avoid unless desperate. Where to start... Due to COVID my training was stopped and started again. I went here to finish out the dozen or so hours of instruction left. The namesake of the school Michael Church, is nice enough but is absent from the training these days. Lin, who really operates the training and does the check rides is either becoming forgetful about students or just doesn't care because the demand is still there. Multiple times I was told that my lesson plan would be worked out and and yet nothing. I wasted nearly 2 months because Sunrise would never return my calls and when I did show up still wouldn't give me a straight answer or timeframe. They got me for a few hundred bucks in materials and a worthless hour of "instruction" that was nothing more than admin paperwork and how to use the scheduling software. As for the aircraft, dated and maintained to only minimum standards. The front desk lady is about as rude as it gets constantly demeaning in tone and attitude. Rather than exude an air of professionalism or even helpfulness the staff (not the CFIs) all act distrustful of anyone who wants to learn to fly. I put up with them for far too long and it's my hope this review saves someone what I went through. If John Wayne Airport sees this I truly hope you reevaluate their lease to allow another school to move in. read more

Highly recommended :) Per a good friend's recommendation, along with a personal fear of encountering an unintended spin situation, I took Sunrise Aviation's spin recovery class series in order to improve my skills. Boy, am I glad I did! The amazing Michael Church was my instructor for this. His instructions were so thorough and he kept the classes interesting and fun:) Excellent instructor and great guy!! I definitely conquered my fear and had a helluva good time doing it! The office is very comfy, clean, organized and feels like you're hanging out with family. Linda Kay is wonderful with the task of keeping things running smoothly! She's a pleasant lady, for sure. I only have experience in the Super Decathlon there, and she's definitely a beauty of an airplane. Well maintained! I couldn't be more pleased with my experience with Sunrise Aviation. Thank you! Picture is of Tazzie, the very sweet resident office doggie (I failed to get a pic of anything else)! read more

Sunrise Aviation - Tazzie, the sweetheart. - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Ana, California

This review is an updated review for all the unfounded and unselfish support I have received from Sunrise Aviation. I have worked with Phil and Diane in the past and they have been nothing but steller. Diane has helped me with my Multi Engine rating by giving me her take off briefing cards she has made herself. Diane always goes above and beyond with support for not only her students, but everyone in the community. As a leader in the 99s organization, and an instructor who has a fantastic ATP program, her success is only measured in the success of her students. Phil has a vast knowledge of Airspace, regulations and has a special way of teaching. He is thorough, patient, calm, and has a teaching style which is visual in nature and directed in a modern delivery which has helped me along the way. I can attest much of my success to Sunrise Aviations supportive staff throughout the years. Ikaw ay mamayagpag kasama ng pinakamagaling sa kanila read more

An older review but I wish I had done my training elsewhere. Beyond aerobatics, no reason to pay the high rates of this school. 1) Every time I got checked out in an aircraft here (cub/twin), having spent thousands on training, the aircraft went down for months which would have required being re-checked out. Michael Church, perhaps the biggest a-&$@# I have ever came across in aviation and an ego to fill an airport terminal showed little concern for my situation and when I complained, he returned my deposit with, "your right, a second checkout is in your future." When I tried to talk to him he just ignored me, i.e. go fly someplace else. 2) My flight instructor left out the cost of ground school when estimating my flight training cost on a fully paid scholarship (about $1000) and then still charged me for ground school despite the mistake they made which was money I really didn't have. The flight instructor showed no concern over their error. Unless you are doing aerobatics, stay away. Far better and more affordable schools locally. read more

Very professional staff! Linda at the front desk runs things very efficiently. Last week she administered my Part 107 certification. I inquired about pilot license and she provided me with sheets of info regarding pricing, paper work, etc... Today I came back for a starter lesson. My instructor, William, provided a wonderful experience flying around south OC. His communication skills are very good, and I'm convinced this is the organization I want to do my training! read more

One of the best aerobatic and primary flight schools in the country, with a tonne of aircraft to choose from, i.e. Citabria, Decathlons, Extra 300, Pitts Special, DA20 and DA40, Cirrus SR22, Cessna 172s and 182, J3 clipped wing cub, Sportstar. Hell i'm surprised they dont have a jet for rent. Instructors are first class, and their skies are always blue. read more

I earned my Private Pilot at Sunrise 10+ years ago. Although they can be rude, they know their stuff and are the best. Best program, safest program. Period. No question. Go see how many flight instructor of the Year awards that they have. That's right, a LOT. Michael Church doesn't skimp when trying to make you the very best you can be. Especially when safety is involved. Michael can be the bark sometimes, but everyone else, especially Lynne and Pam H. bolstered my confidence and got me through. Sorry, but if you are not ready Lynne won't sign off. If you dont have the right attitude, same thing. Fast forward 10 plus years and 3 privately owned airplanes later and 800 hours under my belt and my daughter tells me she wants to learn to fly. She a little too young, per Michael's experience with young students and per his recommendation, but in two years we'll be back for sure. I go by Michaels recommendation. I think about it and then I decide my decision is always I go by Michael's recommendation he has Superior experience. Hey all you yelpers out there who are saying that Sunrise just wants to milk you for extra dollars why didn't he say "oh yeah let's get her going in a flight program"? That would have been easy money in his pocket, right? Jarret, the ignorant, one dimensional thinking dispatcher was exceptionally rude. "Dude," he said, "im sick of answering your questions" and hung up. Hmmm, not sure but suspect he must be a millenial. Sure acts like one. Michael was reasonable on the follow up call to Jarret' s hang up, but tough. But it's this tough love that will one day save your life. CONCLUSION: they are the best. And if you are the best pilots and if you are the best school and if you are serious about flying the RIGHT way, you have the right to be as arrogant and cocky as you want. Thats how we pilots tend to be. BUT, its not cockiness nor is it arrogance. It is tough, disciplined flight training. Tough makes you tough. It makes you ready to do it right. It frames your mind to focus and it puts upon you the seriousness of flying. It is literally life and death up there. They do what they do by intention to set up a culture of high-performance, no guff Flight Training. Go check the NTSB accident reports and tell me how many flying accidents do you see happening every day in the United States? That's right, a lot. They earned that right. They are saving lives and putting out excellent pilots who will forever have ingrained in their minds best practices when it comes to Flying skills, knowledge, and especially safety. It will stay with them and determine what kind of pilots they ultimately become in the future. You want to fly for the airlines? You better be able to take tough love. You want to just fly for yourself be a Private Pilot or maybe some other kind of commercial pilot and end up being the best and having the safest skills? You better be able to take tough love. There is no guff when it comes to that. Yelpers who are ripping on Michael or ripping on Lynn and anyone else on the staff you don't have the right to do that because they are the best. As for Jarrett the dispatcher, when you become the best you can call me "dude" again and you can tell me "you're sick of it"and even do so with a red bull in one hand and a double espresso non fat soy stevia sweetened latte in the other, but until then please try to just make sure you keep those planes in the air, instructors supported, and try and help your mom and dad out with the rent. Okay, jjk, Jarret, dont take it personally :), but please, in all seriousness, please remember that you need to think in more than just one narrow dimension, need to learn to listen, and need to learn to not assume you know what the customer wants. How? Again, work on your listening skills. You are in customer service and you're trying to help make money for your business and not chase customers away, thank you! My flight and ground instructors: Darren F. - F18 pilot, Citation driver, flies now for the majors. Kenji - Sato Sensei flies for the majors. Jodie B. - test pilot, engineer for a USA aircraft manufacturer. Why 3 instructors? Because it took me a really long time to make it through but Sunrise got me through. They did not give up on me and Michael even GAVE me free flight instruction hours. They helped me realize my dream. thank you! 5 stars for Sunrise. Deal with it. read more

I was referred to Sunrise Aviation by a friend shortly after moving to the Orange County area from Vancouver, BC close to eight years ago. I held a Canadian private license at the time and was interesting in learning about the airspace in-and-around the Los Angeles Basin. Sunrise's dispatcher at the time, Brian D, got me set up with an instructor for some local familiarization flights in a Cessna 172. After just a few flights I was hooked for good and wanted to see where it would lead! The Sunrise staff assisted me with information regarding the steps necessary to convert my Canadian license and over the next 5 years trained with them to earn my Instrument Rating, Commercial Certificate, and finally my Multi-Engine rating. While tough, their instructors are fair and challenge you to be your best. If you want someone to hold your hand and earn a certificate for you, this isn't the place. I'm remain good friends with many of Sunrise's students and instructors - past and present (high fives to Diane Myers, Stephen Perry, Kyle Hankes, Brodie Vernola, Bill Hill, and Matt Tiberino)! I'm now a full-time professional pilot and have Michael Church, Lyn Carlson, Linda "Special Kay" Butterworth and the entire Sunrise team to thank for it. If you're 100% prepared to commit yourself and work hard, they'll take you where you want to go. Five Stars! read more

My review is for the office staff at Sunrise, specifically Linda-Kay and Lynn. I have a relative from India that had wanted to study to be a pilot under M1 visa. Upon many research, we found that Sunrise was the most reasonable in terms of cost, deposit, and coursework. We had contacted numerous aviation schools that accept international students and we either did not get a call back or we were asked to submit a minimum $20,000 deposit versus $2500 by Sunrise. Sunrise staff also answered our questions expediently through e-mail and voice messages. This was the first time that we applied for this program and did not know the intricacies of the process. Additionally, Sunrise never had a student from India so we were learning together. Many things had to be translated from the India-way to the US way, such as the way the currency is being posted in the account; as well as how the home address in India is very different than that of the US; and the money transfer process was not as smoothly as we thought it would be. We also found out that there were limited international courier that deliver to that particular state in India and the method was very unfamiliar to us. Linda-Kay was very patient throughout this process and communicated every detail of the process to us. With the difference time zones, language barrier, and bad connectivity... we somehow were able to move things along. Then the unimaginable thing happened... his visa application was rejected not once or twice... but thrice. The first time they were asking for student pilot license, which was something that hasn't been needed in decades. So, we needed Sunrise to do their pieces and they did so in a timely manner. We were able to get his student pilot license issued within days. The second time the visa officer asked for medical clearance. And, the third, no reason was given. Throughout this devastating process, Linda-Kay and Lynn were always very helpful and extremely responsive. They offered to extend the I-20 without additional costs and we received the second I-20 document faster than the first. I always believed that how a person is being treated initially is a reflection of how that organization operates its business. This journey took us 6 months and we had so many bumps on the road... but our interaction with them was always pleasant and the easiest of all. Thank you, Linda-Kay and Lynn for your support! Sorry we were not able to attend the school but you guys have a special place in our hearts! read more

A+ operation. Michael and Lyn are class acts all the way. After reading all the reviews here a lot of the negative reviews are from people confusing rudeness with strict policies and procedures (you know the stuff that will keep you ALIVE). This happens when you have a country full of fully grown adults slowly turning into babies. This is also what happens when you end up with adults that were never properly disciplined by their parents .. they grow up needing everything sugar coated like a bunch of sissies. read more

My results were that of Nancy C. as mentioned above. School does not tailor toward part 61 students very well. In my case, staff was not respectful of my instructor who was newer to their company. I would see them speak condescendingly toward him in front of me. Does not make for good business practice. I liked my instructor but he moved to Van Nuys for a better job. They then randomly assigned one of the other instructors which ruined my experience. I opted to go for Aces High in LGB as it supports part 61 scheduling better and is 30% cheaper! I will say though that Sunrise was pretty well organized and welcomed me right in off the bat, however it was mostly due to my instructor for my good experiences there. read more

Just finished sending my CFI Initial student to a checkride with DPE Lyn Carlson and even though my student didn't initially pass the exam, Lyn was so caring and thorough with post exam briefings and finally my student passed! Lyn is very thorough yet she truly cares about her applicants and is proactive in wanting success in our Flight instructors and student pilots. read more

Spoke with Ger on Saturday for 1:00pm reservation for Wednesday. My son and grandfather show up at 12:45pm on Wednesday and their is no reservation on file. Are you serious. I was on the phone for 20min with Ger, I guess that was a dream. The woman at the front desk could care less. How about an apology or empathy. I asked to speak with Ger and was told he will be available on the weekend. What a clown brown operation. read more

I have taken the training for my private pilot certificate here. I have checked out other flight schools, but decided to go with this one. Currently, I am pursuing my instrument rating here as well. My Bottom line: If you are looking for flight training, look no further. This place is it. Other than your "regular" flight training, Sunrise Aviation also offers Aerobatics Courses, as well as aircraft rental. Their training is focused on safety, and teaching what it takes to learn to fly (yeah, OK, some say that you only start learning after you received your certificate, but let's set that aside), as opposed to just past the test / checkride. This usually means, that no, you will not pass with the minimum required hours. You will learn much more than that, and I suggest you will appreciate that, once you come to realize that there are no emergency parking lanes in the sky you can just pull into, get out and stop, and ask for direction. Besides, I want to fly - so why make it a goal to fly as little as any possible? Hence, I did not mind at all spending more hours than the bare minimum. I enjoyed every second of it. Their staff here friendly, highly experienced and very knowledgeable (Check out their website www.sunriseaviation.com and read about their staff, and the awards they have received). Sunrise also offers a wide selection of Aircraft to fly in, Light Sports, Single Engine, Twin, it's all there. The aircraft are well maintained by their own maintenance department. Scheduling of your training and airplane rental time is done online, with a very intuitive and convenient scheduling system. Other than the comfy sofas in the lobby, they also have a room with Computers to use for customers (for weather briefings, flight planning etc.). Each flight instructor has a small office for the one-on-one ground sessions, and there are two classrooms for the ground school lessons. And, not to forget, they have a Dog and a Cat. John Wayne Airport, where Sunrise Aviation is located, is among the largest Dual Use (Commercial and General Aviation on one field) airports in the States. It is a busy airport, but the controllers do a great job at getting you in-and-out very quickly, I hardly ever had to wait. Also, I saw being trained at this kind of airport as an advantage over being trained at a smaller airfield: It's about getting used to radio work and dealing with a busy airspace. Being comfortable handling that makes going any place elsewhere a piece of cake. In all, I can only highly recommend Sunrise Aviation. It's the Harvard of Flight Schools. Check them out, or go and visit them in person, and you'll find out. read more

Michael Church, took me for the ride of my life in the Extra 300. I'm bias because I worked here, but seriously, it was more fun than skydiving. Aerobatics FTW! read more

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I've been coming here for years as a student. I have always had instructors that have taught me the way I learn best. I just finished my BFR flight review after not flying for a time with Taha. He thoroughly and clearly reviewed everything with me until he and I both felt like I was ready to get back in the air alone. great experience and would recommend him and this school to anyone. read more

I had a great experience with Sunrise. I came in for a short basic aerobatics course (4 lessons) with Bill, and found he excelled at teaching. He was calm and thorough, very easy to listen to while upside down. Linda Kay at the front desk has been very helpful and friendly with organizing my lessons. I got extensive ground training from Michael Church too, who kept me intrigued and interested the entire time through the lessons. If you're someone like me who loves to learn and wants to soak up as much information as possible, go here. I felt like any possible question I had about aerobatics could be answered. Michael has been a pilot since the 60's...and that experience is very, very evident. I learned a lot in two days! read more

Michael Church (the owner) is not a very nice man. He extreme and stern to his instructors and he is very standoffish and impersonal to the students. I walked in to sunrise aviation a few time to get some information on flight training, and he told me he did not have time to talk to me about his services. He directed me to an instructor who he had just berated. This gentleman was very monotone and unhelpful. The only impression i left with is - the prices are outrageous and the building is cluttered and dirty. The worse thing about the place is the smell. They have a cat and a dog that roam around and have practically taken over the place. The cat and my allergies did not fair well, and the dog nearly barked and growled my ears off. I decided to take my business elsewhere. -My advice - make sure you take a good look around at their equipment. If the airplanes are in the same shape as the building (and owner ) is in, I am sure no good can come from it. read more

My relationship with Sunrise Aviation began in 1993 and continues to this day. I earned my instrument rating with Sunrise, I rent from Sunrise and I get all my flight reviews at Sunrise. They do it right. Rather than just teaching to earn a license or a rating, they teach to develop competent pilots. I have recommended students to Sunrise for 25 years and will continue to do so. read more

If you are the first timer - just want to have the flight of your life - go for it. 15 different types of air crafts?! Oh yeah!! If you are a student pilot - hear me out. It looks like it's got pretty structured system for part 141, but if you're part 61 and have limited time and only fly 3-4 times a week like me, don't! They didn't value me as a customer. Once I got in, got tied down to an instructor. I had to do exactly as he said or else I don't get to practice flying, way too controlling and random (he just showed up and told me that I don't get to fly without telling me in advance). They don't allow me to schedule with another instructor. The old lady school owner gave me lots of negative feedback to try to destroy my confident and self-believe about aviation. And what she said is not necessarily true. I regret that I went for the meeting when they call me up. Though I do apology that I was forgetful and confused about time to meet. However, turning a customer's self-defense mechanisms on is not a good idea - poor customer service right there, and the owner sets a great example. Customer is willing to pay $300+ USD for each training, but there is no respect for that matter, she tried to lecture me as if you're a 6 year-old just because she is old, so there will be no deal. Not sure about others, I write the review based on my personal experience. I traveled and trained with different aviation schools from Washington to California, Sunrise is definitely the worse experience I could ever have. I was trying to be nice by telling the front desk that the schedule don't match up well, giving the nicer reason so that I could chose instructor who could possibility be a better fit since I am interested in aerobatic training. In one word, they don't care about consumer's right to choose and make their own decision about who to work with inside the company, giving the reason she said "We don't do things that way in Sunrise Aviation. Sorry we can't help you here." If you are a CFI - think twice. If a student don't like one instructor in the company, other instructors won't have a chance to take over a student who decided to go for other instructors and trying to work things out. It is just because your co-worker can't handle rejection, and for that matter, the school owner would tell the student off. Lesser chance for you to make money I guess. However, they have a good flow of customer in the other hand. Give and take, good luck. All in all, the company is as sketchy as its building and parking lot, except the introductory flight is not bad. Different people have different vibe, some match, some don't and it is normal, nothing too personal, and they made it a big deal. I love the freedom of choice, and we all have the right to choose; in this case, it just doesn't work out for me. read more

A while back I was attempting to finish my CFI here. What a mistake! The instructor they assigned me said it would be 4-5 lessons to complete the endorsement for the Checkride AFTER we flew together for an evaluation. What a lie! 10K later they still wouldn't make the endorsement and Lyn Carlson said I was weak and would never pass. That did it, I went back to my airport south of SAN got endorsed and passed my initial CFI the first time at the FSDO in San Diego. All of the students who have begun with me have passed their check rides on the first attempt. I'm sure they were just bilking money because the instructors were whining about their lack of students there. I would not recommend training here. read more

I read the reviews for Sunrise Aviation before coming to take my FAA sUAS Airman Knowledge Test and I have to say, I was skeptical. The reviews were saying that the employees were rude and it sounded like it wouldn't be a good environment for test-taking let alone a good environment for student pilots. When I got to Sunrise, I was greeted by Tazzy, the German Shepherd, amazing dog, which I thought was pretty cool. LK helped me out at the testing center getting me set up and being my test proctor, and she was really nice. The whole test process went smooth, nothing went wrong, very professional. LK was funny and made the experience that much more enjoyable. Thank you Sunrise Aviation!! read more

Do not take your written test here. They do not schedule appropriately. I drove out there to take an exam, having spoke to the man at the center just 30 minutes before. When I arrived he feigned ignorance to having even spoke to me. The people at that center are flat out rude and not at all accommodating. Please schedule exams at a different location. read more

I'm typically not inclined to write reviews, but my unpleasant and unprofessional experience today at Sunrise Aviation has compelled me to do so. BE WARNED! I approached Sunrise Aviation to inquire about obtaining a multi-engine rating on 01/28/19 and met with CFI Diane Myers for an hour. During our meeting we discussed my experience, qualifications, and goal to complete the multi-engine rating before mid April as my bi-annual review was due at that time. Ms. Myers briefly outlined the program and discussed the airplane for which I was already familiar. I did not see the plane as it was down for maintenance, but was sent pictures shortly thereafter. Ms. Myers then proceeded to open a file for me and set me up in their scheduling computer. She also provided me with some written material to review and instructions on obtaining my AOA badge. It was our initial "get to know each other meeting" and I signed some papers and gave Sunrise Aviation a $500.00 deposit. I was to get my badge and Ms. Myers would work me into her schedule. I was NEVER told I would be charged for this meeting and I NEVER heard from Ms. Myers since (2 months). Due to extensive rain in OC lately and my need to obtain the multi-engine rating, I made arrangements out of State with another flight school to secure my multi-engine rating. It was much cheaper and as I now know, more customer friendly and professional than Sunrise Aviation. I therefore emailed Ms. Myers yesterday to inform her of such and request a refund of my $500.00 deposit. Ms. Myers informed me that Sunrise Aviation does not provide refunds. But she suggested that I post my credit for other students to buy at a reduced rate. Who does that? And what kind of business is this? I thought they must have cash flow issues or something. I have not used any of my deposit so why would it not be reimbursed? Bad business in my opinion. To further discuss my refund, I was given the name of the dispatcher Linda-Kay Butterworth. So I went into Sunrise today to speak with her. I would think that since my deposit was unused, that customer service and common sense would lead me to receive a refund. Instead I was rudely told by Ms. Butterworth that there would be no refund and that I signed a paper agreeing to that. I was never given a copy of this paper until today, and there I found bunched in the middle of it in small print, that deposits were for advanced purchases and advanced purchases will not be refunded. Nobody at Sunrise Aviation ever mentioned that during my initial meeting. I then thought is this a scam? I thought Ms. Butterworth to be very unpleasant, rude and having a bad day? She was of no help and wanted to pass the buck. It gets better. I was then told that my account balance was not $500.00, but was only $475.40. The reason given was that Ms. Myers charged me 0.3 hours of instruction, that she claims was provided during our initial "get to know each other and set up an account" meeting. Rest assured I was not given any instruction nor did I learn anything during our first and only meeting where I paid Sunrise Aviation a $500.00 deposit. Only today was I given a little white piece of paper with a ticket number and date on it saying I was being charged $24.60 for 0.3 ground instruction by Ms. Myers on 01/28/19. That is crazy and it is not right. I questioned Ms. Myers about this and she is adamant that she provided instruction to me during our initial meeting. But as I continued to disagree with her, she offered "if it makes that big of a difference" that she would reimburse me the $25.00. I said "yes it makes a difference" and is the right thing to do. She then immediately renigged her offer and firmly told me that she would not be reimbursing me anything. I guess Ms. Myers' business practices are the same as Sunrise Aviations, which based on my experience are shady, dishonest, and not customer service based. Since Sunrise Aviation was unwilling to reimburse me the full $500.00 I informed them that I would resort to American Express to handle it, and if that did not work that I would bring a lawsuit against them to recover my deposit. As a lawyer I know that any judge would make things right and order my deposit refunded in full. I also know that contracts with important information written inconspicuously by the vendor do not fly, no pun intended. Fortunately, a fellow student pilot agreed to pay me for the $475.00 credit Sunrise says I have. So I am only out the $25.00 Ms. Myers seems to need more than I do. The point is Sunrise Aviation and Ms. Myers could have done the right thing and refunded my $500.00 deposit that was unused anyway. If they did I would have been more than happy to use them in the future or refer them to others. But instead I am writing a negative review, have a bad taste for them and would never recommend them to anyone. Good Job Sunrise. read more

I have trained for my private pilot certificate at Sunrise and now I am a loyal customer. I will come back for IFR training.

Aviation is a fulfilling but serious endeavor and flying in Southern California airspace requires a higher level of proficiency then that required to fly exclusively in less congested Class D Airspace. Sunrise is an FAA Approved class 141 School and trains Pilots to meet any challenge their rating allows. Sunrise is an example of the best of the 141 schools. Pilots are trained to these pre-approved standards. It should be kept in mind that any competent Flight School can train you to fly but a !41 school like Sunrise will teach you to fly safely and professionally in any airspace, limited only by your aircraft equipment, rating and airspace restrictions. Sunrise is amongst the best of the Best. read more

Before selecting a flight school, do your homework and call around to the aviation schools in the area. Also, visit the school unannounced and speak with the front desk staff, dispatcher, aviation students, and the flight instructors. Then sign up for an introductory flight, which is a very cost effective way to rate the school, flight instructors, and aircraft. That is what I did and hands down I selected Sunrise Aviation over the local competition. I recommend that you do not select a flight school by cost alone. Low cost does not equal an excellent aviation education. Approach your flight school selection as you would the selection of any institute of higher learning. The cheapest college or trade school is not likely to be the best! So, if it is the best aviation education you are seeking, you will not do better than Sunrise Aviation at John Wayne Airport. read more

I just saw this page on Sunrise and must post a review. I got my CFI rating and training from Michael Church more than 30 years ago. To this day I've always felt I really learned to fly and teach from him. When I met Michael, I had my Commercial/Instrument ticket and my next step was instructing. I had looked all over the LA basin for a CFI course. Michael was the only guy around that even had a syllabus for a CFI rating, let alone a set plan on how to teach someone to fly. Again, this is more than 30 years ago and Michael had it well mapped out. In getting my instructor rating from Michael, he broke flying down into simple parts, making things self-evident to a student. Much simpler and clearer than I had learned in the past. Also, for me personally at the time, I thought it was ridiculous that I had a Commercial/Instrument Rating and had never flown inverted or spun an airplane (required for CFI). I had this dark area in my flying I was never shown. Michael brought the light to my flying, filling in those blanks, instilling my self-confidence as a pilot. You will learn spins at Sunrise. You will have confidence as a pilot in command of that airplane. Michael is a master teacher and will have high expectations with his CFI's. I later instructed elsewhere at an uncontrolled field for a time and was astonished at the level of flying competence people were demonstrating. Many licensed pilots who really weren't completely safe. Emergency landings (having plan B) and quite a few who came to me with, "I think I spun my airplane but I'm not sure, I hear you teach spins." Then, "Yep, I guess I spun it." Their competence was just a lack of training and not their fault. I just filled in the blanks like Michael showed me. Basic stuff that isn't shown in so many fight schools. With pilots, at every level, IT'S ALL ABOUT TRAINING, not talent or natural ability. Instructing showed me how much we are all the same. So, that's an insider's unabashed review of anything to do with Michael Church - flight instructor. Today, I'd send my kids (and grandkids!) to Michael. read more

Very friendly staff, well maintained aircraft and excellent aerobatic training. Just a great all around FBO. I would use their services again in a heartbeat. read more

As a corporate pilot in the OC just giving props to all the staff at Sunrise. Planes are kept in immaculate shape; good for show. Although what matters is under the hood and beneath the skin is also kept in order. Friendly and professional attitude. Thanks to Bill Hill for the help in the Cirrus SR20! Looking forward to renting from these guys in the future. read more

When I heard "we're not the cheapest place because we expect you to be serious about your training" I knew right then that this is the place for me. Don't be fooled by the school's simplistic appearance, it reflects the level of focus they put on flight training. They don't just teach you to fly, they teach you to be good at it. You just have to go to experience the quality it's service they provide. read more

I took a vacation to SoCal in early 2015 and as part of my time there, I rented an airplane for a scenic flight around the area. I'm a private pilot but unfamiliar with the airspace, so I needed to take one of their flight instructors along. The entire staff was very friendly and all around it was a good experience. Nice facility, well kept aircraft. Will definitely consider them again next time I'm in the area. read more

While the instructors at Sunrise are a hardworking and generally good bunch of guys, the school is run by Mike Church who, while being a well known expert instructor, tends to use tyrannical rule to keep everyone in line. It is not a good learning environment. He tends to be domineering and does not encourage independent thinking or students asking questions, under the guise of pushing safety. Do yourself a favor and go with training at OCFC next door. They have an equally qualified staff, but a much more pleasant and welcoming environment. They actually make you WANT to fly! read more

Don't let appearances fool you! Their offices may not be much to write home about but what they lack in the physical structure is more than compensated for by their credentials, curriculum, CFI standards, and essentially every other important criteria related to selecting a top notch flight school. It honestly does not get better than Sunrise. Learning to fly is not an easy endeavor in and of itself but their vast experience - headed up by their owner Michael Church (who has more credentials and awards than an entire office wall can hold) - has created a curriculum that is comprehensive yet fun. Never boring. Never lacking. And it always keeps you interested and committed. There is no shortcut, "cheap" or "fast" way to capably learn to fly (or at least there shouldn't be). You can't pull over on the side of the road if you experience a problem. You have to have the right (and best) training you can possibly get to insure that you will always be ready for anything that may come up in your life as a private pilot (or beyond). You'll get that training (and more) at Sunrise. read more

Retired professional pilot enrolled in Primary Aerobatic Program, paired with wise and patient aerobatic instructor/former Navy pilot, Art. Art is well versed in the art of aerobatic flight and was great at teaching this ol dog new tricks. Have piloted (driven) airplanes for years. Really fun to fly them! During the phase check, owner Michael Church put me at ease and made the check ride an enjoyable learning experience. I didn't want it to end (unusual for a check ride). Michael and Art's enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. If you are looking for aerobatic instruction, consider Sunrise! read more

Great flight school, training to the highest standards! Broad curriculum available with a pretty good rental fleet. Also a home in Southern California for aerobatic pilots. Highly recommend the school and the instructors. read more

Just became a licensed Private Pilot with Sunrise this week. It was probably the most exciting accomplishment in my life thus far. I came here with about 35 hours of experience from 20 years ago from a school in Washington (I was 16 at the time and sort of gave up at that time, so its been a goal of mine to finish) and thought it would be pretty easy to get back into it and get licensed... not the case.... after a few flights I saw how much I forgot in those years.... With that I made it my goal to get this done, basically going from start to finish again and did it as a part time student in 4 months with my instructor Adam Zeeman. This school opened me to so many things that I wasnt exposed to in my previous training, and yes it can be stressful at times and they do push you to get it right and understand your mistakes. You have to go into flight training understanding that they are here to make you a good, safe, and aware pilot.... this is not a school that will let you slide if you sort of get it and pass you along. All the instructors have provided me with knowledge from talking and flying with them in various stages of my training. It is a well rounded group here of instructors who have a passion for flying and it definitely shows. Even with just getting my license, I still am wanting to advance my skills here with a lesson here and there because there is so much more to learn and experience in the world of flight, and this is the school to do it if you are commited and serious on becoming a excellent pilot. read more