Flight school/club in the Bay area

[airheadpenguin]

A friend wants to take up flying, she lives in the Palo Alto area.

Any recommendations for primary training there would be appreciated. KPAO preferred obviously

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[Stan Cooper]

West Valley Flying Club (both PAO and SQL).
http://www.wvfc.org/

San Carlos Flight Center (SQL)
https://sancarlosflight.com/learning-to-fly

 

[Palmpilot]

Another one at PAO is Advantage Aviation.
https://www.advantage-aviation.com/

 

[airheadpenguin]

West Valley Flying Club seems very conservative in their estimates of the cost to get flying. That's probably a good thing even though the number looks scary

 

[Stan Cooper]

West Valley Flying Club seems very conservative in their estimates of the cost to get flying. That's probably a good thing even though the number looks scary

Their numbers are conservative because if they suggested the average student could get a private ticket in the minimum of forty hours with twenty hours dual, and it took eighty or more the student would feel ripped off. Learning in the bay area airspace with SFO (Class B), and OAK and SJC (Class C) does take more time than in other parts of the country, but it pays off in competence in the long run.

If you want cheap, go elsewhere.

 

[airheadpenguin]

I'm not looking for cheap by any means, I think I got mine in 65 hours so 90 seemed very generous and certainly makes people think they're doing great!

 

[tylerjewell]

I am training with wvfc in a c-172s g1000. It took me about 30 hours of dual before I soloed. They have a lot of extra checks with quizzes and phase check rides with other instructors before letting you up. Bay Area airspace is very tricky and they want you to have experience at multiple airports, ground transitions, lots of ground reference points, and a good 10-20 crosswind landings so that they are triple sure of your safety.

 

[TheBoatDude]

I belong to Sundance, which is probably the least expensive at KPAO. Planes are older and the club house isn’t nearly as plushy as advantage, but the folks are friendly and I find the instruction to be good (not that the others aren’t)