Sky Rider Ultralight

Today I surprised my boyfriend with a flight from Sky Rider Ultralight in Camarillo. He had the best experience of his life here. Mike took him up and he was amazing!!! What an amazing guy and spot. I highly recommend this place to everyone. My boyfriend can’t stop talking about this place and the people. We will cherish this memory for forever. Thank you Sky Rider and Mike for an unforgettable birthday present. We can’t wait to come back!

One of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life. I AM HOOKED! Will be doing this again. Flight instructors were amazing, welcoming, and made me feel extremely comfortable. I highly recommend them!

To echo all the great reviews, Mike, Geoffrey and crew were very warm and welcoming, professional and safety oriented. I did the 1hr flight which went out over the coast. The preflight orientation was informative, and the guys were very patient with my questions. You can tell that they are totally into it. After we took off, I said I was a bit nervous. Turns out Mike is a bit of a spirit guide, and he had some great words of wisdom about just feeling my emotions. Words to live by. When we got out to the coast, Mike let ‘er fly a bit, and after seeing his piloting skills and confidence, any nervousness I had was gone. He’s a great pilot, very encouraging teacher and a generally nice guy all around it seems. I will fly with these guys any chance I get, and I’d recommend it to anyone. Thanks a million Mike, Geoffrey and crew!

WOW. Mike and the guys at sky rider are awesome and they took care of me. My wife wanted to get me something special for my birthday and she didn’t disappoint. I want to give Mike a special thank you for taking such good care of me during the flight. It was a wonderful experience and I can’t say enough good things about this company and their people…

This was a fathers day present for me, from Mike, the so-​nice sr. instructor and owner, really, of this club. I’m 81 years old, with a private pilot license and the owner of 2 Pipers until my ex took ‘em away. Well, I haven’t flown for 14 years now, (no medical) but I came upon this place quite by accident. Meeting a few of the folks standing around, it was like we’d known each other forever. I told them of my experience, and they said, «Then fly with us! Age doesn’t matter, flying experience doesn’t matter, and you don’t need a medical, and the FAA isn’t that interested in you. Just stay under 400 feet, and don’t exceed around 40 knots, and you’ll be fine. Other airports and towers don’t particularly want you around, just don’t get in their way.» So off I went with Jeff (or is it Geoff?), and that was some joy ride. They have their own strip beyond the Western end of the main runway, and to the South side. I heartily endorse what they do, and us golden oldies should go there regularly, and enjoy ourselves. Read these other posts to get more of a feel for it. I now know what the Wright Brothers probably felt over a hundred years ago. The controls are very sensitive, and require a light touch. It’s not for children, obviously, (except to watch Daddy) but it is definitely for the younger crowd too.

Although these guys spend so much time in the sky, flying their Ultralights, they are a really «down to Earth» bunch.
The guys that work here are all very welcoming and they are also effective instructors.
My father used to come to the Sky Rider Ultralight flight school when I was very young. The drive was always worth it; I loved watching my Pop take off in the Ultralight. It was an exciting experience, to be sure, and I have many fond memories of the times my family would spend in Camarillo.
I finally had the opportunity to return to this place after more than a decade and I met Mike. Soon after we spoke, I found myself strapped into the Ultralight and getting ready to take off for a test run. I was amazed with the experience. Mike explained how the Ultralight worked and gave me a solid experience that brought back so many memories.
I highly recommend this place. The experience is worth more than what they are charging without a doubt. You are in good hands with Mike and his crew. See you in the skies!

My wife surprised me with an ultralite ride for my birthday. It was such a blast. Mike is a friendly instructor and makes you feel so welcome. He let me take control of the plane for a bit. We skimmed over the ocean at sunset and I was able to get some incredible pictures. It was around an hour flight time and was about $ 150. Apparently he’s the last ultralite instructor in the country. If you get the chance, fly with Mike and you won’t regret it.

Last year I casually asked my girlfriend if birds knew how amazing it was to fly. By the time by birthday rolled around I had long forgotten about that but she had a surprise in store. We drove up to Camarillo and I had no idea what we were doing at this seemingly random airport in the middle of nowhere.
Then it all became clear. I was going up in an ultra light.
Well I’ll tell you right off the bat that this is about as close as we can get to flying like a bird. What an incredible experience! Mike is a real, genuine character and he’ll make sure you have a great time. For me that included Mike handing over the controls for most of the flight. A little nerve wracking because the ‘plane’ is pretty much a go-​kart with wings.
Half way through I was a bit relieved when Mike took back the controls. Then he told me to take out my camera. «Ready?» «For what» i thought… WOOOSH, we dive bomb the beach, pulling up at the last second, evening out a few inches above the crashing waves.
Whoooa!
The hour flew by and before I knew it I was bringing us back around to land. These things aren’t easier to steer! «Watch out for that cargo plane!»
Good times. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a girlfriend full of surprises, it’s worth your time to check this out. Only thing I’d do is ask a bit more about the limits of the Ultra Light. I wasn’t sure if I could royally screw up by steering to hard to the left or right. Mike has over 60,000 flight hours under his belt (USAF) so I was confident in his hands. but mine… well I don’t think Microsoft Flight Simulator (from 1999) counts as much.

I got a ride for my Father’s Day gift and it was a blast. I would do it again!

The Unilocal reviews speak for themselves! This was a great experience that I was hesitant to do but sooo glad I did! I purchased the Living Social deal, but skimped out and got the 15min Camarillo overflight. After getting a taste for ultralight flying, I’m now craving for the longer ocean flight! A great experience that is worth every penny!

If I could give you more stars I would! Mike and Bob are the best! I went soaring yesterday and had a blast! My jaws are still aching from smiling so much! I received a gift certificate for my birthday and I enjoyed it thoroughly! This was more than a bucket list experience… I will be back again. I may not be a pilot but I experienced the art of flying through the friendly skies with a pilot right next to me. Talking about a front seat experience, the steering is in your feet and the wind is in your hair. I felt totally safe; we suited up as a pilot would and were buckled in for safety. The skies were clear and we could see the channel islands as well as the orchards below. The time flew by but was so worth every minute. It is one of those «YOU HAD TO BE THERE» moments! My pilot Bob and the owner Mike were very attentive, polite and gentlemen; they made sure that my birthday was the best ever. TC thank you so much for an experience that I will never, ever forget!

This was one of the best experiences I’ve had! Mike and his crew were super friendly and made the experience wonderful for me and my family. It is an exhilarating ride which I enjoyed every minute of. I’m a GA pilot and this really is a different experience than flying GA aircraft. It is super fun and worth every penny! I highly recommend it to whoever is interested in having an exciting flight experience. Thanks Mike!

What a great time we had. First to Mike and his gang there, thanks so much for an incredible experience. You guys were the best.
We were lucky enough to find this half off deal through Living Social otherwise we never would have found this place. Unfortunately for everyone else there’s not much chance he’ll be running anymore of those deals, but i can tell you at full price it’s worth every penny! We had half off the 30 minute flight and are considering going back and paying full price for the 1 hour flight, and that’s saying a lot. My wife does not pay full price for ANYTHING!
It can’t really be described but flying in an open plane like this is just an incredible feeling. Then to be able to fly out over the ocean, drop down to within 5 feet of the surf and wave to the people standing on the beach. What a rush.
The best part of this is there was no attempt at an upsell. Most places like this will tell you cameras aren’t allowed for safety reasons or whatever, then try to sell you a video or photo package of your flight. So you either pay the money or go without photos of your experience. Mike says «you got your camera with you? Make sure you get lots of pictures or video!» Just make sure you’ve got a camera strap with you to keep it secured around your wrist. The propeller of this plane is right behind your seat. If you lose the camera the prop eats it. And that will not only ruin your camera, but pretty much your whole day.
I can’t say enough about this experience and Mike and everyone else at Skyrider. And all I can say to you is DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS EXPERIENCE!

What an amazing experience!!! If you are interested in wanting to do something unique and fun, this is it! I felt like I was one of the family from the minute I arrived to the minute I left. All of the staff were so kind, helpful, and fun to be around. They were also very careful and safety was definitely very important to the staff. The best part was flying just a couple feet over the ocean, I could see the faces of the surfers as we flew by. Check this off your bucket list, it’s a must do and this is the place to do it :)

Just got back from a Christmas present ride for my 11 and 14 year old kids. The whole experience was well worthwhile. Kids and adults all thought it was «awesome». Good value and great fun. The staff was great.

Utterly amazing experience. For those of you who have spent hours on Google Maps, zooming in and out of the view over your ex’s house, dressed in a pterodactyl costume, you should 1. Give it up, it’s over and 2. Sell that pterodactyl costume and use the funds for a much more realistic experience. Besides, you need to get out of the house anyway. This is a much better experience than Google maps as long as you stay outside the range of the restraining order.
Lucy Y. and I found this place after Googling «ultralight California» after seeing a couple of the flying machines buzz past flying up the coast in Oxnard. We called and left a message, and our phone call was returned the next morning. We set up an appointment for 11:30AM and made our way out to Camarillo Airport. There was a little rain, so Mike, the owner suggested that we wait for a while until it stopped. Mike was friendly, and was even pretty entertaining. We eventually decided to go up, rain or not. We were given flight suits, as it can get pretty cold during the flight. We also got goggles and head sets so that we could communicate with each other and the other ultralight. I was given some quick flight instructions on the ground as I got to take over the controls for a while because I was Mike’s copilot, and he’s cool like that. A couple of warm-​up laps and we were off. I was surprised at how quickly the craft took off, not even taking up the entire runway. Up in the air, we were totally out in the open, free to look out either side and even BELOW the craft! We followed the 101 for a while, and then headed out to the coast. I was taking pictures and video the entire way. When we arrived at the coast, Mike spiraled the ultralight down to the water WOOHOO! and we coasted a few feet above it for a bit until we hit patches of rain. We then had to pull up from the water to keep the engine clear of water due to the rain. After gaining some altitude, I was given the controls for a while. I noticed that the controls were very touchy and took some time to get used to. Mike was encouraging the entire way, jumping in to steer when I started to dive. Heading back toward the airport, we encountered patches of rain that were a bit painful on the face, as we were totally out in the open. The experience was so exhilarating that it barely bothered me, though. The landing was quick and the first thing that I noticed was how quickly the air temperature warmed as we descended.
Mike was patient enough to wait for us while we went to the cash machine to get dough to pay for the flight as he did not have his credit card scanner with him.
A great experience that would be even better on a clear sunny day. Get out there and get UP there!

Sitting on rooftops can show you a whole nother perspective on neighborhoods! I know this because DG and I were on a rooftop on Silver Strand beach yesterday, when we saw these THINGS fly by.
DG knew they were called ultralights, which was more than I knew, and we both figured they were manned by some super rich hobbyist locals. We did some Googling around, and fantasizing about building our own from $ 10k kits in my parents’ mostly-​empty garage, lol.
But then I stumbled upon a website for Sky Rider Ultralight (
), and realized they were within a half hour’s drive from us!
It was after hours at that point, but I called and left a message. We were both thrilled when the owner, Mike, called us back first thing the next morning and told us to come on in for a ride!
Mike ended up being SUPER friendly and welcoming when we got there. He told us all about how he initially got into ultralights in 1982 as a hobby, and how his business has been around for 15 years. Apparently, he is the last business of this kind, so we felt super lucky to have found him just by a fluke!
After giving us jumpsuits and gloves, we waited a bit to let some minor drizzle pass. Then we got buckled in and headset-​and-​goggled up. Mike took DG up in the ultralight he called «the ballerina», and Jeff took me up in «the tank».
It was amazing to see DG in front of me, taxiing down the skinny runway for a short while, and then lift off and go up, up, up, up! As we flew over farms and the 101 freeway, I was accutely aware of the wing blowing around me — since there wasn’t a stitch of cover at all!
We made our way to the coast, then over the water, and along Silver Strand Beach, exactly where we saw them fly the day before. We looked DOWN on pelicans, seagulls, big waves, and the expansive beach. Below me, I even saw Mike and DG spiral down to fly SUPER close to the ocean!
With headsets on, we could all communicate with each other, which was pretty cool! Even cooler is the fact that either passenger in the 2-​seated craft can steer or control the height of the flight. Jeff let me try it for a minute, which was all I wanted to do — and DG said that Mike let him fly for a long time!
I’ve been on private planes and helicopter rides with the doors off, and this is by far the MOST thrilling experience over both. Because there’s NOTHING around you!
The hour long flight price ($ 150) is SO reasonable! Mike and Jeff were both seasoned professionals, and safety was clearly on their minds at all times. Jeff pointed out things we were seeing below us, as well as a hawk and falcon flying near us! And I took a ton of cool pictures!
I highly recommend this as a surprise for your fave thrill seeker or boyfriend or husband. Mike will definitely make this an experience that you’ll never forget!
P. S. — if you REALLY love it, you can take lessons and learn to fly on your own!

My boyfriend kept saying he wanted to fly in an ultralight, so after much searching around online for a birthday present, I found Skyrider… and what a find!
My boyfriend had a great time! He got to fly right over the ocean and got to help with the flying. The instructor/​owner, Mike, knows a ton about ultralights and makes the ride really enjoyable (and, he’s really nice)!
Plus, the prices are super reasonable! An hour flight (and they don’t short you on the time at all!) over the ocean, with just you and the instructor, for only $ 150! There are shorter flights for less. (I’m not even sure that they are making any money on this — they just all love being out there and flying). It seems to be the last business around doing ultralight flights, and I really hope it stays in business!
Heights are really not my thing, so I opted not to go this time, but one of the flight instructors took me for a ride around the runway so that I could see what it was like to be in the ultralight… and, next time I just might go along for the flight. We’ll be back for sure!
*** Also, they were really nice about taking lots of pictures and making sure that you get to capture everything that you want to on film — a nice bonus.