Sundance Flying Club

I’ve been flying/​training out of various Bay Area flightschools (BelAir International, Diamond Aviation, West Valley Flying Club, San Carlos Flight Center, and Ahart) over the last 10 years, and there is no question that Sundance has given me by far the most friendly, consistent, and professional service and I am very happy to rent from them. The Bay Area schools, as a whole, are generally not very customer minded and seem to think you’re always about the violate airspace or bend the airplane. Only in the Midwest where the airspace is lax and rental/​training demand smaller have I found real customer service from FBOs and clubs. At Sundance, the checkouts are very thorough (as they should be), however once you are a member and checked out, it is smooth sailing with these folks. Anything squawked on the airplanes is looked at right away, and any concerns I’ve ever had have been addressed by Heather very quickly and always in a very friendly manner. The CFIs are private contractors from all walks of life with various specialized expertise and experience. The fleet ranges from very cheap and basic Cessna 150s to a Beech Baron, making it an ideal place for providing aircraft for primary training all the way up into advanced cross country flying. Non-​safety related general policies are very lax and renter friendly compared to the competition and members have access to the aircraft keys ²⁴⁄₇ so renters run zero risk of showing up after hours to find the keys missing. And of course, you are always treated like an adult by a staff who shares your passion for flying and airplanes. They also do not charge the monthly membership fee if you did not log any flight time that month.
I initially got checked out at this club attracted by the ability to rent a Grumman Tiger, but in the process I found the club which I hope to remain active at for the foreseeable future. If you’re looking to get checked out in the Bay Area for rental or start flight training, start here and save yourself the headaches.

I finished my private pilot training here. The owners Heather and Evan are very nice and helpful always patient and willing to answer my questions on flying and aircraft. I learned a lot from them outside of training. Movie night is good when I have attended as well. Only down side is that the aircraft are not always as well maintained as I would hope for but that goes to say it really is up to the owner and not the FBO. Prices are a bit high and a fuel charge exists so thats really the owner demerit. The plus side is that there are no daily minimums which works great for experienced pilots who wish to take a plane for a long weekend trip. Lot of good instructors as well are available so overall a pretty good club!

People from the flight club are nice and helpful. But when it comes to their accounting system, it really sucks! I’ve been experienced multiple times of them charging the wrong amount on my credit card on file, and it was a pain to ask them to correct it. Renters, please pay close attention on the amount they charge on your credit card, it could be up to few hundred dollars in difference. That’s the big draw back from renting airplane from the club.
Other than this, everything is nice!

The people in this club are so nice, and the prices are some of the best on the field. They are above board, and straight shooters with high morels. Remember honesty & integrity matter in flying.

My wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said I don’t know, I don’t need anything. She then said she knew exactly what to get me. It was an introductory flying lesson. The best experience I’ve had so far. We chatted on the ground for about half an hour, then we headed to the skies. We did a bay tour from Palo Alto trhough Hayward, Oalkland, Sausalito, San Francisco, and came back to Palo Alto on the right side of Highway 101. The flight lasted over an hour and I got to take off, do some turns etc, and take lots of pictures. My instructor, Chris, was very knowledgeable, professional, answered all my questions and was very friendly. Since we reserved a 4 seater Cessna 172, my wife got to ride with us in the back seat for free. Sundance Flying Club has the best deal around! If you’ve ever wanted to fly give them a call and set it up. I’m going back for an acrobatic flying lesson next…

Every year I get myself something for my birthday. Usually, it’s something from a department store. This year, I decided to give myself an experience.
The Sundance Flying Club has a pretty crappy website. But don’t be fooled by that. If you’re looking to pay extra for a pretty website and a prettier office, go for it. If you’re just looking for great people who are experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly, give Sundance a call. They answered all my questions before I showed up, and they answered a whole slew of other questions while I was there.
Also, I learned that I’m actually too short to reach the pedals :/​ (That’s right, if you’re short you might have issues)
But no fear, we found me a booster seat!
For a full hour I was a pilot! Master and Commander of the skies! It was fun and controlled, mixed in with just the right amount of bumpy air.
After I landed, I got a certificate and my official first pilot hour logged!
Truly Awesome.

A great alternative to the «big» clubs. I can say that with complete conviction, as I did recently switch and couldn’t be happier. I like the more casual, intimate atmosphere of Sundance without all the rules and bureaucracy. I appreciate the fact that you can progress at your own level too (i.e. faster), which was not the case elsewhere, as they are not as concerned about making a huge profit from you.
As with any flying experience, it comes down to the instructors and here you’ll find those who are as good as any. Combined with the great selection of planes and relaxed atmosphere, you can’t go wrong here.

This past Sunday, a good friend decided to surprise me for my birthday and take me to a flying lesson at Sundance. My flight instructor, Rich, met us at Sundance’s facilities adjacent to the Palo Alto airport. We spent 30 – 45 minutes on the ground going over the physics of flight, the instrument panels, and the planned route we would follow once airborne. Rich patiently answered my many questions, and the next thing I knew we were taxying for takeoff.
I lined the Piper Warrior 2 plane up on the runway, gave it full throttle, pulled back on the yolk, and we gently lifted into the skies. The experience was incredible!
Despite having gone bungy jumping and sky diving in the past, I was still a bit scared once we were ~500 feet into the air, and I felt the plane bouncing around and yawing (sp?). It took a good 5 minutes for me to relax (it helped that Rich didn’t seem to have any sweat pouring down his forehead), after which I was able to calmly direct the plane across the bay to practice turning, ascending, descending, using the trim, adjusting to low throttle, and adapting to the use of the flaps. In all, I spent ~1 hour in flight, after which we came in for landing (I was allowed to have a «light touch» on the yolk during landing).
If you’ve ever wanted to try flying, go for it!