San Carlos Flight Center

My lady took me here for Valentine’s Day as a surprise and man what a great gift! Was a little nervous at first but our pilot Jesse Dixon made us feel super comfortable. He went over all the safety precautions and had us up and flying in no time. What a smooth ride and beautiful ride it was. We got to see all the sites from a different perspective and Jesse made sure we didn’t miss a thing. Can’t wait to come back and have Jesse take us around again! Thank you!

As a wedding gift my husband and I were given two vouchers to do the 1 hour helicopter flight of the San Francisco Bay. IT WAS AWESOME! I highly recommend it! Our pilot, Jesse Dixon, was really fun and informative. This flight provides a really cool way to see the bay area.

San Carlos Flight Center has amazing staff. Professional and welcoming to a wide-​range of pilots. The weekly ground school classes are informative and humorous. Highly recommended.

I have been to their FAA seminars and the quality is top-​notch. Although I fly out of Palo Alto I joined the SCFC «FOG» group that does day and night flight trips. Quite the selection. Plus San Carlos is a great airport in general. The club has a scholarship program for high school students and I hear they are adding a scholarship for helicopter.
Very nice and knowledgeable folks here.

My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience today. We’re both from the Bay Area but knew that exploring the city from a different perspective up above would be breathtaking and I’m glad we did it. Our pilot Joel was very easy going. Definitely made us feel safe and comfortable. He even let me steer the plane which was so cool! Our views were spectacular even though it was a little cloudy above the golden gate, we were still able to see the tip of it. Seeing these views from up above made me feel like I’m exploring a new city. Thanks Joel for making our experience memorable.

TERRIBLE customer service!
Kayla called me this morning and told me they were canceling my appointment. This is the SECOND time that they’re canceling it and at this rate, I won’t be celebrating my boyfriends birthday anymore, I’d be celebrating his NEXT birthday. She gave me attitude when I asked if there was a complimentary service she could provide for a two time cancellation and all said was «no but it’s better than flying in a broken airplane» (still in maintenance after a MONTH??).
In addition, I find it quite odd that the plane has been in maintenance for a month while I see other people posting current ratings on Unilocal prior to their experience.
There are cheaper groupons for flying with other companies now (SF air tours is a better AND cheaper one!) so look elsewhere!
I called groupon and asked for a refund and they promptly refunded me without any hassle. This company DOES NOT refund you. If you bought your Groupon through Groupon, get a refund from them! Easy and stress free refund process with Groupon– an important customer service aspect that should be practiced by all businesses.
You have a LOT to learn Dan and «Cayla»

I’ve always wanted to become a pilot and I enrolled in Private Pilot Ground School at the San Carlos Flight Center. I was a bit skeptical, because flying seemed intimidating and the reading material that one needs to understand for ground school seemed complicated and a lot.
However, ever since I joined this flight school, I have become a fan. This is the BEST class room teaching I have experienced in my life. The teaching methodology is beyond excellent. The sessions are divided into 12 topics and each topic is explained in adequate detail. It’s not too much (or else it gets boring) and not too less; it’s just perfect. What I like about the teaching methodology is that there is a great mix of theory and practical experience. For example, in the class about flight instruments, we saw actual flight instruments and played around with it, in the class about weather reports, we saw real METARS and PIREPS .
Our teacher, Herb, is extremely patient. As one of his more demanding students, I had questions before, during and after the class. He not only answered all question, but took time to explain the rationale and give adequate background. Dan, who is the owner of this center has not only developed this course (and authored multiple books on aviation), has managed to nurture a culture where this school reeks of excellence! I love being a student here (well, I just finished lesson 12) and this is the best flight school I can imagine.

The price is high, and you do not get what you pay for. I would say the customer service is terrible, then again, you aren’t a customer here, you’re a liability that pays for the privilege to be entrusted with SCFC’s exceptional fleet of meticulously maintained aircraft which never have and never will develop intermittent problems meaning any problems encountered are clearly the fault of the pilot in command. Those who dare to suggest otherwise will find themselves in exile. As they should for having the gall to question the reasoning behind the almighty Chief Pilot.
My experience is that of a renter who’s only involvement was grabbing the keys and flying the airplane. The staff and instructors were all great and professional, there were plenty of seminars and events available such as organized fly outs and tours of air traffic control facilities fairly regularly and one will find complementary snacks and drinks as well as loner headsets available for them in the office. However, every interaction I had with the owner came over as highly condescending, but again, I just wanted to grab a plane whenever I wanted to go flying, and fly it. So I didn’t think much of it and the first year or so of my membership was mostly uneventful minus a few instances of keys not being in the lockbox resulting in canceled flights as I am largely a night flyer rarely flying within normal business hours.
Two of these instances occurred back to back, and both times I had a date with me late at night only to find the keys for the aircraft I had rented nor any of the other Cessna 172s on the flightline in the box. In my conversation with the owner to follow, he had the nerve to imply that because I chose to fly late at night, which «no one else does» apparently, I have to accept that employees aren’t used to leaving the keys out for flights after 5PM. Apparently, though the aircraft are available 24 hours a day for rental, your money isn’t as good to them at 3AM as it is at 3PM though the planes would otherwise sit on the ground not generating revenue. After well over 10 minutes on the phone and no, «I’m sorry, we’ll make sure to be extra careful to check the scheduling software for after hours flights from now on, thanks for being so understanding and keeping your business with us» had been received, it became clear that, «If you’re going to be the one guy who flies after hours you’re going to have to remind us when you do» was going to be the only solution offered. Thus, I reluctantly accepted this, and as redundant and ridiculous as it felt for me to schedule a flight on the online software only to then have to call before 5PM to make sure they do their jobs, it worked, obviously. But from then on, I couldn’t pass the owner in the halls without him making some snarky comment about me keeping odd hours or flying at night. I was annoyed, but everything from then on was going fine. For a while anyway.
One night I had to cancel after a date had watched me preflight 2 aircraft on a cold night that wouldn’t start. One was confirmed to have a bad battery as I suspected, but the other one was somewhat of a mystery. I reported it, and as I went to rent another plane the next afternoon, dispatch told me a CFI could barely get it started that morning. The owner then very courteously called me into his office in front of a stranger and politely asked, «How do you start these airplanes?» in a condescending tone before accusing me of being unable to start 3 planes that night and incorrectly stating no issues were found with any of them. After I corrected him, there was no apology for my wasted time or the accusations, I was just dismissed as he asked «Was this at like 1AM or something?» and began telling the random office guest that I like to fly late at night. Annoyed, I left, and a few nights later rented the same plane only to have it not start, again. After I reported it, I received phone calls from 2 staff members concerned that the problem was myself and not the plane, despite the fact I’ve never had an issue starting another plane before or since. When the owner then e-​mailed me asking that I come in to show him how I start engines as he, «often finds the next pilot has no problem starting”(NOPE), I laid out all my concerns with the customer service, his attitude, and the fact they hiked monthly fees from $ 40 to $ 50 with no warning and demanded an apology for my negative customer experience. 8 days later, he replied ignoring ALL of my concerns only saying he would «give me another chance» to reply to his original e-​mail, which he attached. Outraged, I copied his «I’ll give you another chance to reply» line and re-​attached my e-​mail. He then terminated my membership within 15 minutes rather than even touch on any of my concerns and ignored my follow up e-​mail.
There are far too many (and cheaper) aircraft rental options to deal with the ego of the owner at SCFC. Below, note how he still denies the possibility of a mechanical issue.

I think it sucks that several people had bad experiences here. My best friend got a Groupon for this place last year and I went with him intending to ride in the back seat (we’d already done quite a bit last summer and this was his final bit of fun before going back to Atlanta). However, they informed me when I got there that they could add me as a pilot for $ 60, which was too much of a steal to pass up.
The staff was exceptionally friendly and courteous, and our flight instructor just made the experience for us. I sincerely apologize, as I can no longer remember your name, Mr. Flight Instructor, but you are the best, and I loved your slight Iranian accent! He was personable, friendly, chatty, and made sure we were safe without taking too much control of things. He handled all the boring parts of flying while we got to handle the direction, altitude, and we got to take off and land (scary!). The area is gorgeous from the sky, and when we got back he took photos for us and suggested a place for us to eat in Half Moon Bay (which was quite yummy).
Everyone was on time and ensured that we enjoyed our experience quite well. Thank you so much, San Carlos Flight Center! I will return for another flight!

Definitely a professional, no nonsense organization. They do a great job.
BTW, I rent planes from SCFC, and have taken a lesson.

We took a scenic flight over Silicon Valley.
I am sorry to say I was disappointed. The pilot was late and finished early.
He provided no commentary while we were flying and while he took us to the places we requested, he made no suggestions nor seemed to have any itinerary. We asked if we could fly over Apple HQ and he had to ask where that was.
On the positive side he seemed to be a good pilot and we had a safe trip. Just not one I would do again — too expensive and not worth it.

I would give this place 0 stars if I could!!! Read my story and you’ll see why.
I had scheduled a birthday flight lesson for my boyfriend (prior to buying a groupon) with the assurance that, after buying it, I would still have that appointment. So I bought it.
They called me at 5pm (aka CLOSING TIME for EVERY other flight center in the area) the NIGHT BEFORE the lesson saying they double-​booked all their pilots for the day. I accepted their apology and explained the situation… that I likely wouldn’t be able to schedule with any other company with such late notice. The receptionist on the other end replied «well, just take him to lunch or a movie.»
I went from sympathetic and frustrated to completely LIVID. I spent all this time thinking about a great gift, paying a fair amount of money for this flight, and preparing for the surprise (i.e. scheduling other activities/​dinner around the flight) and they didn’t even have the empathy to stop themselves from saying something idiotic like «just take him to lunch. It’ll be fine.»
I never get angry so it says a lot that I am leaving this review. Seriously the most unprofessional encounter I’ve ever had with a company! It’d be one thing if they called early in the day, but leaving it until every other office closed was just too much!
Thanks but no thanks.

We had an excellent experience all around. Everyone was friendly from the office staff to the pilot. The pilot made my son comfortable with the plane right away and he got plenty of time flying it. Highly recommended.

My friend bought a living social deal for the introductory flying for 2 which was supposed to include free tickets to the Aviation museum for 2.
We got «checked in» really fast after signing a waiver form and met our flight instructor. He brought us down to where the Cessna was and got us to hop on immediately. He barely taught us anything before he lifted off and we were over at Half Moon Bay in no time. There, he taught my friend (the pilot) some turns (half turns and 180 degree turns), and we flew back and landed. The total flight time was about 1 hour. Both of us had a slightly headache after that from all the turning :(We werent even given the tickets to the museum but all we wanted to do was just head home to rest.
I’ve been on introductory flights before but I felt that there wasnt enough pre-​flight training. However, the flying time was much longer so I guess it was a good bargain. Then again, it really is an introductory lesson after all so you barely learn anything. If you’re just doing it for fun, maybe a longer flying time would be more worth it!

I went over the The Center based on these legit reviews and met with Dan in person. After we discussed the commitment and how many hours it would take, I was not turned off and ready to do this. I asked to have his staff call me to handle paperwork and get pricing.
They never did.
The next thing I know he is calling to ask me where I was for a flight lesson at 8am when I never got an idea of the cost. I said I could make it over since I was 2 minutes away but would appreciate an idea of the cost first. He demanded I come over to discuss first and was a bit rude. I was cordial about his frustration but he did not need to take the staff error out on a new customer.
I said, «I don’t know about you, but I like to know the cost of something before I sign up for it.» After I said I am driving over and now right around the corner, he said it was $ 250 for the hour. I said that is pretty steep compared to costs I researched per hour.
Then the jerk hung up the phone on me. If you plan on doing lessons with such an emotional basketcase, then I hope you never crash. I was totally prepared to come over if he gave me a fair price and did not gouge me right off the bat.
Did he need to hang up on someone who was about to fly with you for the next 2 – 3 years? I was hoping to give him a second chance then thought about it. Would you do business with someone who reacted this way the second time you spoke to them?
(NOTE: a few of these are fake and paid for reviews, hence the 0 friends)

Bought a groupon deal for flight lessons for two and surprised my boyfriend for his birthday! Lets just say, I was the best girlfriend ever after he found out what we were doing! This is an amazing experience! The price was worth it for the deal I got; not sure if its worth the original price though if I didn’t get the groupon. Definitely worth the time and money spent. To add more value to the groupon, they also gave us 2 tshirts at the end of the flight.
To top it off, we have amazing photos of san francisco and the bay area! The only thing is pick a day with clear weather. His original birthday was ¹¹⁄₂₉ but that morning was POURING down rain so we had to reschedule. The day we went was bright and clear so it was much better since we were able to get better shots.

One of the best air plane rides that I have been to.
The staff is awesome and they just made our ride so much fun.
Just do not eat a heavy meal right before your flight and you will be fine (learned that the hard way: P).
I give them 5 stars and I recommend this to everyone.

Very glad I jumped on a Groupon Deal for the aerial tour.
After filling out some paperwork we went down to the plane and our pilot, Dan, showed us some of its equipment. It was both our first time flying on such a small plane so the nerves were definitely in high gear, but it was also a feeling of excitement more than anything to try something we’ve never done before.
I couldn’t describe what it was like being up there, but it really should be something everyone should experience! It made me love living in the bay area that much more. Driving on the Bay and Golden Gate bridge is one thing, but flying over it is just amazing.
Our pilot Dan was great, he made us feel totally safe. All of SCFC’s staff were very personable. If the Groupon deal is still on, take advantage of it!

One of the best adventures we have ever done in our entire lives to date. Our 1 hour flight over the city was absolutely beyond incredible. I was extremely nervous, but our pilot Mark was fabulous, reassuring, and extremely knowledgeable.
We went over the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate, Alcatraz, downtown SF, Sausalito, Candlestick Park, the Oakland Coliseum, and much more.
I saw SF from a view I never could have imagined. This flight was as good as it gets!!!

I booked this experience for our 6 year anniversary through Groupon! The price was definitely a steal for 199 flying lesson for one and an additional 60 for both. My boyfriend and I opted for just one of us flying, me!
The pilot was definitely hands on and helpful. I was a little scared when he said, «You’ll actually be doing most of the flying today.» hahaha
The take off was so much fun an the actual flying isn’t so bad. We got to sightsee San Francisco and fly over all the major landmarks. I flew across the Golden Gate and circled around Alcatraz. My boyfriend took amazing photos that will definitely be shared!
Flying through SFO as definitely exciting and scary t the same time. We had to be aware and careful not to go into someone else’s airspace. Landing was so much fun! Aced it!
I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I will definitely go again and have my boyfriend pilot and feel what it’s like to be a passenger! I’m sure he was a little worried with my flying. :)