Santa Monica Flyers

I am an enormous Top Gun fan and have always wanted to learn how to fly a plane. This was everything I could have imagined and more, start to finish. From the moment I walked in, I was welcomed with open arms. I did the Intro Flight in their Sportcruiser with my instructor, Danny Grijalva, who was nothing but kind and treated me like a serious pilot candidate (which I hope to someday become!). We spent about an hour in a classroom and 10-15mins in the hangar, learning about terminology, aerodynamics and aircraft controls as well as safety protocols (both for on the ground and in the air). There was a lot of information to take in, but having a vested interest in aviation was helpful in terms of my ability to absorb it. Danny’s easygoing nature and genuine passion for flying and instruction also made things easy to follow-along and understand. Throughout the flight, Danny was calm and positive, which is so important when teaching people something new, let alone how to fly a plane! :) I live in Toronto and was visiting a friend but I am definitely considering moving to LA - even for a short while - to get my private pilot’s license with the Santa Monica Flyers. How am I supposed to go back to Toronto and fly over a grey concrete jungle when I’ve started my journey over the sunny skies and blue ocean coast of Malibu?! ;) Thank you again, Team, for everything. See you soon.

Great experience! I signed up for an intro flight at Santa Monica Flyers and was assigned to Efer as my flight instructor. From the beginning Efer was super professional and eased my anxiety of flying a small aircraft. He took his time asked me about myself and what made me interested in flying. After this, he thoroughly went through all the parts of the aircraft, air commands, and what we were going to experience up in the air. He showed me a model plane, showed me photos of the cockpit and even drew pictures on a whiteboard so that I understood everything. Once outside he explained and showed the the very thorough inspection we have to make on the aircraft before even thinking about flying, even showing me the actual aviation gasoline. After this we jumped into the cockpit, put our headsets on and let the tower know we were ready! NOW FOR THE BEST PART Once in the air the views were breathtaking. Efer showed how to make simple maneuvers like turn the plane 360 degrees, climbing higher and descending down. I WAS FLYING :) I would highly, highly recommend! Efer’s calm demeanor and professionalism made me feel that I was safe and in good hands and can’t wait to fly again!