Training

Time building and flying vacations in California

Come and find out about the beautiful flying opportunities in San Diego!

- Train with a Master and Gold Seal CFI
- Personalized one-on-one training
- Well maintained airplanes
- Rich and diverse countryside
- Many famous national parks in the vicinity
- Hollywood, Las Vegas and the surf cities are around the corner
- See the Blue Angels flying
- Visit the "Top Gun" Airshow at Miramar
- Go whale watching during sunny winters
- Enjoy more than 320 days of pure sunshine a year
- No bugs, thunderstorms or high humidities
- Historic flying community where people respect and admire pilots!

These are only a few reasons why so many people choose San Diego and why it is a lot more attractive than Florida...

Choice of Airplanes
Through association with the non profit corporation Plus One Flyers, over 70 airplanes are available at rates that are 25% below those of most FBOs or flight schools.

Click here to see an overview of our rental fleet as well as hourly rates (all prices are wet, all inclusive)

Choice of Airports
Instruction is available at three airports in the San Diego area, SEEMYF, andRNM, making it possible to choose an airport that suits the current weather and your preference.

Licence Validation and Familiarization 
If you are an international pilot, we support you in getting your EASA licence validated, get you an appointment with the local FSDO, reserve your requested aircraft, do the required flight review with you and give you a thorough introduction into the local airspace. If you are looking into learning additional skills, we can provide you the ground- and flight training training required to receive a High Performance, Complex or Tailwheel endorsement. Even if you haven't flown in the US before, you will get accustomed to the friendly and professional attitude of fellow pilots and ATC very quickly. Nevertheless we are happy to support you with a safety pilot to keep your workload lower and give you more time to enjoy the beautiful countryside during your flying vacation.

Hour building in California vs. Europe
Compare just the basic cost of flying in Europe to flying in the US and you will quickly understand the benefits and keep in mind: our prices are fix, no matter if you fly 1 or 100 hours. No need to buy block! Here's an example:

  San Diego/USA e.g. Germany/Europe
50 hours Cessna 172 (wet) 50 x 100 Euro 50 x 170 Euro
Landing fees 75 Landings free! 75 x 5.00 Euro
One time fees for club 90 Euro  
Total:  5,090Euro 8,800 Euro

*Prices vary with Dollar/Euro exchange rate

A few words on Plus One:
Plus One Flyers with more than 21,000 fleet hours per year has become one of the largest, most active and safest flying clubs in the United States!

The diverse fleet of over 70 airplanes ranging from a C150 to larger Twin at rates lower than most FBO’s make Plus One Flyers the best choice for those who don’t own their own airplane.

Plus One Flyers, Inc. was founded by pilots and airplane owners who loved to fly and wanted a reliable fleet of airplanes at reasonable prices. The club is organized as a member-oriented, non-profit California corporation. Since its inception in 1985 at Montgomery Field in San Diego, Plus One Flyers has expanded to offer airplanes based at Gillespie Field in East County, Ramona Field in Ramona and recently expanded to Mc Clellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, north of San Diego..

Whether you have just decided to learn how to fly or you are a seasoned pilot with thousands of flight hours, Plus One Flyers is the right flying club for you. As a member you can enjoy flying or learning to fly a variety of well-equipped, clean airplanes including trainer, cross-country, twin, aerobatic airplanes to fit your needs from student through professional pilot.

Private Pilot

Earning your private pilot certificate can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. The more frequently you fly, the less it will cost. The recommended minimum frequency is twice per week, which will typically result in completion of your private pilot training within 6 months. To earn your private pilot certificate you must pass an FAA written knowledge test and have at least 40 flight hours. At the completion of the training, you will take a test with an FAA designated examine involving both an oral and flight portion.

Take Flight San Diego has developed a training plan that outlines a logical and clear sequence of lessons so that you know how to prepare for each flight. Read the full Training Plan here. Your training is also enhanced through videos providing guidance for both the flight and oral portions of the FAA test. Developed by our own flight training company, these videos follow the training plan and result in a complete learning experience.  The material is available for iPad, Android, PC, and Mac and can be viewed at www.flighttrainingapps.com.

The cost of private pilot training varies widely and depends largely on the frequency of lessons and quality of instruction. See testimonials from former students. Some students have finished their training in as little as 6 weeks while others have taken as long as a year.  The average student at Take Flight San Diego takes 6 months, flies twice per week, accumulates 50 flight hours and spends an all-inclusive total of $10,000 which includes instruction, airplane rental, supplies, and tests.  Some flight schools quote much less by using minimum flight hours which are rarely sufficient and also exclude some necessary expenses.  Many students are surprised when the actual costs are as much as double the original estimate.

7 Day Instrument

Obtaining your instrument rating opens the door to using an airplane for dependable travel. You will also be a better, safer, and more capable pilot – able to fly in the “system” with the professionals. Read testimonials from former students. Prior to the program you should complete the following pre-requites

  • Pass the instrument knowledge exam through one of the following methods:

  • Have at least 45 hours of cross country PIC time

  • Have at least 10 hours of airplane simulated instrument time (this can be done VFR with a safety pilot)

Take Flight San Diego has created three training videos to help you learn the practical aspects of the Garmin 430/530 and 650/750. Developed by my flight training company, these videos are available for iPad, PC, and Mac and can be viewed at www.flighttrainingapps.com

See a sample training videos by instrument student John Joslin 

Short Instrument Flight in IMC

Longer Instrument Flight in IMC

Required Texts for the Program

  • Instrument Rating Airmen Certification Standards

  • IFR Low Enroute Chart

  • Approach charts

  • Chart Supplement

  • FAR/AIM

Recommended Texts for the Program

  • FAA Instrument Flying Handbook

  • FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook

  • FAA Aviation Weather

  • FAA Aviation Weather Services

  • ASA Instrument Oral Exam Guide

All of the above texts are available in digital format which is an acceptable alternative provided you are familiar with quickly accessing the information on your laptop or mobile device. If not, stick with the paper option for check ride purposes.

 

Formats & Cost

For some people, dedicating seven days in a row works best for their schedule. Any start day can be scheduled. For those who have difficulty taking off seven days in a row, an alternative is to complete four straight days followed by a break to suit your schedule before finishing up with the three final days. A third option is ideal for people who only have availability on weekends. In this format, we would complete the program in three consecutive weekends, organized to suit your schedule.

For all formats the cost is $7,560 not including airplane/simulator rentals. If additional instruction is needed after the 7th day, instruction is provided at a full day rate of $1,080, half day rate of $540 or $135/hour as appropriate. To guarantee your reservation of airplane and instructional time, 50% of the $7,560 fee is required before the start date, with the balance due on the first day of training. Acceptable forms of payment are credit/debit, check, Venmo or PayPal.

Airplanes can be rented from Plus One Flyers at SEE, MYF, RNM, and CRQ. Typical airplane time is 20 hours and typical simulator time is 10 hours @ $35/hour. The simulator provided is an Elite PI-135 with a Garmin 430 attachment. Plus One Flyers requires a one-time joining fee of $144 and monthly dues of $37.50. Membership may be terminated at any time with a 30 day notice.

For those pursuing non-accelerated instrument training, instruction is provided at a rate of $960 per day or $480 per half day.

Refund Policy: Refunds will be granted with a minimum 30 days notice given before the start of any training dates scheduled and on a case by case basis when less than 30 days notice is given.

4 Day Instrument Finish Up

Many students with previous instrument training are candidates for the 4 day finish up program. Read testimonials from former students. The required and recommended texts are the same as the 7 day program above. Before the 4 Day Instrument Program you should complete the following pre-requites

  • Complete the required 250 nm dual X-C flight

  • Log at least 20 hours of actual or hood time

  • Complete 50 hours of X-C PIC time

  • Pass the instrument knowledge exam through one of the following methods:

  • Have at least 50 hours of cross country PIC time

  • Have at least 30 hours of airplane simulated instrument time

Required Texts for the Program

  • Instrument Rating Airmen Certification Standards

  • IFR Low Enroute Chart

  • Approach charts

  • Chart Supplement

  • FAR/AIM

Recommended Texts for the Program

  • FAA Instrument Flying Handbook

  • FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook

  • FAA Aviation Weather

  • FAA Aviation Weather Services

  • ASA Instrument Oral Exam Guide

All of the above texts are available in digital format which is an acceptable alternative provided you are familiar with quickly accessing the information on your laptop or mobile device. If not, stick with the paper option for check ride purposes.

Take Flight San Diego has created three training videos to help you learn the practical aspects of the Garmin 430/530 and 650/750. Developed by my flight training company, these videos are available for iPad, PC, and Mac and can be viewed at www.flighttrainingapps.com.

 

Format & Cost

A typical day will involve either one or two flights with ground training in between, depending on the needs of the student.

The cost of the 4 day finish up program is $4,320 not including airplane/simulator rentals. If additional instruction is needed after the 4th day, instruction is provided at a daily rate of $1,080 full day and $540 half day or $135/hour as apropriate. To guarantee your reservation of airplane and instructional time, 50% of the $4,320 fee is required before the start date, with the balance due on the first day of training. Acceptable forms of payment are credit/debit, check, Venmo or PayPal. Airplane and simulator time are paid daily.

Airplanes can be rented from Plus One Flyers at SEE, MYF, RNM, and CRQ. Typical airplane time is 10 hours and typical simulator time is 5 hours @ $45/hour. The simulator provided is an Elite PI-135 with a Garmin 430 and 650 attachment. Plus One Flyers requires a one-time joining fee of $144 and monthly dues of $37.50. Membership may be terminated at any time with a 30 day notice.

For those pursuing non-accelerated instrument finish up training, instruction is provided at a rate of $1,080 per day or $540 per half day.

Refund Policy: Refunds will be granted with a minimum 30 days notice given before the start of any training dates scheduled and on a case by case basis when less than 30 days notice is given.

5 Day Commercial

It is not only possible to get your commercial certificate in five days, it is the best way to do it, saving both time and money over the traditional longer term method. Read testimonials from former students. Prior to the program you should complete the following pre-requites

  • Pass the commercial knowledge exam through one of the following methods:

  • Have at least 250 hours total time

  • Have completed the 2 hour day dual VFR or IFR flight and 2 hour night dual VFR or IFR flight

  • Have completed the required  300nm solo flight

Format & Cost

A typical day will involve a flight of 1.5-2 hours preceeded by ground training.

The cost of the 5 Day Commercial Program is $5,400 not including airplane rental. If additional instruction is needed after the 5th day, instruction is provided at a full day rate of $1,080, half day rate of $540 or $135/hour as appropriate. To guarantee your reservation of airplane and instructional time, 50% of the $4,800 fee is required before the start date, with the balance due on the first day of training. Acceptable forms of payment are credit/debit, check, Venmo or PayPal. Airplane time is paid daily.

Airplanes can be rented from Plus One Flyers at SEE, MYF, RNM, and CRQ. Typical airplane time is 10 hours. Plus One Flyers requires a one-time joining fee of $144 and monthly dues of $37.50. Membership may be terminated at any time with a 30 day notice.

For those pursuing non-accelerated commercial training, instruction is provided at a rate of $960 per day or $480 per half day.

Refund Policy: Refunds will be granted with a minimum 30 days notice given before the start of any training dates scheduled and on a case by case basis when less than 30 days notice is given.

5 Day CFI

Take Flight San Diego’s CFI program is one of the most active and successful in southern California. Over 300 students from around the word and across the U.S have benefitted from the structured and detailed approach that has resulted in a success rate of over 80% on the first attempt, compared to an industry average of 30%. Read testimonials from former students. The program is geared towards not only passing the check ride but also learning how to be a successful flight instructor whether your goal is just a part time hobby or a full time business.

Success is largely dependent on your preparation in advance of the 5 day program.  Read Preparing for the CFI Practical Test to understand the recommended preparation, prerequisites, and schedule. To help you with advance preparation, I offer (at no cost) the option to hear you deliver selected lesson plans and provide feedback either in person or via Skype. I have found this to be an invaluable process to help you develop confidence in presenting effective lessons. I also make available, CFI lesson plans prepared by some of the best former students as a guide to creating your own.

Format & Cost

The 5 day program can be configured to suit your schedule, either 5 days in a row or with a break in between. However it is important to compress the training into as short a time frame as possible to insure continuity and retention of learning. A typical day will start with the presentation of lesson plans, followed by a flight of 1.5 – 2 hours.

The cost of the 5 Day CFI Program is $5,400 not including airplane rental. If additional instruction is needed after the 5th day, instruction is provided at a full day rate of $1,080 or $540 per half day if less than a full 8 hour day is needed. To guarantee your reservation of airplane and instructional time, 50% of the $4,800 fee is required before the start date, with the balance due on the first day of training. Acceptable forms of payment are credit/debit, check, or PayPal.

Airplanes can be rented from Plus One Flyers at SEE, MYF, RNM, and CRQ. Typical airplane time is 10 hours. Plus One Flyers requires a one-time joining fee of $144 and monthly dues of $37.50. Membership may be terminated at any time with a 30 day notice.

For those pursuing non-accelerated CFI training, instruction is provided at a rate of $1,080 per day or $540 per half day.

Refund Policy: Refunds will be granted with a minimum 30 days notice given before the start of any training dates scheduled and on a case by case basis when less than 30 days notice is given.

4 Day CFII

Take Flight San Diego’s CFII program is one of the most active and successful in southern California. Students from around the word and across the U.S have benefitted from the structured and detailed approach that has resulted in a success rate of over 90% on the first attempt, Read testimonials from former students. The program is geared towards not only passing the check ride but also learning how to be a successful flight instructor whether your goal is just a part time hobby or a full time business.

Success is largely dependent on your preparation in advance of the 4 day program.  Read Preparing for the CFII Practical Test to understand the recommended preparation, prerequisites, and schedule. A typical day will start with a flight of approximately 1.5 – 2 hours with the balance of the day spent presenting lesson plans.

To help you with advance preparation, I offer (at no cost) the option to hear you deliver selected lesson plans and provide feedback either in person or via Skype. I have found this to be an invaluable process to help you develop confidence in presenting effective lessons. I also make available, CFII lesson plans prepared by some of the best former students as a guide to creating your own.

Format & Cost

The 4 day program can be configured to suit your schedule, either 4 days in a row or with a break in between. However it is important to compress the training into as short a time frame as possible to insure continuity and retention of learning. A typical day will involve a flight of 1.5-2 hours followed by ground training.

The cost of the 4 Day CFII Program is $4,320 not including airplane rental. If additional instruction is needed after the 4th day, instruction is provided at a daily rate of $1,080 or $540 per half day if less than a full 8 hour day is needed. To guarantee your reservation of airplane and instructional time, 50% of the $4,320 fee is required before the start date, with the balance due on the first day of training. Acceptable forms of payment are credit/debit, check, Venmo or PayPal. Airplane time is paid daily.

Airplanes can be rented from Plus One Flyers at SEE, MYF, RNM, and CRQ. Typical airplane time is 8 hours. Plus One Flyers requires a one-time joining fee of $129 and monthly dues of $32. Membership may be terminated at any time with a 30 day notice.

For those pursuing non-accelerated CFII training, instruction is provided at a rate of $1,080 per day or $540 per half day.

Refund Policy: Refunds will be granted with a minimum 30 days notice given before the start of any training dates scheduled and on a case by case basis when less than 30 days notice is given.

Dave Simpson is a CSIP (Cirrus Standardized Training Program) instructor and is qualified to administer factory standardized training for those who want to fly Cirrus aircraft. This training program will assist you to achieve a high level of safety and proficiency so you can confidently fly Cirrus aircraft. Typically a minimum of 10 hours of flight time is required to achieve a VFR Cirrus Transition and more if pursuing an IFR Transition. Instructor rate is $1,080/day or $135/hr. 

More information regarding aircraft and transition training modules is available at www.cirrussandiego.com.

Flight Reviews

Every two years, the FAA requires pilots to complete a flight review consisting of a minimum of an hour of ground training reviewing relevant sections of Part 91 and an hour of flight training.  You should think of the Flight Review as an opportunity to learn something new and to renew skills and knowledge that may have become rusty.  Most flight reviews take about 4 hours total, with about 1.5 hours for the ground training, 2 hours of flight training, and 30 minutes for a de-brief and endorsement at the end.

The Flight Review is for you so to get the most out of the time, tell me what you want to learn, review, or practice.  If you are an instrument rated pilot, I would expect that there will be a good deal of instrument related flight training requested, such as learning about GPS, WAAS, DME Arcs, Glass Panels, Coupled Approaches, etc.  If you are a private pilot, maybe you would like to review airspace, practice emergency procedures or short field take-offs. Whatever, you need and want, just complete this Fight Review Plan and Checklist (PDF) and e-mail it back to me at dave@takeflightsandiego.com.

Complex & High Performance Endorsement

If you want to fly bigger, faster, more powerful airplanes you will need either a high performance or complex endorsement, or both. Prior to 1997, the FAA made no distinction between high performance airplanes (those with engines larger than 200 HP) and complex airplanes (those with a constant speed propeller, retractable landing gear, and flaps). However, due to airplane accidents caused by pilots not skilled in the higher workloads involved in flying complex airplanes, the FAA has since required separate high performance and complex endorsements.

Depending on what you want to fly, you might need both a high performance and complex endorsement, which gives you the ability to fly most airplanes regardless of their horsepower or configuration.  Although the time needed can vary widely depending on the airplane and avionics chosen, most high performance or complex endorsements take about 5 hours of flight time consisting of two separate flights and about 3 hours of ground time.

Advanced Avionics Training

 

Garmin 430/530/650/750

Transitioning to a Garmin 430/530/650/750 is a great step, enabling enhanced position  awareness and navigation for the VFR pilot, and access to the thousands of GPS approaches for the IFR pilot. Learn how to take advantage of the capability of these receivers. Transition training is best accomplished using a flight simulator prior to flying. 

Take Flight San Diego has created two training videos to help you learn the practical aspects of the Garmin 430/530 and 650/750. Developed by our own flight training company, these videos are available for iPad, PC, and Mac and can be viewed at www.flighttrainingapps.com

 

Garmin G1000

Transitioning to a Garmin G1000, often referred to as Glass Cockpit Transition, is the  future of navigation.  The G1000 has quickly become the standard navigation choice for new aircraft from Cessna, Piper, Mooney, Diamond, Cirrus, Beech, and virtually all light jets. The range of features can be daunting, but like anything else it makes sense once you understand how the system works.

The G1000 transition is taught in the real airplane on the ground using backup power, to learn all of the features of the system and associated autopilot. The ground portion typically takes one sessions of approximately 2  hours followed by two flights totaling 5 hours. 

Autopilot Training

Become proficient in the use of the autopilot in the airplanes you fly. Training is offered in the KAP 140, Garmin GFC 700, STEC 55/55X, and Avidyne DFC 90.

Refresher

Sometimes you need to shake off the rust after a layoff or just want to brush up on a particular skill such as instrument work, night operations, cross-county flying, takeoffs and landings, or area familiarization. Or maybe you're just in need of someone to fly with you and help you get back in the groove. Call or e-mail and set up a time to fly.

 

Garmin 430/530/650/750

Transitioning to a Garmin 430/530/650/750 is a great step, enabling enhanced position  awareness and navigation for the VFR pilot, and access to the thousands of GPS approaches for the IFR pilot. Learn how to take advantage of the capability of these receivers. Transition training is best accomplished using a flight simulator prior to flying.

Take Flight San Diego has created three training videos to help you learn the practical aspects of the Garmin 430/530 and 650/750. Developed by my flight training company, these videos are available for iPad, PC, and Mac and can be viewed at www.flighttrainingapps.com

 

Garmin G1000

Transitioning to a Garmin G1000, often referred to as Glass Cockpit Transition, is the  future of navigation.  The G1000 has quickly become the standard navigation choice for new aircraft from Cessna, Piper, Mooney, Diamond, Cirrus, Beech, and virtually all light jets. The range of features can be daunting, but like anything else it makes sense once you understand how the system works.

The G1000 transition is taught in the real airplane on the ground using backup power, to learn all of the features of the system and associated autopilot. The ground portion typically takes one sessions of approximately 2 hours followed by two flights totaling 5 hours.

Autopilot Training 

Become proficient in the use of the autopilot in the airplanes you fly. Training is offered in the KAP 140, Garmin GFC 700, STEC 55/55X, and Avidyne DFC 90.