Learn to Fly With West Valley Flying Club
So you have had this dream to learn to fly? Well, now you should act on it! West Valley Flying Club offers the best instructors in the Bay Area, in addition to a large fleet of well maintained modern aircraft. Learning to fly is a lot easier than you think. So contact us today and book your introductory flight.
The club has been providing aircraft rentals and flight instruction for over 50 years. Over this period, we have helped almost 13,000 members achieve their aviation goals. We’re equally excited to help you make your aviation dreams become a reality.
WVFC operates from both Palo Alto and San Carlos. We offer a wide variety of 50+ rental aircraft, ranging from economical 2-seat training aircraft to new and advanced airplanes for local and long-distance trips. The 40+ flight instructors also offer a diverse range of backgrounds, knowledge, and experience.
We offer a dedicated staff of 12 employees to help you throughout your flight experiences at WVFC. There are departments dedicated to Members Services, Flight Operations, and Maintenance. Many of the staff have served for more than a decade, offering amazing knowledge and experiences to help you reach your goals.
Beginning Private Pilots – Learning to Fly
Legal Minimum Required Instruction*
*National average is approximately 80 hours
3 steps to becoming a Private Pilot
Once you have earned a Private license, you can work toward other certificates. A Commercial certificate allows you to be paid for your flying. A CFI (Certificated Flight instructor) certificate enables you to teach others. An Airline Transport Pilot certificate (ATP) is what you'll need if you want to fly a commercial airliner. You can also add a variety of ratings that will allow you to expand your activities to include piloting multi-engine airplanes and/or navigating using instruments through the fog and clouds.
Private Pilot Ground School - Interactive Online
Next Class Start Date - Monday Evenings February 20th. Ground instruction in an interactive setting via the Internet. This is a first for prospective pilots in the Bay Area.
This course is oriented towards learning what you need to know to obtain your private pilot's license for single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft. Upon satisfactory completion of this course you will be authorized to take the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test necessary to obtain your private pilot's certificate.
This course is open to anyone interested in obtaining their private pilot certificate, or just interested in learning more about flying. You do not need to be a member of West Valley Flying Club. Ground school is a great complement to those taking flight instruction. It is also a good way to learn more about what it takes to earn your pilot's certificate before making the commitment to flight instruction.
Ground school is held Monday evenings from 7:00 - 9:30 pm, 10 classes total. The next course starts Monday February 20th 7:00PM. Please contact the instructor Rachael Webster at rhwebster1@gmail.com to sign up for the course. Cost is $450 and is due the first day of the class. Click here for brochure.
Private Pilot Ground School - In Person
In this uniquely catered in-person “RC’s private pilot ground course”, you'll learn not only everything you need to know to pass the 14CFR 61.105 FAA knowledge test, but also the theory portions of the 14CFR 61.107(b) oral check-ride exam. During this catered course, you'll receive instruction following the Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) rubric and have access to hands-on practical lab classes. You'll also participate in multiple detailed practical workshops on real plane systems, avionics, and aircraft logbooks. You'll practice on multiple question banks, mock oral check-rides, mock knowledge written tests and cross-country plannings. But that's not all! Students will also get to enjoy free Lunch & Learn sessions with guest speakers from the aviation and aerospace industry and network with other similar enthusiasts. This in-person 3 hours, 12 weeks course allows for personalized attention and tailored instruction to all.
Ritu holds a Private Pilot License, Advanced Ground Instructor, and UAS certifications. She loves flying with her beagle, Lucy and her family. During her journey to becoming a pilot, she learned valuable lessons and wants to share such experiences, tips, and advice with fellow aspiring pilots, making this course an interactive and memorable workshop for all. She also serves as the Aerospace Education Officer at the local squadron of Civil Air Patrol.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn in-person from the best experience! Sign up for “RC’s Private Pilot Ground Course”. Cost of this class including everything mentioned above is $360, due at the start of first class. Spring Cohort is April 29th - July 15th. Contact Ritu Curt at 321-501-2939 or rituparna50@gmail.com.
Click here for brochure.
Instrument Ground School - In Person
Next Class Date - Monday Evenings starting January 22nd. This step-by-step course is designed to assist the student in preparing for the FAA Instrument Pilot Written Exam and is open to anyone who is interested, this 12-week in-classroom course will cover the aeronautical knowledge areas required by 14 CFR 61.65. (Instrument Rating)
The cost is $495. Please email Steffen Franz the course instructor at stwfranz@gmail.com to sign up for the course. Course fee due before the first day of class. Click here for brochure.
Ready for your very first flight? Our introductory flight is an ideal way to discover the joy of flight, learn more about our club, and what it will take to become a pilot.
Once airborne, your instructor will let you put your hands on the controls to find out what it's really like to fly a plane.
Your first flight will last about 35-40 minutes, and will be in a Cessna 172S.
The cost (instructor included) is only $149. Click on Contact Us (to the right) to request your introductory flight.
If the intro flight isn't a good fit for you (timing/schedule/length of flight) we also offer a demo flight. This is arranged directly with an instructor. Actual costs vary depending on choice of aircraft, CFI, and total hours flown.
If you are a non-US citizen wanting to obtain a private, instrument, or multi-engine pilot’s license then you will first need to obtain a TSA clearance.
Please go to https://www.fts.tsa.dhs.gov to get a step-by-step procedure on how to fill out the training request form.
Here are some great tips to save you money and help get your certificate more quickly.
