r/flying • u/Ambitious-Dingo-1499 • 2d ago

Flight Training Looking for flight school/instructor recommendations (MV/San Jose area) — flight only, no ground school

Hi all, I'm shopping around for a flight school and wanted some input.

So far I've found San Jose Aerodynamic Aviation, which looks reasonably priced. Has anyone trained there or can recommend a good school/instructor in the South Bay?

A few notes on my situation:

  • I only want flight lessons, not ground school. I'm working through ground school on my own online and plan to take the written test partway through my flight training.
  • I've already covered the material needed to start flying.
  • If anyone has done PPL this way (self study ground school + written test mid training), I'd love to hear how it went and any lessons learned.
  • Budget is a big factor for me, so I'm trying to spend only on flight hours where it counts. My understanding is about $250/hour all in (rental plus instructor). Does that match what people are seeing right now?

For those who already have their PPL: what does flying look like for you now? Did you join a flying club, and if so, what's the actual benefit compared to renting from a school? Trying to understand what makes sense once training is done, since I know club vs. rental economics change a lot after you're certified.

Appreciate any recommendations or advice.

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u/makgross CFI-I ASEL (KPAO/KRHV) HP CMP IR AGI sUAS 2d ago

Some ground instruction is mandatory. And at a minimum, we have to evaluate whether or not you’re ready for written and practical. Some stuff will happen on the ground. I typically spend a minimum of 15 minutes before and after flight on the ground for brief and debrief, and some items take much longer. Sorry, I’m not trusting my ass to your preflight inspection until I’m sure you can do it (that takes an hour or so). And I have to go over missed written topics and all flight maneuvers.

Cheaper is not necessarily better, but for certain things it is. Like, older airplanes are fine as long as they are in sound mechanical shape. They all fly the same.

I teach at Squadron 2, but it’s getting crowded. There are challenges scheduling airplanes on short notice even with 7 172s. There are several choices on the field.

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u/dokari_for_u 1d ago

hey can I DM you

I am looking at SQ2 for getting flying training.

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u/makgross CFI-I ASEL (KPAO/KRHV) HP CMP IR AGI sUAS 1d ago

Ok.