Seattle Flight Customer Profiles

Unedited comments from Seattle Flight customers:

Mike - Bellevue, WA

My first impression of Seattle Flight...

Just what I was looking for:  nice planes, great value, and high standards

What I enjoy about Seattle Flight...

I love the convenience of the online scheduling system.  Flying in airplanes that are clean and well maintained is nice, too.  And the staff is very detail-oriented, always looking for ways to make my training experience great.

What could be better...

At another FBO I was always competing with other students for airplane and instructor time-slots.  At Seattle Flight, I can always get the plane I want, when I want it.  I just wish there were more students to make a "community"

A memorable experience I had with Seattle Flight...

I took my mother-in-law to Friday Harbor on a beautiful sunny day recently.  She was very comfortable in the Archer, and she was so enthralled with the Puget Sound area scenery, she didn't say a word enroute.  But she hasn't stopped talking about it since.

My favorite aviation experience...

Landing on the grass runway at Harvey Field.  Taxiing around that airport is like going back in time to the 1950's, with vintage airplanes all around.

My first solo or...

I was nervous on the upwind and crosswind legs, realizing that for the first time I was all alone.  But when I turned downwind and leveled off,  I knew I was well prepared.  I made 3 nearly perfect landings and then taxied in to celebrate

Opinion of Seattle Flight instructors...

They really know their stuff, and take their jobs very seriously.  But they're also very easy to get along with, and they're genuinely interested in helping students succeed.

Opinion of Seattle Flight aircraft...

I really like the Archers compared to the Cessna 172s I used to fly.  They feel more sturdy in the wind, and their climb and cruise performance are noticeably better.   The interiors are much better than typical flight school airplanes, more like a plane that I would want to own.  And you can't beat leather seats, CD players, air conditioning, and a Garmin 430!

My favorite aircraft...

The 747-400, but they cost too much per hour to rent.

My favorite training aircraft that I have flown...

Piper Archer (hands down)

How I came to be interested in aviation...

When I was growing up, my dad flew somewhere every week on business (he still does).   Then one week when I was 9 he took me with him on a trip from Cleveland to Chicago and back and I was hooked.  (Those were the days before deregulation, and United Airlines operated 727s and, if you can believe it, DC-10s between the two cities).  From then on I looked for any excuse to go to the airport.  Twenty-five years later, nothing has changed!

My goals / aspirations with aviation...

I'd love to have a full time job in aviation, even if it's as an independent commercial pilot doing odd jobs.  If I stay in my current career, I'd at least like to take my family on a flying summer vacation.

Favorite flying destination in the Northwest...

There are so many.  Even a trip to the practice areas can be breathtaking if you stop to look around. Hard to beat the San Juan Islands I suppose.  A place I haven't flown to yet but would like to is Sun River, Oregon.

Best place to have a $100...

...lesson in the pattern:  Boeing Field.  The mix of airplanes is amazing, from bi-planes to fighter planes to fresh-off-the-line passenger jets.  Despite the activity, the tower is GA friendly and the short runway makes traffic delays rare.