Los Angeles, We've got you covered

Traffic in LA, maybe why you're learning to fly..

Let's face it, the city of Los Angeles is all over the place. It's one thing that makes this city wonderful. Skiing one day, surfing another. The concrete jungle of downtown to the beautiful beaches of Manhattan or Santa Monica in 20 minutes.

LA can be easily and efficiently navigated with a little local knowledge and timing. We decided to build our Cirrus training center in Hawthorne for a reason. We're confident in our services, our pilots are proof, and we felt that being centrally located we're able to make ourselves accessible to all corners of Los Angeles. Right at the corner of the 405 and 105 intersections, 2.5 miles south east of LAX, it is LA's most accessible airport location.

Check out these distances from several Los Angeles cities.

Hawthorne airport to:

Downtown Santa Monica  14.9 mi
Long Beach  19 mi
West LA  12.2 mi
Downtown LA  13.2 mi
Malibu  30 mi
Van Nuys  24 mi
Sherman Oaks   33.2 mi
Pasadena  22.6 mi

Basically, if your anywhere in LA, your most likely within 20 miles of Los Angeles' debut Cirrus Training Center. We're always here and ready to welcome all, wherever you happened to drive from.

Check us out today!  www.calaironline.com

Los Angeles' CTC's Growing Cirrus Fleet

As of this month we are happy to introduce the newest addition to our fleet. She comes to us in the form of a normally aspirated SR-22. Loaded with all the amenities we expect from the leading aircraft manufacturer in general aviation, Cirrus, it's a fantastic ride.

Not only is it loaded with XM Weather, Terrain awareness, Sky Watch, WAAS, but it also includes the new STC'd 4 bladed prop from Flight Resource to make for an incredibly quite and smooth ride. With a fresh engine to top it off, she's ready to fly. Amongst our SR-20, N21ZE, and our SR-22 Turbo, N567PA, we've got LA's only stretch on a flight line of all three models Cirrus has to offer.

For more information on the newly designed prop go to  www.Flight-Resource.com

For more info on Los Angeles debut Cirrus Training Center check out www.calaironine.com

Customer Orientated Flight Training, who'd have thought?

With several choices in Los Angeles for flight training, all seem to have claimed several false promises, expectations, and lack of congruency. As we continually speak and come across several students and renters unsatisfied I can't help but wonder what causes such disenchantment.

Is it lack of aircraft, poor flight instruction, various cancellations, and poor accountability? Well, yeah. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. All leading down one road, the schools environment.

 “You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?” by W. Clement Stone.

What constitutes as an appropriate training environment? We feel to most that's an easy answer. Obviously besides the reciprocal of fore mentioned, but it's that extra touch, "the icing on the cake".

At CalAir we're always working on that recipe, for the icing. It's a tough one, with several ingredients not easily found in any cookbook, but more so through our clients, our customers.

It's in my opinion that flight schools forget the fact they must include the customer service touch. It's not a privilege for you to fly with us, it's a privilege for us to have you fly. We understand this, we appreciate this.

Ask anyone who's done a single flight with CalAir. They know we try. And if we can't meet your expectations, at the least, we understand the importance of fluidity, constantly learning from our customers. A good flight school, a good business, should never reach a point of stagnation.

We certainly won't.


For more information on Los Angeles' debut Cirrus Center, check out www.calaironline.com   

Los Angeles' Cirrus SR-22 Turbo Just Got Better

While diligently at work building Los Angeles' debut Cirrus Training Center, interesting decisions have recently been brought to the table. We've decided that dropping the price of our, and what very well could be the only, Cirrus SR-22 Turbo was a great opportunity to extend to our Los Angeles based pilots.

It's a flight experience like no other, whatever you may have previously flown, that will leave anyone grinning ear to ear. Passengers and pilots alike.

For more details, contact us at www.calaironline.com
 

Cost Solutions to Remaining Current

Staying current when your not flying around Los Angeles in your Cirrus, or spending time in CalAir's fully immersed flight simulator, is much easier than one might think. The funny part is we never really think about it's significance but it can certainly prove to be such.

We're talking here about an at home flight simulator on your computer. Spending time on one in between flights is more valuable than you think, and it cost pennies in comparison to the costs of your flight training.

I've actually had students show up for their first lesson, that of which "live" on their simulators, and I couldn't tell that they where logging their first hour in an actual aircraft. Seriously, I had no idea. At one point, with a particular student, I asked to have them demonstrate slow flight, figuring he'd already done it with another instructor and I was knocking out FAR requirements, and they looked at me confused...

"What's slow flight? I've never done that."
"You've never done slow flight? Don't you have previous time in this aircraft?"
"Well, at home on my sim."
"You mean you've never actually been up in a Cirrus before?"
"Nope"

I was flabbergasted.

Here this guy was, handed off from his demo from another pilot for me to get his training underway (my fault for not looking in his "logbook", of which he obviously didn't have), who could complete all checklists, maintain positive aircraft control, and talk to ATC. In his first dual flight hour non the less! I couldn't believe it.

End of the day, if you think simulator programs are useless, for at home "chair pilots", your wrong. Frankly, it's a great way to stay up to speed and current, although not FAA approved to log, especially when contending with the Los Angeles basin each flight.

For more cost effective recommendations, visit us at www.calaironline.com

Private/Instrument Training in Los Angeles

We had the astute pleasure this weekend of speaking to many Los Angeles locals this weekend at the Palos Verdes street fair. One thing that I could not help but notice, what stood out the most, was broaching the subject of what many called "being half a pilot", Private pilots without an Instrument add on.

Frankly, I couldn't agree anymore. ( Not to knock anyone's accomplishment of a Pilot's License, (I believe) we make up 1% of the population)

But certainly, especially in Los Angeles, not having an IFR certification can prove to be quite troublesome. We're all aware of "June Gloom", of which takes literally 2 seconds to pop in and out of, or the storms we can incur during the winter that march down from the North. These, what might be considered, simple phenomenon, can quickly make a no-go decision evident. It was but a couple summers ago that 3/4's of the season Los Angeles was covered under a thick blanket of fog. Can you imagine...not flying for most the summer, in time to be grounded by winter storms?

Not to down play it, but that sucks...little sarcasm there

With the advancement in technology, the proper training, and the right aircraft, your IFR certificate is much simpler than you think. Ask many of our Los Angeles based students that have taken their check rides ( at FAA minimums non the less) and easily passed, it's as doable as you'd like it to be.

 

 

 

Besides, being sandwiched in between layers isn't the worst thing you'll ever see!

Call us or visit www.calaironline.com to complete your license today! We're here to help

Palos Verdes Street Fair

If you happened to stop by the Palos Verdes street fair this year, you might have ran into CalAir along side Cirrus promoting Cirrus flight training and the Cirrus brand all together.

Thank you to all that attended to show your support and we where more than happy to get a chance to inform many Los Angeles inhabitants to the wonder world of Cirrus.

If anyone would like to follow us as we continue to pave the way for debut flight facilities in Los Angeles, check out www.calaironline.com today!  

Father's Day in LA

Looking for something different to do this year in Los Angeles for Dad on Father's day?!

Why not gift the experience of flight this year?

For less then $200 dollars, he'll be flying himself over Los Angeles with one of our knowledgeable, safe, and friendly flight instructors. He'll be taking in the bird's eye view and experience the sheer joy of flight.

Call us today for a gift certificate and give him something he won't forget this year...a flight with CalAir, Los Angele's debut Cirrus training Center!

Go to www.calaironline.com for more info