Top California Flight Instruction Classes

Take a trip through American naval history with admission to the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. This enormous ship, known as the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, now offers a range of interactive exhibits, a self-guided audio tour and numerous restored aircraft across its 4-acre (1.6-hectare) flight deck and sections below. It’s an essential piece of San Diego’s, and America’s, military history.

With a 99% success rate, this is how you up your odds of seeing whales on your visit to Monterey. Onboard one of the industry’s most comfortable boats, you’ll float out to a protected sanctuary to view humpback whales, gray whales, blue whales, killer whales, sperm whales, and other wild creatures, including dolphins, sea turtles, sea lions, otters, and more.

Cruise off the coast of Orange County in search of whales on this excursion from Newport Beach. Watch the rugged, beautiful scenery of the Pacific Coast glide by as you listen to interesting commentary from your crew about the native California marine life. Watch for blows and tail slaps; these signal that humpback, minke, grey, finback or giant blue whales are near. Dolphins and other marine life are also in abundance during this family-friendly, year-round whale watching tour.

Discover the natural and manmade beauty of 17-Mile Drive on an electric bike tour from Pacific Grove. The e-bike allows you to cover more ground without getting worn out. The tour is great for the whole family, with the option to ride tandem with children weighing up to 120 lbs (54 kgs). Along the way, learn about the area from your guide and make stops at impressive viewpoints.

Look for whales as they migrate through the waters of the Pacific Ocean off of California on this half-day whale-watching cruise from Monterey. Your naturalist guide shares commentary about the whales and their habitat as you search for gray whales (most common), humpback and blue whales, and other marine life such as dolphins and sea lions during your cruise. Get tips for great photo ops and learn all about the mighty creatures at one of California's most famous whale-watching destinations.

Go sightseeing on the waters of San Diego Bay during this cruise that provides a delicious seated brunch of seasonal dishes accompanied by unlimited champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider. After enjoying a lavish plated brunch dish, stay at your private table or head outside to the open air for sunshine and sightseeing.

Enjoy an evening of entertainment on this Pirates Dinner Adventure in Buena Park. Savor a feast of a meal while you revel in the special effects, swordplay and duels that are guaranteed to have you balancing on the edge of your seat. It’s a night of action, comedy, adventure and romance that’s perfect for the entire family and certain to be a highlight of any Buena Park trip.

All of the flight time you accumulate on your demo flight will count toward your helicopter license requirements. After the flight, our knowledgeable staff will offer you more information on how to go about your future helicopter flight training.

There’s hardly a better place to learn to surf than the Southern California locale of Santa Barbara, which offers fantastic weather year-round. During this 1.5-hour lesson, an expert instructor shows you how to stand up on your surfboard and balance, offering tips on how to catch the perfect wave while ensuring your safety in the water. Wetsuit and surfboard rental are included, and all skill levels are welcome.

Prebook this Long Beach helicopter simulator experience and guarantee your time using an ultra-realistic, full-motion simulator that can only be booked exclusively on Viator. With your timed slot inside the helicopter simulator, gain an understanding of what it feels like to fly a helicopter with realistic graphics, moving equipment, and a headset with a team walking you through it all. Learn how flight controls interact with one another for take offs, landings, and safe flights.

There’s no better way to see Paso wine country than from the air! In this interactive experience, participants can take the controls and fly the aircraft as it peacefully glides over serene vineyard fields.

Learning to fly a helicopter is probably one of the hardest things you will ever do. Even though, as the company owner, I have been flying for over 22 years, I can still remember the first time I tried to fly. It was an exhilarating experience. However, I wish I had had a simulator then to practice on first so that I could learn the basics before getting into the actual aircraft. That was one of my main drivers for investing in this incredibly advanced SIM and I firmly believe that being the only company to have this makes an enormous amount of difference to the learning experience but making you more familiar and comfortable and makes you get far more out of the flying portion.