About Santa Monica Flyers
Why Santa Monica Flyers
SPORT CRUISERS, ABUNDANT OPTIONS & AMAZING PEOPLE
We use one of the most modern, fuel-efficient and low-maintenance light-sport aircraft currently available for “primary training”: the Sport Cruiser. Everyone wants to be kind to Mother Nature; the Sportcruiser sips fuel at roughly half the rate of a standard category airplane. Additionally, the hugely reliable Rotax engine and simple aircraft design mean that minimal maintenance is the order of the day for the Sportcruiser. All of this translates to savings for you whilst compromising nothing in terms of quality.
In addition to the Sportcruiser, our school offers a wide variety of other aircraft for intermediary and advanced training. We operate three standard Cessna 172s (at low hourly rates), one G1000 paneled Cessna 172, a Cessna 172RG (a “complex” airplane), a Cessna 182RG (a “complex, high-performance” airplane), and a Cirrus SR20 (a very nice ride). All these airplanes mean you can accomplish just about any kind of flight training you need or want. Instrument Rating, Commercial Rating, CFI Rating, Complex Endorsement, High Performance Endorsement are all available at Santa Monica Flyers.
Finally, Santa Monica Flyers is staffed by only the highest quality Certified Flight Instructors in Southern California. Lead by Chief CFI AJ Larson and GM Joseph Vazquez Miller, and with tens of thousands of hours between them, the highly-experienced instructors at Santa Monica Flyers are professional, approachable, available, and can walk you through any aviation goal you have in mind for yourself or any career pursuit you’re planning. Most importantly, our CFIs are experts in training people to become proficient, safe pilots. And our friendly office staff and flight line crew are always there for you and will do whatever they can to help you progress through your training.
We ask only one thing of our students: be ready to learn!
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The Airport
Learn to Fly at Santa Monica Airport
Having left Ampleforth College in 2006, Charles Thomson founded Santa Monica Flyers in 2009. From the outset, the goal of the business was to make flying accessible, safe, affordable and fun.
Santa Monica Airport
Airport in Santa Monica, California
Support Staff
Santa Monica Flyers - The Best Flight School in California

DANNY GRIJALVA

JORGE SANCHEZ

EFER LAZO

JAKE MCKIE

TOM PENISTON
Company History
Santa Monica Flyers - The Best Flight School in California
Having left Ampleforth College in 2006, Charles Thomson founded Santa Monica Flyers in 2009. From the outset, the goal of the business was to make flying accessible, safe, affordable and fun. The selection of the Sportcruiser was instrumental in realizing that goal, and from a single airplane in 2009, the business has grown to four Sportcruiser aircraft today. During this time, the school has graduated dozens of students from both Sport Pilot and Private Pilot courses.

CHARLES THOMSON
“I’m a 27 year old Scottish native who moved to LA at 18 and started Santa Monica Flyers when I was 20. My older brother taught me to fly. I started Santa Monica Flyers after being in a plane crash while attending a different school on the field. I though that flight schools should be using newer safer airplanes whilst charging less thus making flying both safer and more affordable to the average person.”