Ralph Bennett

"I am so grateful that I chose First Landings Aviation for attaining my sport pilot rating. The instructors at First Landings Aviation made my two weeks of intensive flight training a very pleasant experience. The Apopka Airport is a perfect facility to train at. The Remos G3-600 aircraft that you use for training are new, state of the art designs, that are not only fun and economical to fly, but expose the new aviator to the latest "glass" cockpit and state of the art electronics.

Having had the opportunity to fly with both you and Adam, I can say that you are both great aviators - in addition to being wonderful instructors. I really appreciate the efforts you went to to accommodate my specific training needs. Your training was flexible, comprehensive, and effective.

I plan on passing on the word about First Landings Aviation and look forward to flying with you as often as possible in the future. As you can see in the attached photo, I am very proud of what you allowed me to accomplish!"

Thank you again!
- Ralph Bennett

Dan Washburn

I have had an Icon A5 light sport airplane on order since 2008. Delivery isn’t until fall 2012 so I had plenty of time to learn to fly. I had been researching sport pilot flight schools and not finding any good options in the Orlando area. I was almost resigned to getting a private pilot license when I ran into Chris and Adam at the Sebring Sport Aviation show. I was impressed with what they were offering and decided to train with them. 

It turned out to be a great decision for a number of reasons. Adam, Chris and now Jaki are great enthusiastic instructors and genuinely great people, that are truly passionate about teaching. They have an efficient professional operation with a big emphasis on safety. The planes are new and meticulously maintained. Scheduling is easy and flexible. The Apopka airport is an ideal location for the school. I have friends that have trained at some of the busier towered airports. They spend much of their time waiting in line to take off and then are limited to the number of touch and goes. At the relatively quiet Apopka airport all your training time is spent focusing on the things that advance your aviation skills. 

I was so impressed with First Landings I decided to provide their second plane.

- Dan Washburn

Pablo L. Torres

Since I was a kid I had the desire to be a pilot and like many people it was very difficult for me to pay for the lessons. With a household of seven and all of the added expenses I kept on postponing my dream and with a military career that got very busy after 9-11 it was virtually impossible to realize my dream. I retired from the Army in February 2009 and a short time after that I found out about the sport pilot rating.

Like many I am very proud to be one of the many students that Chris and Adam trained to become a pilot, they have the utmost respect for the sport as well as a professional attitude towards the many hurdles that a student must pass before becoming a Sport Pilot. I feel that they have trained me as a PILOT nothing less than that is their commitment to the sport. I do not envy a Private pilot anymore because I feel that the training I got at FIRST LANDINGS Aviation is just as good or better.

Thanks to Chris and Adam I fly with my wife and sometimes with my kids In the Remos or the Piper Sport around Florida with the certainty that I got the best training available anywhere in the U.S. This is why today I can say to anyone who may want to earn their wings to fly with the instructors at First Landings Aviation they make this a fun experience as well as affordable like no other. Thanks Guys.

Pablo L. Torres
Orlando, Florida

Dave Bowman

After meeting with a number of flight schools, I met Chris and Adam. I decided to use First Landings Aviation for my pilot training as I was impressed with their knowledge, equipment and facilities. The training I received from Chris and Adam was top notch. They showed excellent composure throughout my training, giving me the confidence to succeed. Needless to say, I earned my Sport Certificate on the first try. I am continuing to fly with First Landings, looking forward to obtaining my Private Pilot Certificate. I would highly recommend First Landings Aviation to anyone who has an interest in learning to fly."

- Dave Bowman

Luke Traylor

My experience with First Landings Aviation was unforgettable.  Both Chris Esposito and Adam Valencic offer top notch training, both in the classroom and in the air.  Their styles are very different and highly complementary.  These guys are professionals, and with their tag team training combined, the potential is there to become a well rounded pilot.  By choice, my personal experience was of a rapid pace.  I had studied the FAA published materials for a month before getting started.  Two weeks later I was in the air on my first solo and performed swimmingly and with confidence.  At three weeks I was ready to earn my Sport Pilot License and scheduled my final check ride.  Pass: first try.

Having since trained with other instructors, I find First Landing's rates competitive, and their hour counting spot on.  They are not like other instructors that charge every minute from hello to goodbye.  Hours logged equals hours charged.  Scheduled classroom time equals hours charged...  I very much prefer the way First Landings handles these details compared to other experiences.

Chris and Adam are a dynamic duo.  Individually they are well qualified, but I recommend that even if you're training mainly with one of them that you take the opportunity to have the other take you up and critique your new found skills.  My experience with First Landings Aviation was one I'll never forget.

- Luke Traylor
Sport Pilot
Aerodynamicist

Ashley Nobili

(The first person in the world to solo and pass a checkride in a "real" PiperSport)

I wanted to learn to fly but I never imagined that learning to fly would be even better than the flying itself. The daybreak preflight and the head-on-the-desk ground school marathons; it was one of the best experiences of my life. But that is not why I would recommend First Landings. 

Many schools can teach you to fly, some can teach you to fly well, but at First Landings they teach you how to be a pilot. Respect the plane, respect the weather, and respect your abilities. They might not have said it outright but when all was said and done I had learned to always follow my preflight list and not rush through it. I always watch the weather never risking it and most importantly, I never force a maneuver or landing. I can still hear their voices in my head when I approach, "If you don't like something don't be stubborn, go around." 

First Landings makes learning to fly fast, easy, and fun. But more importantly they give you the experience and instruction you need to not only gain a license but have security in your abilities as a pilot. That's what makes them such a great school and that is why if you want to learn to fly I recommend you start at First Landings.

- Ashley Nobili

Rafael R. Rodriguez

I'm very happy and proud of being a First Landings Aviation's Alumni, The reasons?, Plenty. First of all I feel very confident flying, due to the great training I received from Adam and Chris. The environment was very friendly and with a lot of camaraderie. 

Now I'm flying on a regular basis in the Remos G3 and the PiperSport with my family and friends, both planes are very fun to fly and very safe aircraft. Secondly, it is very inexpensive to get the Sport Pilot License and you can shorten your training time with instructors like Adam and Chris, they are great pilots able to transmit what they know in a pleasant and quick way. 

I recommend First Landing Aviation to any one who wants to stretch his wings. To fly is the most exciting privilege you can ever get. You can achieve it at First Landings Aviation.

- Rafael Rodriguez, Winter Springs, FL

Clint Gay

I was very impressed with both Chris and Adam's flying skills and training ability. They made it as easy as possible for me to learn and get my light sport pilots license. With the ground school and flight training I received I was very prepared for the oral and check ride with the FAA instructor. I highly recommend first landing aviation if you are interested in learning to fly and getting your pilots license. Also the Orlando Apopka airport is a great little airport to learn at. It was a great experience.

Thanks, Clint

David Tindall

As far back as I can remember I have always looked to the sky with the dream of being able to fly. There is just something within me that longs, no needs, to leave the grip of gravity and climb into the sky and soar among the clouds. The reality of my life is that I am a human and not a bird with great wings or a superhero with a long flowing cape. The reality is that is has taken me 38 years to finally achieve my dream of soaring with those great birds and superheroes. Just like most superheroes out there I had help. Sure I tried on my own quite a few years ago to learn to fly, but as many of you know, life happens, and the task was just too much to achieve on my own with the time, money and resources I had at the time.

In the summer of 2010, I stumbled upon First Landings Aviation. Adam and Chris invited me down to the hanger to explore all of the options First Landings had to offer. They went out of their way to make sure that I was comfortable, which is not very easy given my 6’6” stature. There are few light sport planes on the market today that can accommodate my physical size. They let me “try on” each of the planes to make sure I was comfortable in the cockpit. The PiperSport fit like a glove.

The Apopka Airport (X04) is the ideal location to learn how to fly. It is close enough to be convenient, but far enough away from the major airports in Orlando so that you don’t have to deal with a lot of air traffic. It is also very close to the practice area so you don’t’ have to waste time just getting to where you need to be, but can immediately begin your lesson.

Learning to fly is more than finding a plane that you can fit in or a convenient airport. The real key to success in learning to fly is finding the right fit between you and your instructors. The personalities of all the instructors at First Landings fit extremely well with mine. The more I got to know the staff at First Landings, the more comfortable I was in my decision to learn under their guidance. The entire staff celebrated with me at every milestone and really made the entire experience special. I have really enjoyed my experience of learning to fly at First Landings, and I look forward to our continued relationship as I continue to learn and grow as a pilot. In this world where dreams are crushed everyday it is such a joy just to know the people at First Landings that helped me realize my dreams. There are simple not enough words to thanks enough to the entire staff.

- David Tindall

Lee Dixon

Chris & Adam,

Let me start by thanking you for creating First Landings! You've made a place where the dream of flying is so attainable to the common man. Your specialization in Sport Pilot training and variety of LSA planes is truly hard to find. I could tell how much thought went into my training and safety. Flying out of Apopka allowed me to focus on just flying, making the transition to larger airports easy. Your training methods and style made me feel very comfortable, like I was just learning a new skill from a friend. I could tell how proud you were of every student's accomplishments.

Since earning my wings with you, I've had many opportunities to share my experiences. Other private pilots have commented to me that they wished they could have started at a place like yours, easily and AFFORDABLY getting into the air. I don't think that I would be flying today without First Landings. Thanks for all the hard work, diligence, and attention to detail that has enabled myself and all your students to become AVIATORS.

- Lee Dixon

Chris & Irina Dijk