My first experience at this facility was absolutely amazing!! Great equipment, resources and incredible staff.❤✈

I wish I can give this business minus 10 stars. And my strong opinion this company has to be reported to authorities. The worst mess Ive seen.Never saw before such unprofessional, irresponsible, lazy and deceptive (fraudulent) staff - from regular employees to management.We went through everything - from absence of relevant information and incorrect instructions regarding paperwork to obvious attempts of double-charge.The process (paperwork, etc.) is total bedlam and nobody is responsible for anything.We were waiting for more than 6 (six!) hours for our paperwork to complete without any break, without restroom, etc.Stay away from this company as far as you can!The positive reviews are definitely paid reviews, what a joke!

Have been a renter here for almost five years. Choose to do an instrument proficiency check with them. There was a bit miscommunication in the beginning and had to switch instructors. In the end did my review with James and he was very helpful.

Flying the RV-12iS was a blast! Highly recommended....RV Grin 😁.

I just finished my Private Pilots License here at RFS and had a great experience. My instructor Gavin has been super helpful and great through this whole experience thus far and I look forward to continuing and getting my instrument with him!

This is the training environment you want to be at.Completed my Commercial training in Rainier. Enjoyed every moment here.Instructors: The ones I flew with are truly amazing. They are extremely caring and thoughtful. They understood all the difficulties and did their best to help. Furthermore, they are so dedicated and professional. They literally made sure I learn well or accomplish goals with the best they can before I walk away for each lessons.Airplanes: Very well kept, highly maintained. I can tell they treat/maintain their airplanes with hearts and dedications. All squawks or maintenance were addressed promptly, seriously, and timely. Additionally, enormous fleet, plenty of selections.Services: Their friendly customer services/staffs are truly amazing, they made sure any problems were solved or addressed to be fixed with the best they can.Management: Management is great. Their safety management system is top notch. I can see their full commitment to safety. They have a good safety culture, safety meeting, safety reporting system, standardization manuals and etc.Reservation System: Their reservation system is so convenient and well built. Tons of features while constantly improving.Facility: New, clean, organized.Conclusion: This is the training environment you will want to be at. Their commitments to service and safety are unbelievable. The whole operation/environment is just so inspiring and encouraging that kept me motivated and contented to train harder toward the goals.

Rainier has been a great place to start my aviation career. I started out as a student in 2018 and in 2019, came back as an instructor and it has been a great place to break into the aviation industry!

Gavin was an amazing instructor who helped me out on an aircraft checkout, couldnt have had anyone better! RFS is also a great flight school with plenty of great services!

Top notch aircraft and instructors (Personally recommend David). They helped me get my CFII training effectively and efficiently. Jim and Kevin worked with my schedule to accommodate me for my checkride and we’re attentive throughout the whole process. The facility, training equipment, and knowledge Rainier has assembled is guaranteed to make any student pilot successful.

I was a student there a few years ago, and my experience for most part was positive. I had a great instructor(Cory) who oddly previously we were colleagues at my employer. They have very knowledgeable check airmen, and eventhough I was failed twice for stage check, my ego wasn’t shattered to the point that I could say that he wasn’t fair in his decision to fail me, which I think, later on made me a better pilot. Although I’m im not training there anymore, I give them above average marks. My only negative opinion of the place was lack of availability of instructors and aircraft. You really had to plan ahead for getting instructor/flight time, and it was hard to keep the rust away. So, take that for what it’s worth. They have a wide range of different aircraft there. So if you’re in the market to rent, pretty good selection, it’s there, as long as it’s not one of the modern C-172s(G1000 or SP). But overall, nice, well run place.

Rainier is a great flight school to start my aviation career, they have a nice fleet of airplanes that are well maintained, instructors are well trained and competent, my instructor Gavin Wee is very knowledgeable and prepared me very well for the checkride.

They say its hard to teach an old dog new tricks. RFS has proven this to be incorrect. I started at another flight school in the area but switched due to scheduling conflicts. The other school was good but I have to say Rainier is a definitely level up. The instruction I got was incredible and focused on helping me achieve my goal. I had to balance a heavy work schedule with lots of work travel during my training but my instructor was great at finding availability and always propped me back up even with periodic pauses for work. This old dog thought he may not be able to learn this new trick and if it wasnt for Rainier Flight he may not have. I am here now, speaking as a private pilot because of their incredible service and fleet of aircraft. Club member for life :-)

I got first class instruction right from the beginning! Any nervousness I had disappeared with Zach Brandts calm demeanor and clear and concise guidance. I would highly recommend choosing Zach as your instructor.

Great people. Super kind. I feel safe at all times in the airplane and thats all due to the my great CFI. They have a great community with great planes.

Great service, nice digs, nice people.

Super nice staff and very well maintained equipment. Going to continue working with them. 5 Stars or more!!!

Professional and comfortable environment for drone test.

The best instructors!

Great place to fly. Rates are a bit high, but the quality of instruction and aircraft makes up for it. Big emphasis on making sure you are a good pilot AND a safe pilot. As a Private Pilot myself, aircraft are pretty easy to schedule provided you book a few days in advance. (Also, while not related to the school, getting to taxi a Cessna 172 next to Boeing 737s that sport unique liveries is really cool! You feel like you just landed at a major international airport!)

Great staff. Great instructors.

Half way through I switched instructors because mine left for an airline (common) but did not get to pick my new instructor even though I was working w/my current 1 to transition smoothly. I was promptly told my new instructor was selected for a reason. The reason? He needed students, not necessarily because we were a good match. I paid for 2 flights to “demonstrate my skills” for this new instructor which was upwards of $400. Then started the cycle of getting recommended for a stage check, failing a stage check (which costs more to get evaluated), have more practice flights to then have to pay for the stage check again. I was constantly reminded I could not switch flight schools because I was training on the 162 and hardly any other school had that so to leave, I would have to start on a completely new aircraft.I persevered but not without leaving at 77.9 hours, $19,000 later, not including ground school cost & membership fees.I chose the 162 because it was cheaper to rent by the hour than the 172. If I had trained on 172, I would be upper 20k, pushing 30k. I didn’t even get my PPL w/no end in sight!It’s the little things adding money, not just the repeated failures. I was often the first flight of the day but would have to wait 10-15 minutes to get my plane fueled up (which gets added onto paying for instructor ground time)I’ll be transparent. I, as a student was also working full time/going to school full time so I was balancing a lot. Flying 1-2 times a week, then upped it to 3 times a week once I continuously failed my stage checks. However, I whole-heartedly believe I was strung along, financially & in my training.I really thought my first instructor was amazing, he came with a plan, was flexible with scheduling, and had a teaching style that was solid. (I did stage 1 & 2 with him)My second instructor was perhaps more strict but very knowledgeable. He helped me get the numbers & maneuvers in standards without guesswork. I really thought getting recommended by him for my stage checks would leave me a strong student but all my failures were at the tail end( I did 3 & 4 with him). Towards the end, my poor instructor was overloaded w/ students you would have to schedule 3-4 weeks in advance (fingers crossed) to schedule a lesson or directly coordinate with him to shift his schedule. He worked from 8 am-6pm every work day back to back with students. The problem with that is that if I came across a failure then I would have to wait the time for a lesson, which I then would lose proficiency, to fly with my instructor, then get re-recommended. I often booked more than a month in advance on practice flights, just to be sure I could fly. I was at the flight school for over a year and it took tremendous amount of determination to not get discourage and throw in the towel with all the hurdles Rainier kept throwing at me.I purposely waited until I was out of the school to write this review because I was unsure if leaving it would place me in a bigger cycle Of being stuck and strung along for more money. I look at all the great reviews on Google and can’t help but think all these older men have DEEP pockets and ample amounts of free time. So if this is not you, I would recommend another flight school.I never did get scheduled for my FAA exam (even though I passed stage 4) and was told to keep coming in regularly to maintain proficiency. No timeline. So I decided to leave. What’s next for me? Switching flight schools to get trained on the 172. I expect I’ll leave with a certificate in hand having spent no more money than Rainier would have gotten if I would have stayed the additional 2,3,4 months? to stay proficient and test. Rainier simply does not care about their students and I’ve gotten to the point where the patience has ran dry with the cycle of being stuck and strung along for more money.I know this review is long and there is a chance that Ranier will comment to try to discredit my true experience but ask yourself this; I have nothing to gain or lose by sharing my story with you, is the same for Rainier?

Didnt see any real good training. Bad organization and inexperienced instructors. Loose 4000 with them and didnt get any real knowledge!

I have flown about 70 hours at this flight school so far where they just helped me get my instrument rating, I will be moving forward with commercial. The amount of professionalism and customer care you receive at Rainier Flight is beyond anything you could ask for. From Jim Simon, and Tim Nelson, to the ladies at the front desk, I have been treated with nothing but respect. Anyone and everyone is always willing to answer your questions or help with an issue, and although rainier is expensive, i would pay the extra few dollars to receive the level of respect and professionalism and not to mention they have the finest aircraft around!! 5 stars no brainer.

Anytime I need to get into Seattle, regardless of if it is picking up a passenger or trying to get downtown, RFS is the way to go! Very cheap fuel, no markup for full service, and EXTREMELY GA friendly! I have never had a bad experience with any of their line or office staff, and I cannot recommend them any higher!

I dont leave a lot of reviews, but this one came from the heart because it wouldnt have happened without Rainier Flight. Im so thankful to have received my training at Rainier flight school, I passed my check ride and received my private pilot certificate today because of them!Initially was greeted with a warm welcome and it really set the tone for Rainier and Im glad I choose Rainier Flight.Above all, I cant say enough about all the amazing CFIs I had the pleasure of working with, all really good guys, but especially Alex McKelvey. For a young guy, he is poised, calm, collected and very well manner and awesome instructor!!! Its because of Alex and the great group that I will be coming back for my Instrument rating and recommending your shop to everyone that asks!Thanks Rainier Flight for an awesome experience!

I got my PPL here, its a big school but has a small business vibe. Everyone is super friendly, only a few lessons and people were greeting me by name. Instructors are great, they have a personality type for every kind of student so youll find a good match regardless. Scheduling may seem like a draw back but if your a week or so ahead on your scheduling you will always find a spot, be proactive and itll be a non issue. Great fbo for training as well as staying in the sky after you get your certificate. Highly recommend checking out

Very professional and courteous people, the genuinely care about providing quality flight instruction. I did 100% of my private pilot training here and all continuing on with my instrument training. I would recommend them to anyone!

I recently received my private pilots license through RFS. Its the only flight school that Ive been to, so it might be difficult for me to compare it to other flight schools. Ill say that my instructors made absolutely sure I was ready for my checkride, and ensured I was a capable pilot before signing me off. They work a 141 program for everyone (even if youre part 61) which, while taking it, seemed inflexible. Looking back, Im glad I had stage checks and a lesson plan. They only passed me once I was ready. Their rates a very affordable compared to other schools.

Friendly

Got my PPL there and rent planes there every other week. great people, well maintained aircrafts.

Best flight school in the Seattle area. Friendly staff, great facilities and aircraft, and an overall great operation.

Flights schools tend to focus on the ...were teaching safe flying with safe airplanes.. and often let the business side of a customer service experience escape them. Im oftentimes very outspoken about how a poor customer service experience, or overheard bull pen session by the instructors can increase the chances of a less than successful experience during a lesson. Why do I mention this? RFS, Rainier Flight Service, gets this. Its not a procedure for them, but a natural extension of the flying experience. Hanna, Amy or Chandra are always eager to greet the prospective new pilot, the worn out student pilot or the recently crowned private pilot (my most recent experience). Its not scripted or contrived - but real satisfaction in your experience. My instructor, Dylan, was perfectly matched for my experience. Directed, precise, no BS and expected a great deal out of my lessons. I studied hard -- a caution to reviewers and would be pilots. This school provides you the environment, the facilities, the resources and tools to find the most suitable academic and flight environment that you could possibly configure. Take utter advantage of that. My instructor refused to allow the standard ..ok - well that was within the Private Pilot Practical Test Standards, lets move on... - rather, it was always an evaluation of what could be better, what was learned and how we applied it the next time. The structure of the various programs at RFS are well documented and defined (check out the website and read the public documents on standardization, aircraft profiles, etc). The Chief Flight Instructor, Jim, is a no nonsense guy. Perform, learn and apply what you know and hell ensure that your earnest effort at obtaining a rating in achieved. This is a no BS experience - put your cards on the table and let the RFS instructor and Chief Instructor sort out any challenges in your academic and practical knowledge. They demonstrate daily an accessible method for ensuring your eventual check ride is routine and less stressful. Some folks look at the RFS schedule and see a difficult environment to schedule lessons and rental aircraft. I look at this as a supply and demand model in a mode where the aircraft are maintained to a standard that people demand them! The instructors, specifically Dylan, is honest, enthusiastic and eager to see you succeed. Remember - like anything - you get what you put into it. As good as the staff and organization at RFS is, they still need a prepared student! Come with that approach and youll be very pleased with this outfit.

My flight instructor here was the most racist, transphobic, bigoted instructor that I have ever flown with. Also, I felt like he was just taking me for a ride for my money and would never sign me off.

Fantastic flight school.

Amazing flight school!