Sun State Aviation Review

Having worked at a few schools earlier in my career I appreciated the hands on and very(!) professional approach SunState took to my flight review as well as my rental with them. Their staff is friendly and extremely helpful and booking is a breeze as long as you plan ahead a bit as they are (understandably) a busy flight school. My instructor (Mike) was awesome and ensured that I felt relaxed at all times at the same time as he didn't let anything slip. Overall a very good experience for my flight review and rental check out. Great facility and amazing airplanes that are exceptionally well maintained coupled with great support staff and you have a winner!

Very professional people. I will definitely recommend Sunstate to all of my friends.

I had a very bad experience at this school when I tried to obtain my IFR rating there. At first, I was attracted to that flight school by their good marketing offering a supposed 14 day fast track program for the IFR rating.

I fixed up my schedule, placed a $4000 deposit and decided to attend that flight school. During the first 3 days the instructor that I was assigned did not attend the school. I was assigned randomly different instructors. Then my instructor showed up and on his first day he had to leave after 10 minutes because he had personal matters. By the fifth day I had my first lesson with my assigned instructor. He was not very polite and did not have good have good sensibility towards teaching. By day 7, I really knew I was getting no where at that school and was wasting my time and money.

Speaking with other students, I understood that their fast track programs are only marketing and very few students finish up in the time they claim.

I had spent a lot of money logging hours, but felt that was not the right school for me and I was not really learning much. I spoke with Mike Camelin, explained the situation and told him that I had to leave because time was an issue for me. In real life, students spend at least 6 weeks to obtain IFR at their school. He agreed to return the unspent money from my account, but told me it would take a couple of weeks.

After almost 3 months the school did not refund me the money. I even spoke with the general manager and they brought up excuses, but still kept my money.

I decided to attend a flight school in Central Texas and obtained my IFR rating in 2 months at a very reasonable price and with more formal instructors.

Do not attend Sun State Aviation.

Dear Steve,

I can t thank you enough for everything Sunstate Aviation did in preparing me for my commercial pilot oral and flight exam.

The Commercial Pilot Course was not only enjoyable but had me absolutely prepared to pass the check ride. Your facility is top-notch and all the aircraft are modern and in excellent shape, but your instructors and staff and their preparation and willingness to put in the extra effort really made the difference.

Instructor Michael McDonald went above and beyond what was necessary to make sure I was ready for every maneuver and was meeting standards. Michael spent as much time as necessary to make sure I was performing all the maneuvers within the tolerances and when it came time for the flight test, I had no issues. As you know I passed without any problems. Also think Isaiah Maldonado for all his help in scheduling and coordinating the week s training. I didn t make it easy with calling on such short notice but am so glad I was able to train with you. Please thank the remaining staff at Sunstate Aviation for me as well.

Thank you again and I look forward to flying with you again soon. Anyone wanting to learn or earn an additional rating should pursue their aviation goals with you.

C. Adam Helmer
Attorney and Counselor at Law

I came to finish my CFI, the staff was very professional and the airplanes in excellent conditions. I finish my training on the time they gave me. Very happy with the service they provide me.

Completed Instrument rating and Commercial Single Engine at this school. Great staff and great planes. Would recommend to anyone.

So frustrating. They've got the planes, the building, the airport. Just missing enough instructors. The instructors I had were great. Oleg was skilled and fun to be around. But, I was only getting 2 flight hours a day. I asked for other instructors to help when they were free and that happened on occasion. This was embarrassing but the flight instructors make their own schedules. I felt like hanging a sign around my neck that said "WILL PAY FOR LESSONS". I sacrificed too much travel expense for only 2 hours a day. I should have gotten some guarantees of more time or perhaps I should have shopped around to other schools.

If you are looking for accelerated training and are going to spend a lot of money getting to Sunstate, please get some sort of guarantee or plan ahead of time. I screwed up and wasted a lot of time and money in not doing this.

I've been familiar with SunState Aviation for over a decade now. From my first ever discovery flight in late 2005 to becoming a Private Pilot just two weeks ago, SunState has always met my needs and expectations and helped me get closer to my dream of being a professional pilot. My very first day in training had me already behind the controls of one of their many Cessna 172s for a few hours. I knew right away that my training experience would be fun and exciting. The team of instructors at SunState is dedicated and passionate about flying and making sure every question is answered and above all, to make sure that your flight training is as fun as possible. I started training on February 8 and just barely two months later, I passed my check ride with just over 40 hours total flight time. My instructor worked around my schedule and the overall flexibility of the instructor team and aircraft scheduling staff exceeded my expectations. The aircraft at SunState are maintained and rigorously inspected around the clock in accordance with their inspection schedules. There was always an aircraft available for me to fly and I never had to worry about the conditions of any of the aircraft I flew from their line. Take some time before deciding which flight school to attend and swing by SunState Aviation and just take five minutes to look around. You'll be met by a brand new facility, friendly staff that will literally walk you through every step of your training goals and most importantly, a learning environment that captures you right off the bat! Thanks to the team at SunState for making my dream come true. I look forward to continue my training here to develop and polish my skills as a professional pilot.

SunState Aviation has great marketing and planes/facilities. But after that it's all downhill. Mike Camelin will assure you that they have the capacity and can reach your desired goal in the timeframe as advertised when he really has no idea.

The operations and communication between management, chief pilots and instructors is mediocre at best, so plan to be as clear and concise with your expectations as possible.

Out of the four instructors that I flew with I was really only impressed with one. The others were young, inexperienced and arrogant. Once you have completed your requirements for a rating or license be prepared to tee up against Joe Suarez. He is the chief pilot that barely flies and will test your wrote memory ground knowledge rather than assess actual situational awareness when flying the airplane. He will make you feel incompetent and say that you are an adult student and it is your responsibility to "know this stuff". Be sure to audit your logbook after each entry from their instructors and even Joe, they butchered my logbook and I have had to use a lot of white out to correct their mistakes.

Then make sure you try to book your own DPE because SunState's "planning team" seems to have a hard time accomplishing that. Even after all of that, be prepared for your inexperienced instructor to say I can't give you an endorsement because I have 4 previous failed students and I can't get a 5th.

My suggestion is unless your just renting go to American Flyers and save yourself the frustration of dealing with this organization.

I'm so thrilled to come and learn to fly here, I'm only 13 but I can't wait, much more. This looks like one of the best schools in Florida. I hope I can come here and learn when it is time. I'm so excited to train and fly with these guys.

They help me to reach my goal. I get a lot knowledge and experience. Thank you so much.

I would like to get info about class schedule / what days and or what time is offered please and thank you

I got my private pilot certificate at SunState in August of 2013 with my father. The experience was absolutely stellar, I had the same instructor throughout my training and they were always able to work with my schedule. This was an important factor for me because I juggled multiple jobs at the time. The organization and professionalism of the entire school is what I liked most. I always had the feeling that someone was looking out for me there, like they genuinely cared about seeing me get my license. My father started his flight training in the 80's, but even after over 100 hours he never finished his training because instructors would leave or the school would close, when he came to SunState he obtained his private pilots certificate in under a dozen hours of training. We both still treasure our time training together that summer and we'll always consider sunstate our home base to fly.

I would encourage anyone interested in their 5 day commercial pilot course to have a very direct conversation with the folks in charge of scheduling, not marketing, as to what the current status is of availability of pilot examiners. After paying a $1000 deposit months out to secure my week, I arrived to what appeared to me, the surprise of the flight instructors and the assistant chief flight instructor and chief flight instructor. It was very disorganized. They did not even know at first whether I could fly 2 times a week. It was then obvious they could not even book a DPE during my week. I had completed all prerequisite flight times, cross country, etc. All I needed for the part 61 course was 10 hours and a checkride. Sunstate has great marketing but the marketing folks are not talking to the instructors and the people in charge of the schedule. They are maxed out and will not even give you the courtesy of a phone call to warn you of this. The flight instructor I did have, Chris D, was an excellent instructor, I am having to take another week at home to transition to another aircraft and get it done here. I would recommend everyone who is out of state to have very direct conversations with Sunstate about what is possible and force them to be honest with you. What happens is they overbook themselves, students ahead of you are not progressing and it jams up the DPEs so your week won't work. They won't communicate with you about this until you get there. Extremely frustrating.

I completed my Instrument rating at SunState Aviation in early 2020. The aircraft are clean and well maintained. I flew the C172 G1000 exclusively for IR to utilize all the added benefits available in a glass cockpit. For those who just starting your flight training, the most important is a competent CFI. Look no further because the staff is great. I worked with Michael McDonald and Sean Kemp through my training both I would recommend. They are very knowledgeable, have excellent airmanship, and will have you well prepared for stage checks and final check ride. Flight training is expensive, but the costs are competitive to other reputable schools when you consider quality of equipment, facilities, and staff.

I completed my PPL at Sunstate and the processes was made simple and straight forward by a knowledgeable and motivational staff. I really appreciate how my instructor Juliana C. really took the time to understand how I learned and integrated that into my lessons. I was also impressed by how well maintained the aircraft were.

PLEASE READ. I attended Sunstate a while back and i highly encourage you to read this review if you are thinking about going here. To start off i know that other peoples experiences are different and getting any ratings are dependent on the person with the amount of time and how fast they learn. I also know that i don't need my hand held through the process or to be babied. I could have done more and studied harder like most people but i spent many hours a day devoted to this. The facility, planes, maintenance and airport are great. It quickly goes down hill from there. I was given the great speech of how this school is accelerated and i would be able to get through the course mostly depending on my studying and how fast i could do it, which is mostly true. Please take me seriously when i say that the staff is mediocre at best. The first 2 weeks being there were great, then i had to deal with their chief instructor JOE. Any review about Joe being terrible is absolutely true. I would highly encourage people to find other flight schools and the first reason is Joe. He treated me like trash and all the instructors knew he was way to over the top. If you are going to move to another state and spend $14,000 plus then you should not have to be talked to the way he talked to me and to others. He is so rude and mean. I was told multiple times i wasn't serious and i wouldn't make it, i was dumb and i didn't know what i was talking about. All the while he is not letting you talk or answer questions. There is no excuse to be treated like that when you trying to learn. All this does is take away your confidence and ruin your self esteem. Its not the military and if i wanted that experience then i would have joined the military. but i saved and spent my own money. I have read the other comments and the reply's that they have gotten about how Joe is "highly qualified and a rarity". which just means that they can't find someone else. Yes he is qualified but that doesn't make you a great teacher and a good person or pleasant to be around. When the instructors are always complaining about how terrible he is and he expects way to much out of everyone then thats a problem. Then when the instructors know that and then don't teach you to his standards, it only sets you up for failure. If i was the owner i would be on the hunt for another chief. The amount of people that have left to get another rating somewhere else is appalling. i know i was not going to continue there the first time meeting Joe. Joe was never happy with anything i did and made me feel like every step i took was wrong, there was no teaching, no encouraging, no confidence building whatsoever. Joe does not care about you as a student at all. I would be scheduled in the simulator days in advance and then get there and be kicked out from my session. Any scheduling i did or made did not matter. Joe was always late and cancelling on you last minute. i had my final oral with him and he cancelled and didn't reschedule for over a week. i was told multiple times he would call me and try to fit me in and that never happened. The instructors are ok, not good enough to be paid 75 and hour and charge you for anything. I understand that they have multiple students getting different ratings but they were always stretched thin and not sure what is going on. They were right out of school on their first job and aren't good material to whipped out students. They just are not good enough. They never actually cared about me or my progress and that absolutely showed. I noticed some of the comments have been left by the employees and of course they will give the greatest review, so do not take their comments seriously. Also there pass rate is below 70% from a conversation i accidentally heard between Joe and Steve. There is a massive amount of potential for this place and it needs to be worked on. They have you pay top prices for average service and thats not okay for me, especially when they know its not the great school they advertise. Find another school, less money for better service.

I went to SunState Aviation to complete my Commercial ASEL certificate and was able to accomplish this within ten calendar days using their accelerated program (Most of my solo requirements were met prior to my arrival). The cost of the training is more expensive than other flight schools however that additional cost goes into their aircraft and to some of the hardest working-knowledgeable instructors in the industry. It is a school that ensures students are ready for their practical FAA exam well before taking the ride. It is NOT a school that one can throw money at to "buy" a license as the instructors will not schedule a practical exam unless the student is ready. However, if a student arrives to this school with a mindset to study hard and rehearse the flight maneuvers prior to entering the cockpit, SunState will help accomplish your dream of flying. - Joe B.

SunState s accelerated and individualized training program was outstanding. I came to them with a fairly non-standard request of doing an accelerated commercial airplane and instrument category rating add-ons to my helicopter ATP.
I had about five weeks to conduct the training which, given all the hour requirements is a tall order, the management and the instructors were knowledgeable, helpful, and worked hard to facilitate my training so that I was able to complete both commercial single engine and instrument ratings in exactly four weeks (100 flight hours including checkrides). The instructors are top notch, the airplanes are clean, and well maintained. I couldn t possibly give SunState a higher recommendation.

I completed my PPL at SunState Aviation. I enjoyed my time and experience there. SunState has the most dedicated, knowledgeable, hard-working instructors. They are there to help you become better pilots every day. If you need any help or questions, they will be there to help you. Their aircraft are well maintained. Their staff are very friendly and helpful. I appreciate SunState Aviation for getting me one step closer to fulfilling my dreams of becoming an airline pilot. I recommend this flight school to anyone who want to get started in their flight training.

SunState Aviation claims on its website that their accelerated program can turn you from aviation newbie to private pilot in just 3-4 weeks. During my time there as an accelerated student I met no one who was on that success curve, and that includes me. I withdrew from SunState a few months ago with over 100 hours of flying and no license to show for it. SunState questioned my aptitude and my commitment to aviation. A clerk from the frontdesk thought it was mature and wise to mimic me to taunt me as I m trying to tell him that I shouldn t be charged with a cancellation fee because I had informed them well ahead of time. One of their instructors tried to provoke me by telling me that I fly as if I ve been flying for only a couple weeks. Not very motivational.
The Chief Instructor is the ever pessimist. I heard more students complain about him than people complain about Lucifer. He s a small little guy that uses a booster seat in the cockpit, but he is seems always big on doubts about students readiness to take their checkride. Once a very proper British gentleman student told a group of us how he chose to prematurely end his pre-checkride flight just as soon as it started because the Chief Instructor was adding stress to an already stressful task by poking at every little thing, even at the expense of his full and undivided attention to managing the cockpit, he thought. That same Chief Instructor told me after he had failed me on my only pre-checkride there that maybe aviation wasn t for me, and suggested I should withdraw.
I talked to the owner a couple times. Both times he pretty much told me that, basically, my lack of success laid squarely on me.
A couple days later I drove 16 hours to Texas to a new school and was trained properly and passed my checkride-----on my first attempt.

This place was amazing! Flying can seem intimidating at first but these guys welcome you with open arms. Anything you need they are ready to help. At Sunstate you can become a proficient pilot with lots of time in the plane as long as you keep up with your ground studies. Really commit and you can accomplish your training in no time.

Finished Single Engine PPL, CPL and Instrument Rating in 1.5 months. There's good weather to fly, sufficient aircraft and friendly instructors who can help achieve your goals in the shortest time.
Give them a call to find out more if you're still looking around:)

My training at SunState was wonderful, everyone is always supporting you, also the instructors are super funny! you ll feel part of the team; all the aircrafts are in perfect conditions, the training is very organized, the facilities are pretty cool, a great environment for studying. SunState is the right place to become a Pilot!

I completed my private pilot training at Sunstate Aviation about one month ago. However, I started my training at a small flight school in central Virginia near my hometown. There, I was flying 1-3 hours each weekend and conducting my ground school online through Jeppesen. Approximately six months after I started flying in Virginia, I'd acquired 21 hours, but my CFI left the school for better and bigger things. That's when I found Sunstate. I was slightly frustrated that Sunstate required me to pay $300 dollars to switch to their Cessna online ground school and start all over (I was about 60% complete with Jeppesen, which had also cost $300) but I made the switch. I then took two weeks of vacation, booked a train ticket from VA to FL, and rented a camping trailer fairly inexpensively through AirBnB. The first week started off very slowly, as I had to start over with about 4 flight hours of the basics, and then pass a "progress check" before I could re-solo (my first solo occurred at my 11th flight hour in Virginia, and I'd even conducted a cross country solo in Virginia, so my first four days at Sunstate were a little frustrating). However, after the first week, the pace picked up substantially and I met all the requirements to take the knowledge test and flight exam toward the end of my second week. I ended up flying 29 hours at Sunstate, and took my check ride at 50 total flight hours. The price per flight hour and instruction were about $25/hour more expensive than my first flight school in Virginia, but overall it was worth it, because I passed all of my exams and am now a private pilot. I'd give my experience 4 1/2 stars, because the facility was clean and the instructors were great, but I ended up paying slightly more than what I'd budgeted.

Highly recommended. I came here with a UK IMC rating with the plan being to achieve the Intrument Rating in two weeks. And I did it! Doing it in such a short time is very intense, and the more you study the excellent materials they send you in advance the better it will be. It was a very intense two weeks but it's a great place to study and fly, a very professional organisation with great facilities, excellent and moderm G1000 (and 6-pack) aircraft and top people. Thanks also to my instructors Oleg (week one) and Federico for the second week who did a great job! Overall, if you're planning to do any intense training of the sort, I would say Sunstate should be top of your list. Robin Wicks, London, UK

I'm so very well at Sunstate just not aviation school but is my home.They help me to reach my goal.Everybody help me everything.
There is a nice instructor just not instructor but is friends. They didn't just teach only flying but I feel not alone to be here because they is my friends especially LEVI KEAGY,He is my instructor & my friend.Thank you to make my CPL.

I went down to Sunstate in November on 2017 for my commercial rating. I think they advertise a 14 day commercial program. I did 8 flights with a young but knowledgeable CFI and got my rating. I enjoyed my time and experience there and would recommend this flight school to anyone who is serious about aviation. There is no doubt that I left as a much better pilot than what I showed up as. The building, classrooms, aircraft, CFIs, and overall environment are 1st class and are conducive to accelerated learning. It is also exciting when you are sitting around studying in the classroom and guys are coming in and out of successful check rides. My experience was great and I am glad I went to Sunstate. If I had it to do over, I would do it just the same.
I do read on this site some negative reviews. Let me give you guys some insight on what I suspect is going on. Again, I completed my rating under the advertised amount. The way I did that is:
I was always early.
I was always prepared.
I did my assigned homework and then some.
I love flying!
My point is that I showed up ready to go. I have a suspicion that these guys aren't showing up prepared. Make no mistake, learning to fly maneuvers, learning all of the rules and regs, the right ways and wrong ways takes time and energy. Not to mention that these things are difficult! This is an accelerated flight school. Drinking from a fire hose.
Bottom line is if you are looking a top notch accelerated flight school with beautiful weather and you are willing to work hard towards your aviation goal, then Sunstate is for you!

I have to say this, I been with SunState aviation for about 6 months and since day one it has been my only choice without a regret, very helpful and professional people as well as the best airplanes that you will ever find in an aviation school. I completed my Private pilot license as well as my instrument rating with the liberty university program that they offer at SunState. and I am now pursuing my commercial license and will finish the rest of the CFIs courses with them as long as things continue to as they are. Mr. Mike Camelin is a very helpful person ready to help you in anyway he can to assist you in your needs, as well as many professional flight instructors that there is in SunState Aviation. Keep it up Guys!

Scheduled my FAA Part 107 test through PSI/CATS - arrived today for it and was told the "proctor was not available". According to the pleasant yet fairly unhelpful front desk guy, the proctor knew earlier in the week that a test was booked yet elected not to call and resolve the issue before I wasted 90 minutes in the car and blocked out my afternoon to take the exam. Poor communication and indifference really seem like qualities you'd NOT want in a flight school. All around disappointing experience at an otherwise nice facility. I'll definitely be finding another test site.

Fun training. My instructor not only instructire but also become my friend. I got the new aviation experience and got the new friend there. Thank you

I had my PPL here. Excellent support, helpful staff & CFIs and well maintained airplanes!

As a student I was given extremely good training and worked with well. They have a great partnership with Liberty University. The facilities are state of the art. As an instructor I am privileged to work at a flight school that cares for customers and keeps extremely well maintained airplanes.

I'm so appriciated at Sunstate.They help me to reach my goal within one month.
There is a nice instructor I ever had. They didn't just teach only flying but I feel comforted to be here especially LEVI KEAGY.Thank you to make my CPL.

An excellent school with well maintained aircraft, instructors who want to help you succeed, and a great curriculum. Highly recommended!

I came here with PPL in hand and completed IR, CSEL and CMEL. I did this in conjunction with Liberty University, the program was well put together and seamless. My instructors were Sean K and Paul S and I can t say enough good things about them. They were thorough and I always felt ready for stage checks and check rides. I wouldn t hesitate to go back to Sunstate for more training and I recommend them for someone who is just starting or looking to advance in their flying.

Great flying school with instructors who want to see you succeed, The private pilot course is well structured. Planes are always maintained on time and are always in excellent condition.

Be aware, be VERY aware! They will promise you what you want to hear, take your money, and then you have to fight tooth and nail to get your training. Absolutely don't come here for their 'accelerated training', they have no interested in that as there's more money for them to make dragging it out. 3-4 hours of usable flight training cost me almost $3,000. Off to find a reputable school now.

Well maintained aircraft and dedicated staff. Structured progress checks can increase expected hour count and as such must be factored into budgeting. However, by the end I was very well prepared for the practical examination. Got my PPL after 1 month training with them.

Excellent school with well-maintained aircraft and structure.

Dysfunctional disaster. Facts: Doesn't provide discounts on "frequent flyer" account holders. They have 1 instructor per 3 students, so forget about accelerated training. The lead instructor goes out to the "semi-nude" bar with student pilots then employs the "I'm the CFI" and chooses favorites so there is definitely discrimination there. The owner, Steve, tells everyone how broke they are. No Chiefs, no Indians, I was there with 7 other students. 1 student flew down from ATL with his own plane to get a instrument ticket, of course he got priority over the other students for instructors, he always had one. RUN AND TAKE YOUR $$ WITH YOU!!