- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Vintage Aircraft Company
- Hours:
Thu-Sun 10 am - 4 pm
17 reviews for Vintage Aircraft Company
17 reviews in English
-
Review from John B.
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a must-do in wine country! It may even be more memorable than all the great wines we drank!
We were schedule for a 20 minute ride with aerial acrobatics. Because we paid cash, it was only $288. A great deal for a once in a lifetime event.
We got strapped into parachutes and shown how to use them in case of an emergency. The pilot was seated behind us, so we were told to keep doing thumbs-up to let him know we were good and not scared or air sick. Our pilot was Chris- He was very much the strong, silent type.
Warning- The seats for passengers are TINY! My wife and I are both thin and we were stuffed in there like sardines. I don't know how it would have worked with 2 normal or bigger people!
When the propeller turned on it was incredibly loud and windy. They had given us ear plugs and skull caps, but it was still incredibly loud!
When we took off, it was such a rush. To be 1000 feet in the air and completely out in the open- Wow! The pilot then started to fly over the scenery of Sonoma. He took us all the way out to the Pacific and over Infineon Raceway where there was a Nascar race that weekend! You could see all the trucks unloading gear and everything. I would say our experience with the flight was that it was very cool and exciting at the beginning, but then halfway through it got a little dull. How much can you look at fields and hills... Then the acrobatics started!!!!!
You MUST pay the extra for the acrobatics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We started pretty non-scary with some spirals. Then we did our first loop! To be upside down in an open cockpit- WOW! We couldn't hold our thumbs up high enough. I couldn't believe how many tricks he did--they just kept coming and coming. He would go straight up in the air until it was like we were going to stall and then flip over at the last second. It was great. I loved every minute of that part! Then our time was up and it was time to go back. I was a little scared of the landing, but it was completely smooth. We got a little certificate from them at the end.
What a great memory! Definitely top 5 of the trip! -
Review from carlene m.
Pinole, CA
7/21/2011
This is a real find...
WWII open cockpit training planes and fighters!
the P40 ride is not to be missed, a rare opportunity
to feel the thrill of an actual vintage fighter. Having
operated own business, my hat is off to the staff
and pilots who not only ensure passenger safety, but
cheerfully field the multitude of inane questions. I, for one,
appreciated the woman in charge making every effort to
corral misbehaved children ignored by their parents. Don't
miss this one.Comment from Sheryl C. of Vintage Aircraft Company 7/26/2011
Your group was a lot of fun! We appreciate you recognizing… More » -
Review from Scott R.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/9/2007
My fiance took me here as part of a surprise trip to Sonoma. As soon as we rolled up on this place I was trilled - - a tiny little "airport", several old planes, and the anticipation of a really special experience.
This place is really laid back. There's a pilot hanging out waiting for clients, and a couple other nice, older folks waiting around to book clients and set up their flights. It's all very low key.
We chose to fly in the beautiful, red vintage bi-plane. You could choose between the 20-minute and 40-minute flight in this plane. We chose the 40-minute. Of the 40-minute flights, we could choose between 3 options: 1) Down "along the coast" to view the San Francisco skyline, 2) Out to the sea to view point Reyes, and 3) Over the surrounding wine country. We would have chosen the San Francisco trip, but, because it was Fleet Week (Blue Angels), there was a no-fly zone around SF. So we chose the "out to the sea and Point Reyes" trip.
The negatives: 1) For the $400+ that my fiance was spending on this very exciting trip, the staff and pilot were fairly non-interested. In fact, as we were first loading into the plane, the pilot barely acknowledged us as he got in. 2) the flight didn't actually even take us out to the ocean. We were flown within a couple miles of the coast, then the pilot turned around and headed back to Sonoma. Based on the description of the flight, I thought we would actually get out *over* the ocean, fly out to Point Reyes itself, and maybe fly down somewhat low over point Reyes and the coast. Not at all.
In actuality, we never got lower than several hundred feet and as I mentioned, were still a couple miles from the coast. Redeeming feature: after we got back over the Sonoma area, the pilot did spend a while flying over some vineyards in the area which was really enjoyable and he banked a few step turns, which was fun.
Advice #1) It's an expensive 40 minutes, no doubt. I really think if you clearly tell the sign-up lady and pilot exactly what you want out of your 40 minutes, you'll get it. For example, I think if we had made it clear we wanted to go out to the tip of Pt. Reyes and descend close to the beach and coastline, he would have done it, and skipped giving us the vineyards time instead, for example. You can't communicate with the pilot while you are flying, so make clear what you want ahead of time.
Advice #2) If 40-minutes is barely enough time to get just short of the coast straight West (Pt. Reyes) and back (plus a few minutes of wine country), I find it very had to see how they could "fly along the coast down to the San Francisco skyline and back". Therefore, I strongly suggest you ask very specific questions about your flight path, whether you will actually be flying along the coast (or just within distant eye shot of it) and if the San Francisco skyline means "Gee, I can see SF 15 miles away" or "Holy crap we are flying over the Golden Gate bridge!!".
Again, I think if you clarify very specifically what you want or will be getting ahead of time, you wont be disappointed. Its very informal, too, so I imagine if you said, "I really want to fly *along the coast* and actually get near SF for a fairly close view of the City", they could do that for you, even if it mean extending the trip to 60 minutes for a slightly higher price.
That said, it's a neat experience. Its open air cockpits and is windy and cold, so dress appropriately. It is a neat little business of just a few people restoring old planes and taking people for rides in them.
Also, as the SF trip was not available when we were there, they strongly suggested the wine country flight. Based upon the kind of mini-wine country tour that the pilot threw in, I think that actually might be a quite fun choice, as its really beautiful flying over the vineyards and foothills. Enjoy!Comment from Sheryl C. of Vintage Aircraft Company 6/6/2009
We fly by FAA rules which allows 500 feet over sparsely… More » -
Review from Tracy D.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2006
For my birthday, my bf kept hinting at my surprise-- all he'd tell me was that I needed to dress warmly. When Saturday morning dawned, sunny and gorgeous, I asked if it was still going to be cold, to which he replied, "yes, but I'm not giving you any more clues."
Turning into the Vintage Aircraft lot was completely unexpected. I saw the sign and my mouth dropped open.
I'm not a plane buff, so I can't tell you too much about ours except that it was a Boeing Stearman. The owner and the pilots are all friendly and helpful about answering questions. Just do your research and get out there, though-- flying in one of their planes is an incredible thrill! We headed out over Sonoma/Napa, with some breathtaking scenery, and then finished up with the aerobatic maneuvers-- so much better than any roller coaster I've ever been on!
The plane was really stable, they've got a perfect safety record, and my boyfirend even pointed out that they can be landed like gliders if the engine gets killed.
Needless to say, he succeeded in making this my most memorable birthday, with the help of Vintage Aircraft Co. -
Review from jeanne b.
San Francisco, CA
7/7/2011
Great adventure but these people have poor attitudes in that they are unfriendly and don't like to answer educational questions about the planes. The biggest concern was the comfort of the owner. Also the woman working spent a lot of time barking at visitors and kids. Ride is short and pricey. And it seems they just want your money to keep the boss and his hobby happy. Take a hot air balloon ride instead!!
-
Review from Nancy W.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2006 3 photos
Vintage Aircraft Co. provides open cockpit biplane and warbird rides out of the Schellville airport in Sonoma. There are several types of flights you can take from 20 minute scenic flights around the Sonoma valley, further ranging flights over Napa, west to the Pacific and around San Francisco to rides incorporating loops, barrel rolls, 'Hammer Heads" and a the "Cuban Eight". This is not a cheap thrill - prices start at $150.00 and go up over $600.00 for an hour in the SNJ-4. All of the pilots are highly qualified and it's obvious that they love to fly -- I highly recommend it.
The last time my parents came to visit, they ended their winter trip to Arizona with a visit to see me as they did about once every two years. It was always a challenge to find new things to do because they both had such a long history of trips to Northern California dating back to my Dad's Navy years in the 40's. I was conceived, according to my Mother, at the St. Francis at the end of a family trip to California. It was the first time my parents had their own room -- my older brother and sister were along -- on that multi-week car trip.
Also, Dad's birthday was in March and I wanted to find something special to do. My Dad was a flight instructor in the Navy, training pilots in WWII and when I found the Vintage Aircraft site I was both excited and scared. Excited because two of the planes are the North American AT-6 - in the Navy it was the the SNJ-4 (the one in which he taught) and the plane in which he learned to fly - the Boeing PT-17 Stearman. Scared that his mobility issues (one bad hip, one replaced hip and arthritis every place you could possibly have it) would make it difficult for him to get in the plane. The whole thing was a surprise and I don't think I've ever been so nervous. Chris Prevost, the founder of Vintage Aircraft was great -- and when Dad couldn't get into the SNJ-4 he quickly switched to the Stearman. The smile on my Dad's face after the flight was priceless. -
Review from Phil C.
Rancho Cordova, CA
12/28/2010
My wife bought a 40 minute flight with aerobatics as a surprise for my birthday. I wanted to fly over Bodega Bay, but the pilot said it would be really foggy. Instead, we flew over wine country. The flight was incredible. The plane is very powerful, as you will note at takeoff. This was not like the slow cesnas I've flown in before. The flight was smooth and enjoyable. At the end, we did the aerobatics. I've seen these done in airshows and wondered what it would be like to experienc it firsthand. It is more thrilling than I could have imagined. If you have the time and are in the area, I highly recommend this.
-
Review from Greg S.
7/8/2009
An experience of a lifetime!
That's how I felt walking away from the plane after my wonderful flight over the Napa Wine Country. I surprised my boyfriend and myself by this amazing experience. It was much more than I ever thought it would be.
The staff is so kind and just the nicest group of people. We didn't have to wait very long for our 20 min. bi-plane ride. With our flight caps on, and a parachute strapped to our backs, we were ready to go! Our pilot was really personable and set us at ease right from the start.
The flight itself was really smooth...and we had the clearest day for flying. At one point we could see all the way to San Francisco and Oakland! What a view! The highlight came late in the flight when the aerobatics kicked in. At first I felt extreme terror, but suddenly it all went away and I was filled with peace. It was incredible! Exhilarating! I swear I felt weightless for a second or two...an experience like no other! The aerobatics is a must!
I'd thoroughly recommend this experience. I haven't stopped talking about it and I probably won't! -
Review from Jessie M.
Orange, CA
8/30/2011
We were tooling down this two lane road to wine country when we happened upon this quaint country airport with gleaming biplanes parked practically roadside. Before I could tell my boyfriend to stop, he was already pulling into the parking lot. We walked into Vintage Aircraft and were greeted by a cute dog and super nice people. Never thinking of ever flying, both my boyfriend and I were captivated by the history (they fly all WWII airplanes) and the next thing you know we were signing up to fly in the open-cockpit biplane and my boyfriend added the aerobatics (it took some convincing, but come-on, barnstorming in the 21st century?? - ya gotta. I had on a dress, but the staff carefully made skorts out of my skirt as they put a parachute (OMG) on me...just for safe-keeping!! They explained the rules of the FAA and the parachute and as silly as I thought I looked, they then added in a little cloth helmet just to complete the look. We waddled out to the big red airplane and met Chris, our pilot. They offered to take pictures and I giggled the whole time as we posed, looking half aviator, half ridiculous, in front of this magnificent aircraft. Cheryl then helped us into the plane giving more detail to the era and this airport.
The big engine started and I was a little nervous, but as we taxiied out to the runway, sitting smushed into the cockpit with my boyfriend, it turned into thrilling. So smoothly and swiftly we were off. We choose the 40 minute flight with the loops and rolls up the Napa Valley. The view was amazing and you really only can see how vast the vineyards are from the air (and damn...those are some big estates.)
So now the loops....and rolls.....it was smoother than a roller coaster (which made me happy) and you never get that scared, i'm-gunna-fall-otta-my-seat feeling, which made me happy too. We were two-thumbs up all the way (well, three, if you count both my boyfriends thumbs!). The landing was smooth as a baby's butt.
We earned our wings, were given flight certificates to frame and got to give the dogs a couple of treats.
We set out for a quiet weekend in wine country, but after that impromptu flight (back in time) while the rest of the weekend was really fun, the flight and visit to Vintage Aircraft was better than fabulous.
We'll tell our friends and hope to do it again some time. Thanks everyone - we had the best time!! -
Review from Andy M.
Los Angeles, CA
9/18/2010
Our visit was completely spontaneous, but we had a blast.
My girlfriend and I passed this little airstrip on the way out to the vineyards in Napa and as a little bit of a sucker for shiny, old machines I had a nagging suspicion I might have to stop by on return leg. Predictably, as we drove by, as if possessed, I muttered something to the effect of "I just wanna check out those planes for a quick second" and distractedly bounced the car to a stop on the dusty shoulder, made a robotic u-turn and pulled into the parking lot. We spoke for a few minutes to the really nice older guys hanging out in front, who assured us that although the planes were antiques, the pilots were not and they themselves were not flying anymore. Despite my assurances that we were only looking and I'd probably come back some other time, it was pretty obvious which way the wind was blowing and an hour and a half later we left with 100-mph-open-cockpit hair, having flown in a 1942 Boeing Stearman PT-17-- the very same plane in which many WWII pilots got their start.
Like most people have pointed out, this is a pretty small operation--essentially a flying club that gives rides-- and they're not focused on the tour-guide or marketing aspect of things. There isn't much of a boilerplate presentation prepared as to brief visitors on points of interest the history of the planes. That said, it was really friendly and charming bunch of guys, and they seemed genuinely delighted to show off the planes and tell their stories to us once we asked. We ended up spending a good chunk of the afternoon after the flight walking around the other hangars and met the owner of another antique biplane, who was also awesome. This place is a tad off the beaten path and really felt like a refreshing dose of old-school local color.
And, oh yeah, about the flight: Riding in an open-cockpit, piston-engined plane is a pretty raw and increasingly rare experience which, if you're up for it, promises to invigorate. Between the historical and technological intrigue and the rush of flying in such a primitive and pure machine, it was a really rich experience. Touring the entire Napa valley by air, getting a different perspective of the topography, textures, and colors of the places we'd just been, was a great way to a day of earthbound activities. -
Review from C G.
San Anselmo, CA
9/9/2010
I was pondering an unforgettable Valentines Day event for my girlfriend.
A ride in a red biplane seemed the ticket.
She chose, instead of the nice sightseeing trip, 45 minutes of aerobatics.
"Tom" was her pilot and they did 45 minutes of loops, rolls and tailslides and some other maneuvers that I have no names for.
It's been several years hence, and she still thinks that it was her best ever Valentines Day present.
Based on her [biggrin], I'd agree.
CG -
Review from Ziadee C.
San Francisco, CA
4/10/2011
100% fun! I'm a car-sick kinda gal and I was miserable in a glider over calistoga a decade ago, so it was with some trepidation that I accepted this gift of the plane ride over Sonoma. It was smooth & beautiful, thrilling and fun, and 100% motion-sickness free. I want to go again and try the acrobatics. Highly recommended!!
-
Review from Tuff G.
Castro Valley, CA
11/10/2009
AS YELP SAYS - WOO HOO! THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS !
I cannot express how much fun this experience was. Chris and crew are all very very nice people. The experience was so easy and laid back. I think that another reviewer was put off by the "lack of explanation". But, you really don't want to have them 'over explain' or you might over think it, and choose to back out. We enjoyed a 40 minute flight over the Napa valley, which at this time of year, showed the true "fall colors" of Napa. Spectacular! You just don't see the colors when driving on the road. Then we enjoyed the excitement of the aerobatics. How much more fun can you possibly ask for???
Again, Chris and the crew all made us feel very comfortable, and assured of what was going on. We went in the late afternoon, so when the flight was done, we had the opportunity to stand around and chat with them for awhile, and learn about the planes.
I completely recommend Vintage - THUMBS UP ALL THE WAY !!! -
Review from donna k.
San Jose, CA
12/8/2008
we rode in the beautiful red biplane over the vineyards as they recommended. the view was great and we LOVED doing the aerobatics! (k... it's probably just me being in a red bi-plane and all but I had happy thoughts of snoopy ok i digress...)
in hindsight, we'd probably just do a 20 min ride with aerobatics because it's a bit pricey.
the negatives: it was in the 60s but my husband was still pretty cold. i told him it's his fault for having a bday in december. :) because it's in the open air (and the air beats your nose and ears...even w/ earplugs they gave us)... our heads later felt all weirdly pressurized for a long time after.
i'd say do it though...it's a great event to do once in a lifetime. :D -
Review from tina l.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2009
i stumbled across this company online and thought it'd be a cool idea for my boyfriend's surprise birthday, so i booked a 40 min. flight + aerobatics on the biplane.
when we got there and i saw the big red, open cockpit, biplane... i was soooo excited! even better, my boyfriend had a huge grin across his face in excitement as well!
take off was fast, smooth, almost barely noticeable... flight path across marin and down to see the sf skyline was gorgeous! we went on the perfect day with 85 degree weather, i wore shorts and a tank and felt comfortable up there (they usually recommend bundling up, but i called right before we went there to check on conditions).
the entire flight was nice and enjoyable... then came the aerobatics! the best part! we went around in loops and tumbles, gave the pilot the thumbs up (signaling that we were a-ok) and he kept going. the flight is smooth enough to where i brought my camera up there and took tons of pics and videos... just make sure you have your camera strap around your wrist! also be sure to tell the pilot you want aerobatics before you get in the plane... you have to wear a parachute. it felt very safe the entire way through.
landing was super smooth! we later found out that our pilot was the owner of the place... don't think that will make too much difference though... the website gives an intro to each of their pilots.
DO IT!!!!!! -
Review from Jenn T.
Boulder, CO
5/15/2010
STILL SMILING!!!
We have driven past this airport hundreds of times on our way out to Sonoma and have always admired the planes. My boyfriend is a WWII buff and I always catch him staring out the window for as long as he can. As we are moving to Colorado in two weeks and will be in England watching a horse show (for me) on his birthday in September, I decided to surprise him with an early birthday present. Let me just say, we were not disappointed!!
The elderly gentleman who signed us up was so friendly (as was every one that we encountered out there) and really seemed to enjoy his job. Chris was our pilot and I could tell immediately by his confidence and demeanor that we were in good hands. We were taken to "Big Red" a WWII biplane... just the one we were hoping for! We were strapped in, and away we flew! We did the 40 minute trip with added aerobatics which I highly recommend! It was so nice to see the wine country from above, a really nice finish to our time living here. We got such a thrill from the aerobatics... we wanted more!! So fun, I can not begin to describe it! My boyfriend and I are still smiling which pretty much sums it up... Worth EVERY penny!!
It's also nice to know that Vintage Aircraft Company is a big animal supporter... so are we~ Thank you for that, and thank you so much for our time with you~ Very professional, very safe, more fun than I can describe, amazing planes and a very happy early birthday for my boyfriend!~ no doubt we will be back on one of our return visits to Cali. If you are sitting on the fence about doing this, sit no longer! Just do it! You will get the experience of a lifetime with experienced people who love what they do! -
Review from Mona S.
Vallejo, CA
9/4/2009
I drive past this place every day on my way in to work, and every time I do, I look longingly at the planes they have parked out in the yard. I have no idea why I do this, because I am scared witless to fly. Maybe I figured this would get me over my fear of flying?
So when a friend came to town - a been-there-done-that kind of guy - I suggested we see the North Bay like he's never seen it before. I made the reservations over the phone, and the lady was very friendly. (The only critique I have here is that she could have told us what to bring or how to prepare, i.e. what type of jacket we should bring, make sure your camera has a wrist strap, make sure you don't forget your sunglasses, etc.)
When we got there, I felt myself getting extremely nervous, and I'm sure it could have been read all over my face just how anxious I was about this whole thing. They asked me if I wanted to do the acrobatics, to which I replied with a very loud "HELL NO." She asked if I liked roller coasters, to which I replied that I did. She suggested I wear the parachute, just in case I change my mind. The parachute looked like it was packed in 1932, and our safety training was all of 15 seconds.
Then the pilot came in. I call him Lord Flash-Heart. He was blond, tan, had blue eyes and muscles all over. With a firm handshake and an introduction, he began to put me at ease. He said that at the end of the flight, we would ascend, and then he would waggle the wings. This would be him asking me for acrobatics. If gave a thumbs up, a-rolling we would go.
(Here I would agree that the pilot did seem a wee disinterested in the "hosting" process. It would have been fun to know a little bit more about the plane, the route we were going to take, what we should look out for, etc.)
We opted for the 40 minute ride to the city. We flew out over Marin County, and had a spectacular view of the Marin Headlands and the coast. The city was covered in fog, so there was not much to see there, but we did get an amazing view of the coast and the bay.
On the way back, we lifted a bit more, and I felt the wings waggle. At this point, I just shut my eyes and put both thumbs up before I could even really think about what I had just decided to do.
We did a 360 degree turn, then down a bit, then we went into a barrel roll. I could feel the G forces pulling me down. At this point I just let out one big, loud, long expletive.
We did another 360 degree turn (which I thought was super cool on its own, anyway), then down we went. I felt the Gs really pushing down that time. I looked up over my head to see sky, then mountains, earth, then sky again. We had just gone in a big loop. Expletive again.
Circling to land over the vineyards, I didn't want my ride to end. I had the best time, and I could easily be talked into doing it again.
How is my fear of flying now? I have no idea, really. I haven't been on a commercial jet since I took the ride on the red Snoopy Plane, but I'm sure I'll be pretty much okay, just so long as the pilot doesn't try a barrel roll without asking me first.
