GET TO KNOW THE SCHOOL
A closer look.
California Flight Academy trains at Gillespie Field in El Cajon and organizes its offerings around private, instrument, commercial, professional pilot, and instructor pathways. The published fleet pairs Cessna 172SP airplanes with Beechcraft Duchess BE-76 twins and a Redbird LD simulator. Its instructor program explicitly includes CFI, CFII, and MEI preparation, with teaching methods, lesson planning, student evaluation, and rating-specific flight work. Career support includes résumé and interview preparation. The school advertises a conditional instructor-job interview for qualifying graduates; students should distinguish that interview opportunity from employment and verify the exact eligibility terms before choosing a package.
Gillespie Field location
The school identifies Gillespie Field as its training base and highlights experience with air traffic control communications.
Single-engine and twin resources
The fleet page names Cessna 172SP, Beechcraft Duchess BE-76, and Redbird LD simulator equipment.
Three instructor qualifications
The instructor program explicitly offers CFI, CFII, and MEI and describes lesson planning, student evaluation, teaching fundamentals, and practical instruction skills.
Published training options.
The school’s published options are summarized below. Each note explains the training type and what to clarify when comparing the school’s exact course.
Private pilot
A private-pilot training path. Compare the aircraft used, ground-school arrangements and how lessons progress from initial skills to practical-test preparation.
Instrument rating
Training focused on instrument flying, procedures and planning. Compare aircraft and simulator use, scheduling and the preparation expected before flight lessons.
Commercial pilot
A commercial-pilot training option. Ask which aircraft category, prerequisites, experience-building flights and practical-test preparation are included.
Multiengine training
Training in multiengine aircraft. Confirm whether the course is an initial rating, an add-on or a transition, and which aircraft will be available.
Professional pilot program
A planned sequence toward professional flying qualifications. Compare the included stages, entry requirements, scheduling commitment and payment milestones.
Flight instructor training
Training in teaching, lesson preparation and instructional flying. Ask which instructor qualification is included and how practice teaching is assessed.
Instrument instructor training
Preparation for instrument-instruction responsibilities. Confirm the required existing instructor qualification and whether simulator work is part of the course.
Multiengine instructor training
Preparation to teach in multiengine aircraft. Ask about entry qualifications, aircraft availability and the ground and flight preparation included.
Ground school
Study and knowledge preparation. Confirm the delivery format, included materials, instructor support and any separate flight-training requirement.
Simulator training
Practice using a training device. Ask which device is used, whether an instructor is included and how the sessions support your particular course.
The published options below are supported by the linked school sources.
Aircraft & training scope
Aircraft categories: Airplane
Published aircraft models: Cessna 172SP, Beechcraft Duchess BE-76
This profile describes the named school and location; advertised services are subject to current availability.
Published career outcomes and completion timelines are not guaranteed. Confirm current enrollment terms and exact course approvals.
Training framework & verification
Part 61: Explicit in supplied source; not rechecked for this import. Part 141: Matched to the FAA roster dated 2026-10-19. Confirm the approved course and training location with the school. The workbook does not list individual course approvals or establish training quality.
FAA reference: faa.gov. Confirm the approved course and training location with the school. Part 61 describes training rules; it does not itself identify an FAA-certificated school.
PART 141 SOURCE CHECK
FAA roster information.
This listing is matched to the supplied FAA Part 141 roster record. Confirm the approved course and training location with the school; the roster does not list course approvals or establish training quality.
CALIFORNIA FLIGHT ACADEMY
Certificate CLWS892CLocation designator CLWS
Address as recorded: 2065 NORTH MARSHALL, EL CAJON, CA 92020
Use the faa.gov facility dashboard for future cross-reference. The dated record above reflects the FAA workbook used for this directory update. How we check records
TRAINING FIT
Our school review.
CFA is relevant to students comparing a structured career sequence with both single-engine and multiengine training resources at a towered airport. The named equipment and instructor-course outline provide concrete points for a campus visit. The school’s estimated program durations and career support should be evaluated against actual instructor availability, weather, examination scheduling, and individual proficiency. Ask for the complete progression and payment schedule, including what happens if a stage needs more hours than the initial estimate.
An AI-assisted editorial assessment of the school’s published information. This is separate from student feedback. We have not attended or inspected this school.
WHAT THE AVAILABLE FEEDBACK TELLS US
Student review evidence.
Accessible review evidence for California Flight Academy in El Cajon is limited. This is one old payment-related account, not a present course-quality assessment. A 2017 reviewer reports a disagreement about whether an initial payment was refundable. The available accounts are too narrow, dated or uncertain in scope to establish current student consensus. Treat them as individual experiences rather than typical outcomes, and verify the course, airport and period with recent local students. Written scheduling, payment and progression arrangements are more useful than assuming the same experience will recur.
1 / 51 review
This location
Platform display checked on 2026-10-23. Retrieval-date snapshot; underlying platform data may lag.
Source snapshot: 2026-10-23Concerns reported
- A 2017 reviewer reports a disagreement about whether an initial payment was refundable. [1]
How to read this evidence
Small, dated or uncertain review sample; no representative current student consensus established.
Follow up with the school
- Can I speak with two recent El Cajon students who completed my intended course?
- What lesson frequency, instructor continuity, final costs and checkride timeline should I expect in writing?
Read the review sources
- California Flight Academy | Flight School - Fixed Wing in EL Cajon, California Third-party source
Small, dated or uncertain review sample; no representative current student consensus established.
AI-assisted summary of the cited material. Public comments are individual experiences; the sample may be small, selective, or dated.
How we prepare review summariesMAKE YOUR NEXT CONVERSATION COUNT
Questions for California Flight Academy.
- How are the private, instrument, commercial, and multiengine stages sequenced for my prior experience?
- What Cessna, Duchess, and simulator access is available each week?
- Which ground teaching and observed instructional exercises are included in CFI, CFII, and MEI training?
- What are the current eligibility terms for the instructor interview and the extra costs if training exceeds the planned hours?
Sources & listing information.
School facts are compiled from the source material below. Imported record identifiers are retained for traceability and are not presented as proof of current certification.
- Official California Flight Academy information
- Private Pilot License » California Flight Academy
- Instrument Rating » California Flight Academy
- Commercial Pilot » California Flight Academy
- Official California Flight Academy information
- 5 Reasons Southern California Is the Best Place for Commercial Pilot Training » California Flight Academy
- Jobs at CFA – Must have your CFII » California Flight Academy
- The Commercial Pilot Shortage and the Future of the Industry » California Flight Academy
- Official California Flight Academy information
- Source-record reference: checkrides.ioReference retained from the supplied spreadsheet; current content not rechecked for this import.
- Source-record reference: bestaviation.netReference retained from the supplied spreadsheet; current content not rechecked for this import.
- faa.gov — Pilot Schools InformationFAA guidance on certificated schools and other flight-training providers.
- faa.gov — Find a FacilityFAA pilot-school facility reference. Part 61 instruction is not a separate FAA school certification.
View source record references
CLWS892C · P61-1EC5282DB3
Part_141_Flight_School_Websites (1).csv; Part_61_Flight_School_Websites (1).csv; faaverifiedp141.xlsx