From the mountains to the desert to the tropics, come join SkyHoppers for a one-of-a-kind Flight Training Excursion in our Cessna 180 Skywagon!

SkyHoppers Aerial Excursions SkyHoppers offers flight training excursions in the Western U.S., Baja Mexico, as well as into the Bahamas and the Caribbean, each providing a unique Aerial Adventure. Most of our aerial excursions last up to 5 days, though we can help you plan your own itinerary to meet your training needs and interests. Come join us on a flight training excursion this Summer 2021 Fly-In to the Caribbean. Our Caribbean Excursions begin at $3,750 and are ideal for introducing you to the romance of tailwheel flying to the location of your choice in the Skywagon. SkyHoppers also invites you to plan your own flight training excursion in our Cessna 180 by calling the Chief Instructor toll-free at 800-515-4225 to find out more! Click here to see an itemized rate sheet of our Cessna 180 flight training excursion offerings and 2021 Sale prices! SkyHoppers welcomes People with no prior flying experience to become a Student-Pilot with us, and have FUN while exploring the world of flight on our aerial excursions before proceeding with Private Pilot training. By joining us for an excursion you will receive hands on training in basic private pilot maneuvers including taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, slow flight, descents, and of course, landings. You will also learn how to perform basic radio communications, make a preflight inspection, refuel the airplane, as well as learn some basic common sense skills regarding airplanes.

If you are already a certificated pilot and are and are interested in logging High-Performance-tailwheel time in our Cessna 180 for fun or future ownership purposes, SkyHoppers invites you to come and improve your proficiency in all maneuvers applicable to the certificate you hold. Upon completion of an excursion, pilots may earn any combination of Tailwheel, High-Performance, and/or Biennial Flight Review endorsements. Listed below are descriptions of our many flight training excursions; click on the title of each excursion to be redirected to a Flickr slideshow of that excursion.

U.S. Excursions

Idaho Backcountry Excursion Excursion: 18.0 hours aloft (approx 1,700nm rt.) Idaho is well known for its dozens of backcountry airstrips, most of which are well maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The airstrips are mostly located within the gorges, canyons, and valleys within the Sawtooth and Salmon River Mountain ranges. This excursion crosses the Sierra Nevada over Lake Tahoe, the high desert of Nevada, overhead Boise and into the Idaho backcountry. The route then weaves through the highly scenic Sawtooth Wilderness area, which rises up to 11,000 feet as we make our way to the 4900-foot Smiley Creek grass strip and stay overnight in the rustic Smiley Creek Lodge. Then its onto Bruce Meadows and Johnson Creek airstrips, for a night of camping outdoors at either location. A third evening will be spent in historic downtown McCall Idaho at the impressive Shore Lodge. The return trip proceeds across the Oregon high-desert to the Sun River resort for lunch, before proceeding south past Crater Lake, into California past Mount Shasta, the Trinity Alps, and even past the Golden Gate Bridge by sunset before arriving at KRHV.
Canyonlands Excursion: 20.0 hours aloft (approx 1,900nm rt.) The desert southwest has some of the most dramatic North American landscapes with its striking views of deserts, canyons, and mountains. SkyHoppers canyonlands excursion takes you over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Aspen Colorado, Taos New Mexico, Sedona Arizona, and Bishop California. The excursion lasts 5 days, and includes landings at seldom used public strips along the way. An extra couple days can be added to the excursion for a nominal fee, in case you'd like to explore any of the attractions on foot. The last day includes a stop in Bishop where we ride bicycles into town to visit the Mountain Light Gallery, which continues in memoriam to both Galen Rowell and his wife & aviatrix Barbara Cushman Rowell.
Cross-the-Heartland Excursion: 22 hours aloft one-way (2,250nm one-way) SkyHoppers offers a flight training excursion across the USA as part of our Annual Ferry Flight to the Caribbean where we offer Private Aerial Excursions in the Dominican Republic. The coast-to-coast excursion lasts 2.5 days and follows portions of historic Route 66 through the desert southwest, including stops in Sedona Arizona, Tucumcari New Mexico, Austin Texas, New Orleans Louisiana, and Miami Florida enroute to the caribbean. This excursion is ideal for student pilots to learn much about long-distance flight planning and weather interpretation, while enjoying the changing scenery as we pass over the various regions of the country. The coast-to-coast itinerary is flexible, so contact the Chief Instructor to discuss the possibilities.

Baja Excursion

Punta Chivato Excursion: 20 hours aloft (2,000nm rt.) SkyHoppers offers excursions into Baja throughout the year along various routes and to various destinations along the Baja Peninsula. The Punta Chivato Airstrip owned by the adjacent hotel serves as the base of operations for flights to other parts of Baja. Among the various unimproved strip we teach you to land at include Laguna San Ignacio, Campo Rene, Punta Abreojos, San Ignacio, Mulege, and Palo Verde. This excursion serves as an introduction to basic bush flying, and provides an education in fuel management, survival preparation, and astute decision making where decisions to land are concerned. Along the way there is much to see in the desert landscape of Baja, especially along the Pacific Coast where after taking in some whale watching over Laguna San Ignacio, we can land at any of the many adjacent airstrips for some fresh fish tacos. SkyHoppers recommends investing in the 20-hour 4-day package to make the most of this excursion.

Tropical Excursions

Bahamas Excursion: 6.0 hours aloft (765nm one-way) SkyHoppers offers a flight training excursion through the Bahamas as part of our annual ferry flight to the Dominican Republic where we offer additional excursions in a tropical setting (see below). The Bahamas consists of a long archipelago of more than 800 islands surrounded by very shallow ocean waters, which makes for spectacular photo opportunities. While the distance between Florida and the D.R. is long, at least 70% of the duration of our chosen route is within gliding distance of land. During this excursion you will learn about navigating international boundaries, foreign flight operations, flight over ocean waters in tropical weather, and aeronautical decision making in a remote settings.

Caribbean Excursions: 6, 12, and 16-hour packages (excursions up to 300nm round-trip) SkyHoppers offers many private aerial excursions to choose from on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, each offering a fascinating view into the unique beauty, geography, and culture of the Dominican Republic. Located in the center of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is by far the most diverse island setting in the Caribbean, and is known for having the longest beaches, both the highest peaks and lowest elevations below sea level, the longest rivers, greatest diversity of ecosystems, and the oldest cities and buildings in the New World. The country's topography is generally rugged and mountainous to the west, while most of its eastern region is characterized by lowland plains and Karst topography. The island landscapes include endless palm-lined white sand beaches, extensive coral reefs, expansive savannas, limestone caverns, tropical rainforests, mangroves, and unique alpine and desert regions! Our Private Aerial Excursions include low-altitude flights into all of these areas allowing our clients to explore the exotic and secluded areas of the DR in a timely manner, all while experiencing the romance of tropical bush flying. Contact the Chief Pilot directly at 408-393-2502 to discuss the logistics of these excursions.

Additional details pertaining to all our excursions, including flight time accrual, cancellation, and refunds are as follows:

• SkyHoppers allows one adult guest to accompany you during each flight training excursion, or a second pilot to share the flight time with.
• SkyHoppers prices excursion hours according to 'Hobbs-time' which is based on every hour the aircraft engine is running. The hourly rate for additional flight time & instruction is $325 per hobbs-hour. This includes requests for a change in itinerary for any of these excursions, requests for additional time to earn tailwheel endorsement during an excursion, or in the event total purchased flight time is exceeded due to weather or unforeseen delays.
• After a flight training excursion begins, there are no refunds for flight time not used for any reason except in the event our pilot trainees become seriously ill, or if unforecast adverse weather interferes with complete utilization of the flight time purchased. Then the remaining flight hours can be refunded on a pro-rated basis. Any balance of hobbs-hours remaining upon completion of an excursion is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• SkyHoppers launches all flight training excursions out of Reid-Hillview airport (KRHV), located in San Jose, California.
• Airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, and ground transportation are not included in any of the SkyHoppers Aerial Adventures pricing.