Palo Alto Airport · KPAO · Alex Fagan, CFI / CFII

Fly the Bay
from the Left Seat

A Bay Area native and lifelong aviator, Alex Fagan offers guided flight experiences over San Francisco Bay — the Golden Gate, the skyline, the bridges. You're not a passenger. You're at the controls.

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Alex Fagan, CFI/CFII, in the cockpit of N8877E
Your Instructor

Alex Fagan
CFI · CFII

  • FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
  • FAA Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFII)
  • Flying since age 14 — Bay Area native
  • 500+ hours of dual instruction given
  • 100% first-attempt checkride pass rate — students & personal
  • Aircraft Owner — Piper Cherokee 180, N8877E
  • Based at Palo Alto Airport (KPAO)
  • Bay Area airspace expert — KSFO, KSJC, KOAK Class B/C
Palo Alto Airport (KPAO), Palo Alto, CA

Alex Fagan grew up in the Bay Area and fell in love with flying at fourteen years old. He's spent the decades since building a deep familiarity with Northern California's skies — the marine layer that rolls in over the coast, the bustling airspace around SFO and Oakland, and the routes that show this region at its absolute best.

With over 500 hours of instruction given and a perfect record across every student checkride he's prepared for, Alex brings a calm, unhurried teaching style that makes first-timers feel at ease and experienced pilots sharpen their skills. Not a single one of his students has failed a checkride — and neither has he.

As both a CFI and CFII, Alex can guide you from your very first time in a cockpit all the way through an instrument rating, all in the same airplane with the same instructor who knows your progress. No rental pool lineups, no strangers in the right seat — just consistent, personal instruction in an airplane he knows intimately.

Whether you're here for a once-in-a-lifetime Bay tour or working toward a certificate, you'll fly with someone who genuinely loves this place and loves teaching people to see it from the air.

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Signature Experience

San Francisco Bay
Aerial Tours

There is no better view than 2,500 feet over San Francisco Bay at golden hour. These flights are designed for anyone who wants to truly fly — not just sit in the back and look out the window. You'll take the controls, feel the airplane respond, and navigate some of the most stunning scenery on earth.

No experience necessary. Alex flies alongside you for the entire flight, handling anything you're not comfortable with, talking you through the rest. Whether you want to try your hand at the controls the whole time or just for a few minutes over the Bay, it's entirely up to you.

These experiences depart from Palo Alto Airport (KPAO), just minutes from downtown Palo Alto, and fly north over the South Bay toward San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city skyline — then back home. About an hour of pure Bay Area from the air.

How it works: All flights are conducted as paid flight instruction — Alex holds FAA Certified Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor certificates and flies with every customer from the right seat. This is the same structure used for all flight training in the U.S., and it means you receive a genuine aviation experience with a qualified instructor at your side the entire time.

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The Aircraft

Piper Cherokee 180

N8877E Piper Cherokee 180 on the ramp at KPAO
N8877E Dynon SkyView HDX panel — glass cockpit avionics

The Piper Cherokee 180 is one of aviation's most forgiving and honest trainers — docile handling, a wide cabin, and no vices. She's been fully modernized with a glass cockpit suite that exceeds what you'll find in most rental fleets.

🛰️
Primary Flight Display
Dynon SkyView HDX
Full EFIS with synthetic vision, ADS-B in/out, traffic & weather
📡
Nav / Comm
Garmin GTN 650
WAAS GPS, ILS/VOR, full IFR approach capability
✈️
Airframe
PA-28-180
Low wing, fixed gear, wide 4-seat cabin
⚙️
Engine
Lycoming O-360
180 hp, 4-cylinder, proven powerplant
📍
Home Base
KPAO — Palo Alto
Easy access, no commercial traffic, great Bay views on departure
🌫️
IFR Equipped
Full IFR Panel
GTN 650 + SkyView HDX — ready for Bay Area marine layer
What I Offer

Flight Instruction Services

01
Bay Scenic Tour Flights
The signature experience — fly over San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the SF skyline with Alex at your side. No experience needed. You take the controls as much or as little as you'd like.
Most Popular
02
Private Pilot Training
Full primary training from zero time through checkride. We'll use the Bay Area's unique airspace as your classroom — the best possible environment to build situational awareness.
FAR Part 61 LEARN MORE →
03
Instrument Rating
CFII instruction for the instrument rating. The GTN 650 and Dynon SkyView HDX make the Cherokee 180 an exceptional IFR trainer — WAAS approaches, holds, airway navigation.
CFII · GTN 650
04
Instrument Proficiency Check
IPC for instrument-rated pilots. Stay current, stay sharp. The Bay Area's real-world marine layer provides genuine IMC training opportunities year-round.
IPC · Currency
05
Flight Reviews (BFR)
Biennial Flight Reviews for any certificated pilot. We'll cover the regulatory ground review and a satisfying flight that goes far beyond the bare minimum.
FAR 61.56
06
Glass Cockpit Transition
Transitioning from steam gauges to glass? The Dynon SkyView HDX is an ideal training platform. Get comfortable with EFIS, synthetic vision, and integrated avionics.
Dynon SkyView HDX
Transparent Pricing

What Does It Cost?

Bay Tour Experiences
Most Popular
Aerial view of San Francisco Bay
Bay Tour
Golden Gate Intro Flight
$269
~1 hour flight time
The perfect introduction to flying over the Bay. You'll take the controls on a guided flight over San Francisco Bay, past the Golden Gate Bridge and SF skyline, with Alex alongside you the whole way. No experience needed — just show up. Includes 1 hour of ground instruction — a pre-flight briefing covering what you'll see, how the airplane works, and what to expect in the air.
+$30 for one additional passenger in the back seat.
Combined passenger weight limit: 450 lbs.
Departs KPAO, Palo Alto.
or submit a booking request →
Golden Gate Bridge from above
Bay Tour
Extended Bay Tour
$349
~1.5 hours flight time
More time in the air, more Bay to explore. This extended tour gives you the full picture — the South Bay salt ponds, downtown SF, the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate, and Marin — at a relaxed pace with no rush to get back. Includes 1 hour of ground instruction — a pre-flight briefing so you arrive at the airplane ready to fly, not just ready to watch.
+$30 for one additional passenger in the back seat.
Combined passenger weight limit: 450 lbs.
Departs KPAO, Palo Alto.
or submit a booking request →
Student flying with Golden Gate in view
Flight Training
Flight Instruction
$165/hr
Aircraft — wet Hobbs rate
$80/hr
Instruction — CFI or CFII
Working toward a Private Pilot certificate, Instrument Rating, BFR, or IPC? Standard hourly rates apply. Contact Alex to discuss your goals and build a plan.
Billed per Hobbs hour. Ground instruction billed at instructor rate only.
Inquire About Training or submit a booking request →
Payment accepted via 💚 Zelle 💜 Venmo 💵 Cash

Payment is due at time of flight. Bay Tour bookings are confirmed upon receipt of payment. Cancellations within 24 hours of scheduled flight time may be subject to a $50 fee at Alex's discretion. Weather cancellations are always rescheduled at no charge.

Get In Touch

Ready to Fly?

Questions, availability, or want to talk through your goals before booking — reach out directly. Alex typically responds within a few hours.

(650) 380-3397 alexfagancfi@gmail.com