Springfield Flying Service

Amazing people work here. I was visiting Yosemite and being a lover of aviation, I wanted to rent an airplane and do a bit of mountain flying for some amazing views. Being that I had no previous experience with the high density altitude of Yosemite flying or flying in valleys around mountains, an instructor was a must.
I did my due diligence and Columbia Airport seemed like one of the only places near to where I was staying that offered flying lessons. I called them and spoke to Chris. He was the chief flight instructor and owner of the school. We talked about 15 minutes regarding previous experiences, what I wanted to learn, get out of the lesson, etc and then scheduled the airplane. The school has a number of tailwheel airplanes, Cessna 172s, etc for rent. Prices range from about $ 108 to $ 140/​hr depending on the year, horsepower, etc of the airplane. I asked if a friend of mine could come along and shoot some photos in the back and the instructor had no problems with it.
Chris was an amazing instructor. I learned so much; from simple things on how to lean the mixture out to the appropriate density altitude before take off when above 5,000ft, to the correct ways of approaching valleys. He even taught me to approach valleys in the shade so that I can turn around in the sun and ride the thermals if things get hairy. We flew and landed in Lake Tahoe and a few other airports before heading back. Chris was very knowledgeable and you feel very safe with him.
I wouldn’t hesitate to get further instruction from these guys if I lived in the area.