Excellence in Flight Training Since 1994.
Come fly with us!
Located at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling (IL), we offer comprehensive training programs for aspiring pilots. At Chicago Executive Flight School (CEFS) we have trained students to become pilots since 1994. CEFS has truly stood above the rest, focusing 100% on quality, safety, and time so you can be assured you are receiving the best training available.
For more information, call us at 1-800-901-0730.
For more information, call us at 1-800-901-0730.
4.6
125 reviews
Please call 1-800-901-0730 or fill our our contact form below and someone will get in touch with you.
Reviews
Posted on Google
Nadeem Shad30 June 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
What can I say this place is awesome. They have a great staff and great setup. Adrain goes above and beyond his duties. Get you very comfortable and at ease in the plane. I would recommend this flight school to anyone trying to get a PPLPosted on Google
Danylo Mykytash27 June 2025From day one, the entire team made me feel welcome and supported. The school is extremely well organized, and you can tell they take safety and professionalism very seriously, while still making learning to fly a lot of fun. Tom McNeill is an outstanding instructor. He’s patient, knowledgeable, and has a great way of breaking down complex concepts into simple, easy-to-understand steps. Whether we were working on basic maneuvers, landings, or preparing for the checkride, he always took the time to answer my questions and made sure I felt confident before moving on. What I appreciated most is that Tom never made me feel rushed or intimidated. He genuinely cares about his students’ success and progress, and that comes through in every lesson. Thanks to his guidance, I’ve become a much more skilled and confident pilot than I ever thought possible. If you’re considering flight training, I highly recommend Chicago Executive Flight School. Ask for Tom—he’s one of the best instructors you could hope for.Posted on Google
Troy Chinnici13 July 2026Max was an incredible instructor. He gave us a great ride with tremendous views.Posted on Google
David DiBiase24 June 2025Adrian Rogers has gone above and beyond helping me with my ground training lessons for my Private Pilot quest. He has also helped me with my Piloting skill sets, and he makes sure your understanding and retaining the lesson at hand.Posted on Google
William Marshall127 June 2025I am a student pilot who has been working with TJ and so far it has been a tremendous experience. TJ is very patient with me when I am confused on certain material, but also gives me the freedom to let me learn and dive into the world of flying with a sense of individuality. This structure and style of teaching is essential for me to evolve as a pilot, and it is evident in my progress so far. I am excited to continue working with TJ. I am excited to become a better pilot everyday, and a significant fraction of this excitement is due to my CFI (certified flight instructor). TJ amplifies my ability to become better and makes flying more of a structured progression rather than a “lesson”. I am thankful for the whole flight school (Executive) and everything all instructors have done for me so far! They are all great, but it is essential for me to highlight the fabulous experience TJ has provided because he is whom I have worked with and will continue to advance with.Posted on Google
Maddy Ben-Yoseph17 June 2025Jakob is the BEST INSTRUCTOR EVER!!!!!!!! He is incredibly kind, reliable, patient, and dedicated. He always creates a calm and supportive environment that has made a huge difference in building my confidence as a pilot. His consistency, professionalism, and passion for aviation makes him someone you can trust and genuinely look forward to flying with. Jakob is always willing to go over lessons (both in the plane and on the ground), no matter how many times it takes. He constantly goes the extra mile by creating resources, diagrams, and customized study plans for his students, which has helped me stay organized and on track with training. During my first solo, Jakob made the day feel so special. You can tell how much joy he takes in seeing his students succeed during milestone moments like that. I can’t recommend Jakob highly enough. ⚡️ I also want to give a shout out to the amazing team at Chicago Executive Flight School. Every instructor is kind, approachable, and always ready to help. Scott is a fantastic operations VP who genuinely enjoys keeping up with student progress, and Dave is an outstanding safety officer, flying with him is always a joy.Posted on Google
JWinks 1430 June 2025as a high school student, being able to balance athletics, work, and flight lessons seemed daunting at first, but executive flight school made it easy to manage that balance. their scheduling is very flexible and have never had an issue finding a last-minute slot to add to my schedule. i’ve been flying with my instructor, Tom, since August 2024 and i feel i’ve learned a great deal from him. he’s friendly, easygoing, and never fails to make a lesson exciting while keeping it educational. he’s always ready to lend a helping hand and makes sure i practice not just to completion, but to consistency. the planes i flown (c150) have all been in great flying condition and i’ve never experienced issues flying these planes. if any issue were to ever arise, i feel well-prepared to manage said issue based on the material i’ve been taught. i recommend this school and my instructor!Posted on Google
billandr28 October 2025CFI: Ryan Horvath As a working parent over 50, I never expected flight training to become more than a hobby — but my experience with Ryan Horvath and Chicago Executive Flight School has truly transformed it into a lifelong passion. Ryan’s patience and passion for aviation are unmatched. He’s not just focused on checkrides or hours — he’s dedicated to building safe, confident pilots. He’s the only instructor who ever made me love ground school — something I never thought possible. Every lesson is structured to ensure understanding, safety, and steady growth — never rushed, never just “for the hours.” This flight school is not about the money — it’s about quality instruction and mentorship. If your only goal is to check the PPL box, sure, other schools may do. But if you want to become a safe, well-trained pilot for life, this is the place to be. I can’t recommend Ryan or CEFS highly enough. They’ve changed the way I fly — and why I fly.+5Posted on Google
Patrick Desamito23 July 2022First and foremost! Thank you Logan for such an amazing experience during our flight! It was so surreal, you were a great instructor, and I look forward to flying again! For those who want to try, you should!! Just don’t be deterred by the possibility of rescheduling a few times because this experience is very weather dependent. They want you to have a great time with clear skies so you can truly appreciate the view of the Chicago skyline! It’s so worth it!Posted on Google
Yaza Moe27 June 2025Amazing flight instructor! Ryan Horvath is patient, knowledgeable, and makes every lesson clear and enjoyable. Goes the extra mile to ensure I'm confident in my skills while behind the yolk. Highly recommend!Posted on Google
Illya Scherban15 June 2026I had a discovery flight on a Cessna 172 as a gift, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this amazing. What surprised me the most is that I was actually able to control the airplane myself for most of the flight. That feeling is just unbelievable. My instructor, Ryan Horvath, was fantastic. You can truly see his passion for flying and teaching. He explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable the entire time, even though my English is not perfect. I highly recommend this flight school to anyone. Even if you’ve never thought about flying before, you should try it at least once. The feeling of freedom and being in the sky is something you will never forget.+2Posted on Google
derrk radja12 October 2025After having some issues in the beginning of training, I switched my flight instructor to Tom. He brought the rating to five stars. With his guidance I was able to breeze through my check ride! Thanks Tom!Posted on Google
Jake S24 May 2026I did a discovery flight lesson with Dan and it was awesome! I’ve been interested in lessons for a long time, and it was the perfect intro. He does a great job of walking through everything in detail but also making it fun! He also made the time to go over any questions and explain anything I wanted to know more about. Now I can’t wait to sign up for some more! Definitely recommend booking an intro lesson with Dan if you’re considering it!!+0Posted on Google
Jolie Boyke28 June 2025ADRIAN ROGERS IS THE BEST FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR EVER!!! Adrian has been my instructor for almost two years, he soloed me, and he's going to sign me off for my checkride. Adrian always makes the lessons so much fun, and he never ceases to make me laugh or make a joke in the airplane. He takes flying and safety very seriously and although he does make learning to fly fun, it's always done with safety first. Adrian has made me a better student pilot by constantly pushing my limitations, such as flying in low ceilings and high winds. This I believe has made me a better, more competent pilot. The phrase, "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor" comes to mind, and he has definitely put that into practice, not just with me, but will all of his students! Thank you Adrian for everything you've taught me, experiences that you've given, and connections made!Posted on Google
B B7 May 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Do not believe them when they say your flight lesson will “NEVER” be cancelled due to weather. I’ve rescheduled 4 times now after driving an hour here because they refuse to call or communicate ahead of time. **Edit to respond: I’ve already done the ground training and it should be easily seen by your people when booking. There is zero reason why someone can’t call and tell me we can’t fly today vs waiting for me to drive an hour there. It’s inconsiderate of your customers time. Update: I Rescheduled and they called 2 hours before to inform me that we would fly. They listened to my feedback and I greatly appreciate that. I flew with Ryan and it was a blast, I then rescheduled another lesson with Ryan!Posted on Google
Alejandro Rodriguez31 August 2025Hello! I recently went on a total immersion flight and let me tell you, this has got to be one of the best experiences i’ve ever had. Caley was our Flight Instructor and not only is she really down to earth, but she does such a wonderful job explaining what is going on to someone who’s never flown before. TJ is also a great person to have! TJ helped with the ground portion of the flight and explained how clouds and all kinds of factors go into having a nice and safe flight. I will definitely have to come back. Again, thank you Caley for such an amazing flight and Tj as well!Posted on Google
Meghan O'Toole7 June 2025We had such a fun exploration flight with Caley! She is so knowledgeable and reassuring.+1Posted on Google
Ethan Yates1 July 2025Truman (Chiang) YuCheng is an outstanding flight instructor. He is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to everything aviation related and always has a way of making complicated topics seem much simpler. He is very kind, easy to talk to, and always patient when answering lots of questions. He has undoubtedly made learning how to fly both fun and enjoyable.Posted on Google
Keith Miller20 May 2019Chicago Executive Flight School is definitely a trusted source for Pilot training in my book. Jim and his instructors will go out of there way to make sure you get the training you are looking for.Posted on Google
Asha McCaughan30 June 2025Jakob Kjeldbjerg is an excellent instructor! He always makes sure his students are understanding concepts and having fun! ✈️🌎⭐️Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
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