Aviation News
Training aircraft on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at sunset after a student solo flight
What Happens On Your First Solo, Hour By Hour
Three circuits, about twenty minutes, and a shirt you should not be fond of. What the first solo actually involves, what it feels like, and why most people reach it between 15 and 25 hours.
Training aircraft on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport with the San Fernando Valley and dry summer hills in the background
Density Altitude At Van Nuys: When 802 Feet Flies Like 4,000
Van Nuys sits at 802 feet. On a 100°F September afternoon the airplane performs as though it were at 4,100. Here is the arithmetic, what the loss costs you in ground roll and climb, and when to book your lesson instead.
Flight instructor briefing a student at a table before a multi-engine checkride at LA Flight School in Van Nuys
The Multi-Engine Oral Exam: Questions Examiners Actually Ask
Plan on 45 to 90 minutes, and expect close to half of it on one number: Vmc. A question-by-question walk through the multi-engine add-on oral, with the Piper Seminole speeds you need cold and the 14 CFR sections examiners actually cite.
Piper Warrior training aircraft owned by LA Flight School parked on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport
Six Things To Check Before You Pay A Flight School Deposit
Six questions, asked at the airport before you hand over money, will tell you more about a flight school than a week of reading reviews. Here they are, with our own answers to each.
Prospective student discussing flight training payment plans at LA Flight School in Van Nuys
How To Pay For Flight Training: Every Option, Honestly Compared
Cash, financing from $2,500 down, in-house payment plans, employer sponsorship and VA benefits, compared without the sales gloss. The short version: the most expensive way to learn to fly is slowly.
Flight instructor and student pilot smiling in the cockpit of a single-engine trainer at Van Nuys
How Much Do Flight Instructors Make In Los Angeles?
A busy Los Angeles CFI logs roughly 700 to 900 flight hours a year, and almost all of it is paid by the hour rather than by the day. How the two pay structures work, why CFII and MEI change the maths, and what the two-year path to 1,500 hours really looks like.