Aviation News
The Downtown Los Angeles towers seen close up over the wing of a Cirrus circling the city
How To Get A Weather Briefing: What Student Pilots In Los Angeles Need To Know
What a legal weather briefing is, where it comes from, what a standard briefing contains, and the three Los Angeles weather patterns that decide whether a lesson flies.
The Downtown Los Angeles towers seen close up over the wing of a Cirrus circling the city
Night Flying In Los Angeles: What The 61.109 Night Requirements Look Like From Van Nuys
Three hours, a 100-mile cross-country and ten full-stop landings. What the FAA night requirements look like when you fly them out of Van Nuys, and what the city lights do to your eyes.
The nose and three-blade propeller of a Cirrus SR22 Turbo in the LA Flight School hangar at Van Nuys
Santa Ana Winds And Flight Training: What Changes At Van Nuys When The Wind Turns Around
Every autumn the wind at Van Nuys turns around. Here is what a Santa Ana does to the runway, the pattern, the turbulence and the go/no-go decision, and why it is the best crosswind classroom a Los Angeles student gets.
A white Cessna 162 Skycatcher training airplane, registration N3037T, banking in flight over open land and neighborhoods
Your First Cross-Country From Van Nuys: Where Student Pilots Actually Go
What FAR 61.109 actually requires, which airports Van Nuys students really fly to — Camarillo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Bakersfield, Big Bear — and what each one teaches. With the distances.
Downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers over the wing of a small airplane on a discovery flight, mountains on the horizon
Flying Under The LAX Bravo: The Special Flight Rules Area, Explained For Student Pilots
How VFR aircraft cross the top of LAX without a clearance: the altitudes, the squawk, the frequency and the discipline the corridor demands, and why training under the Bravo at Van Nuys is an advantage rather than a handicap.
The Downtown Los Angeles skyline seen over the wing of a small airplane on a clear day, with the San Gabriel Mountains behind
Why June Mornings Scrub Flight Lessons In Los Angeles
In June at Van Nuys, only 40% of 7am observations met flight training minima — but 97 to 100% did from 1pm. Original research on the marine layer, why inland beats coastal, and what to do about it.
A blue and white Cirrus SR22 with its doors open on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at sunset
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.
A blue and white Cirrus SR22 with its doors open on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at sunset
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.
Two people in headsets smiling in the cockpit of a white high-wing airplane, seen through the windshield
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.
A white and gold Piper Warrior training airplane in flight above the clouds under a blue sky
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.