SAFETY FIRST
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
Zero Time To Airline Ready · Glendale
Airline Pilot Program For Glendale, From Van Nuys
The airline program takes someone with no flight time to a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, multi-engine privileges and a flight instructor certificate.
2,000+Discovery flights flown safely
5.0★Our Google rating, 100+ reviews
25 minFrom Glendale to the flight line
9AM–9PMSeven days a week at KVNY
Airline Pilot Program · Glendale, Los Angeles County
A Career Decision, Priced In Full
The Airline Pilot Program is $89,000 and runs from zero flight time to a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, multi-engine privileges and a flight instructor certificate. That is the whole ladder in one number rather than five separate decisions made eighteen months apart. It is a large sum and we would rather you look at it directly than be walked toward it. The free consultation at Suite 108A exists for exactly that conversation.
A lot of the Glendale people who ask about this are changing careers rather than starting one. Claims and underwriting work downtown, hospital and clinical roles, project and production jobs on the studio side, second generation professionals in families where the first degree was somebody else's plan. The comparison most of them are actually making is not against another flight school. It is against a two year graduate program, which costs more and leads somewhere less specific.
Being twenty-five minutes from Van Nuys matters more here than on any other program. Full time training means flying most days, not most weeks, and a full time student from Glendale is on the 134 five mornings out of seven. Doing this out of a school two hours away, or moving to Arizona for a year, is a real cost people forget to count. You can run this program and still sleep in your own house.
How It Works
The Ladder, Rung By Rung — Start To Certificate
Five certificates and ratings, flown in order, each one opening the door to the next.
1
Private Pilot Certificate
The foundation, and roughly the first quarter of the program. Airwork, solo, cross country, night, the knowledge test and a checkride with an FAA examiner. Bought on its own the standard private program is $10,900, which is useful context for what the $89,000 is buying. You come out of this stage able to carry passengers in daylight and good weather.
2
Instrument Rating
Flying in cloud and low visibility on published procedures alone, holds, approaches, and the discipline that goes with them. Priced separately at $11,700 and included here. A large share of the work is done in the Redbird MCX full motion simulator, which is both cheaper per hour and better for procedural repetition than the airplane. This is the stage that changes how you think.
3
Commercial Certificate
Tighter tolerances, commercial maneuvers, complex aircraft time in the Piper Arrow II, and the flight hours that go with the certificate. This is where the license stops being recreational and becomes something you can legally be paid to exercise. It is also where most people notice how much better they have become without having noticed it happening.
4
Multi-Engine Rating
Flown in the Piper Seminole. Asymmetric thrust, Vmc demonstrations, feathering, single-engine approaches and the performance arithmetic behind all of it. Sold as a standalone add-on it is $5,100. It is short in hours and it is the rating that makes a resume readable to an airline, so it is not the place to cut corners.
5
Flight Instructor And Time Building
You finish with a flight instructor certificate, which is how most professional pilots build toward the hours the airlines require. Teaching also forces you to genuinely understand the material rather than merely pass on it. From there it is time building, applications, and the regional airline hiring process, which we will talk through honestly with you when you get to it.
Transparent Pricing
Airline Pilot Program Pricing For Glendale Students
Every figure below is the real, published price. No "call for a quote," no hidden block-time minimums.
Complete Career Track
Zero To Airline Ready
Everything from your first lesson to the flight hours and ratings an airline wants to see. One program, one price.
$89,000complete
- ✓Private Pilot Certificate
- ✓Instrument Rating
- ✓Commercial Pilot Certificate
- ✓Multi-Engine Rating
- ✓Time-building toward ATP minimums
- ✓Financing available through Stratus
Or Build It Stage By Stage
Prefer to pay as you progress? The same ratings, priced individually.
$10,900stage one
- ✓Private Pilot — $10,900
- ✓Instrument Rating — $11,700
- ✓Multi-Engine Rating — $5,100
- ✓Commercial & time-building quoted on your hours
Start With One Hour
Before committing to a career, find out whether you love the flying.
$229discovery flight
- ✓You fly it yourself, hands-on
- ✓Loggable toward the program
- ✓100% credited if you enroll in 24 hrs
$89,000 is a career investment, not a hobby purchase — and it is why we publish it openly. Financing is available through Stratus Financial and in-house payment plans, and a free in-person consultation at Van Nuys will map the whole timeline against your budget before you commit a dollar.
Getting Here From Glendale
25 Minutes And 16 Miles From Glendale
Glendale to 7900 Balboa Blvd is the 134 west, past Burbank and the studio lots, then north where the 134 joins the 170 and off at Victory Boulevard or Sherman Way, west across the Valley to Balboa and north to the airport fence. Sixteen miles, about twenty-five minutes. Parking is free in the lot outside Suite 108A, which stops mattering after week two and matters a lot in week one.
For a full time student the honest version is this: leaving Glendale before eight in the morning is a clean run, leaving at nine is not, and coming home eastbound on the 134 between four and seven is the worst part of the day. Most people on this program end up flying early and doing ground work later, which suits both the traffic and the air. Summer afternoons over the Valley get hot and bumpy, and mornings are smooth. We are open 9 AM to 9 PM seven days a week, so the schedule can be built around the pattern that works for you.
Book A Discovery Flight
Book Your Discovery Flight From Glendale
Pick your aircraft, pick a date and time, and you are on the schedule. You fly the airplane yourself with an FAA-certified instructor beside you — and every flight is 100% credited toward training if you enroll within 24 hours.
No Weather Cancellations
Redbird Simulator
$189
1 hour
Full-motion simulator with an instructor. No weight limit, no medical needed.
Reserve →
Most Popular
Discovery Flight For One
$229
60 minutes
You in the pilot's seat over Los Angeles, hands on the controls the whole way.
Book Now →
Most Gifted
Discovery Flight For Two
$299
60 minutes
One of you flies hands-on, the other takes in the skyline. Share the story.
Book Now →
The Showstopper
Luxury Discovery Flight
$499
60 minutes
Premium Cirrus SR22 glass cockpit and extended air time over the LA basin.
Book Now →
The Pro Move
Multi-Engine Discovery
$499
60 minutes
Twin-engine Piper Seminole and a genuine look at the professional path.
Book Now →
The Aircraft You'll Fly
Aircraft Across The Whole Program
You start in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher or the Piper Warrior at $269 an hour and the Diamond DA20 at $329. Complex time is flown in the Piper Arrow II at $349, which has a constant speed propeller and retractable gear, and the multi-engine work is done in the Piper Seminole at $649. The Cirrus SR22 Turbo, also $649, is a fast glass cockpit single that is useful for building real cross country experience.
The Redbird MCX full motion simulator carries a serious share of the instrument and emergency training. Procedures that would cost a Hobbs hour and a fuel bill get repeated until they are automatic, then flown in the airplane. It is also where you can practice an engine failure or a full approach to minimums honestly, which is a thing you cannot safely do often in a real aircraft over a city.
What You'll See From The Air
The Airspace You Will Learn To Work In
Los Angeles is a demanding place to train, and that is the point.
🛫
Hollywood Burbank Airport
The Class C shelf sitting directly between Van Nuys and Glendale, with airline traffic on approach below you. You will be talking to its controllers routinely, which is exactly the habit that makes a first airline job less of a shock.
🏢
Downtown Glendale's Office Towers
The cluster of mid rise buildings along Brand and Central stands up sharply off an otherwise low skyline. For a lot of career changers on this program, it is a view of the desk they are leaving.
🛣️
The 134 Corridor
The freeway you drove in on, running from the Glendale interchange west past Burbank. Seeing your own commute as one thin line takes a couple of flights to stop being funny.
🌃
The Valley And The Basin After Dark
The required night flying is done over one of the largest continuous grids of light in the world, with the Verdugos and the San Gabriels sitting as solid black blocks in the middle of it. It is the clearest lesson in terrain awareness anyone gets.
Questions From Glendale
Airline Pilot Program FAQ
It runs from zero flight time to a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, multi-engine privileges and a flight instructor certificate. For comparison, the standard private pilot program alone is $10,900, the instrument rating is $11,700 and the multi-engine add-on is $5,100 when bought separately. The consultation at Suite 108A goes through exactly what is and is not included before anyone signs anything.
Through Stratus Financial, or through an in house payment plan, or a combination of the two. Most people do not write a single check for this. Bring your actual numbers to the consultation, including what you currently earn and what you would be giving up by going full time, because the sensible version of this decision is a cash flow question rather than a sticker price one.
Some people do. Part time takes considerably longer and costs a little more, because currency has to be rebuilt after every gap. If you are staying employed downtown or at one of the hospitals, the practical pattern is early mornings before work plus a full weekend day. We are open 9 AM to 9 PM seven days a week, which is what makes that pattern possible at all.
No, and be wary of anyone who does. We can take you to the certificates and ratings the airlines require, and to a flight instructor certificate so you can build hours toward their minimums. Hiring depends on the industry cycle at the time you finish, on your record and on your interview. We will give you our honest read of the market when you ask.
You need to be able to read, speak and understand English, and you should get a first class FAA medical before spending anything substantial, not a third class. If there is a medical problem, it is far better to find it in the first week than in the second year. You do not need a college degree or any prior flight time.
Book It Or Gift It
Fly It Yourself, Or Give The Flight To Someone Else
Every discovery flight below can be booked for yourself in the next few minutes, or bought as a gift certificate that is emailed within minutes and never expires. Same flight, same price, either way.
Most Given
Two Seats
The Nice One
Twin Engine
Discovery Flight For One
One person, one instructor, and no audience. Hands on the controls from the left seat, briefed before you go and debriefed after you land.
Hands-On Stick TimePre-Flight BriefingLoggable Flight Time
Flight Length
$229Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Discovery Flight For Two
The same flight with a passenger in the back seat, briefed and on the intercom. Couples book it; so do parents who would rather watch than hear about it.
One Passenger SeatPiper Warrior Or ArcherHeadsets For Both
Flight Length
$299Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Luxury Discovery Flight
The nicest airplane we put a first-time flyer in. Glass cockpit, air conditioning, leather seats, and a parachute built into the airframe rather than strapped to the person.
Turbocharged Cirrus SR22Air ConditioningWhole-Airframe Parachute
Flight Length
Bring A PassengerInstructor + 2 is our maximum+$100
$499Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Multi-Engine Seminole
Two engines, and the airplane instrument-rated pilots move into when they start thinking about a career. Flown from the left seat with a multi-engine instructor.
Piper Seminole TwinMulti-Engine DepartureCareer-Track Instructor
Flight Length
$499Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Gift It issues a real gift certificate, emailed within minutes, which never expires and credits in full toward training. Flights are limited to 180 lb per person, 370 lb combined. Questions: (818) 290-8249, 9 AM–9 PM, seven days.
Courses & Pricing
The Rest Of What We Teach
★★★★★
5.0 Rating
100+ Google Reviews
Course prices are packages, not hourly rates - the aircraft, your instructor, ground school and simulator time are all in the figure. Van Nuys Airport, KVNY. Financing Available Through Stratus & In-House Plans.
01
Teen Flight Training Ages 10–15
Starting before it is legal to solo.
$4,200
02
Solo Certificate
Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone.
$5,500
03
Sport Pilot
A real certificate, fewer hours, narrower privileges.
$8,400
04
Comprehensive Private Pilot
Private with flight time, ground instruction and materials bundled.
$15,900
05
Premium Private Pilot
The most flight time before your checkride - 80 logged hours.
$22,500
All Prices In USD. 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406 · Open 9 AM–9 PM, Seven Days. Free In-Person Tour Of The School
Loved On Google
Over 100 Reviews. 5.0 Stars.
Every review below is real and shown verbatim, in the reviewer’s own words — written by the people who learned to fly here, not by us.
SAFETY FIRST
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I recently had the chance to take my first-ever discovery flight, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment I stepped into the cockpit, the...
SUNSET CIRRUS
★★★★★
It was a great flight! I did a sunset flight and Alex let us fly an awesome. Website was easy to book, and the plane itself was really fun to fly...
FLYING LESSON
★★★★★
We had a great flying lesson with Ralph and came away with a much better understanding of both the aircraft and the principles of flight. Ralph is a...
KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I got 2 luxury discovery flights for my kids. I wanted them to have the experience of flying. Our instructor Alex was amazing he made sure they feel...
HONEYMOON SURPRISE
★★★★★
Last minute booking to surprise my wife on our honeymoon. She had no experience with flying and was scared of flying, but Alex was very easygoing and knew...
FULL-MOTION SIM
★★★★★
Amazing flight school in van nuys airport. I have been a student here for the past few months and i could not be happier. I started doing a lot of...
DISCOVERY FOR TWO
★★★★★
I booked a Discovery Flight for Two for my girlfriend's birthday and it was the perfect gift for her. She couldn't have been more excited to get to...
SIMULATORS
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
TEEN FIRST LESSON
★★★★★
We gifted our teenage son his first flying lesson. He was so excited! Alex greeted us and gave a reassuring brief that made us all feel comfortable and at...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Flying is my husband's hobby and I was incredibly anxious and apprehensive about the discovery flight. However, I felt completely safe and at ease once we...
SAFETY FIRST
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I recently had the chance to take my first-ever discovery flight, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment I stepped into the cockpit, the...
SUNSET CIRRUS
★★★★★
It was a great flight! I did a sunset flight and Alex let us fly an awesome. Website was easy to book, and the plane itself was really fun to fly...
FLYING LESSON
★★★★★
We had a great flying lesson with Ralph and came away with a much better understanding of both the aircraft and the principles of flight. Ralph is a...
KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I got 2 luxury discovery flights for my kids. I wanted them to have the experience of flying. Our instructor Alex was amazing he made sure they feel...
HONEYMOON SURPRISE
★★★★★
Last minute booking to surprise my wife on our honeymoon. She had no experience with flying and was scared of flying, but Alex was very easygoing and knew...
FULL-MOTION SIM
★★★★★
Amazing flight school in van nuys airport. I have been a student here for the past few months and i could not be happier. I started doing a lot of...
DISCOVERY FOR TWO
★★★★★
I booked a Discovery Flight for Two for my girlfriend's birthday and it was the perfect gift for her. She couldn't have been more excited to get to...
SIMULATORS
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
TEEN FIRST LESSON
★★★★★
We gifted our teenage son his first flying lesson. He was so excited! Alex greeted us and gave a reassuring brief that made us all feel comfortable and at...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Flying is my husband's hobby and I was incredibly anxious and apprehensive about the discovery flight. However, I felt completely safe and at ease once we...
See Discovery Flight Details — $229
Reviews shown verbatim, exactly as each reviewer published them.
Talk To A Real Instructor
Train For The Airlines, 25 Minutes From Glendale
This is a decision worth making slowly and with real numbers in front of you, and we would rather spend an hour on that than sell you a dream from twenty-five minutes down the 134. Call (818) 290-8249 or come to 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, and bring your questions about the money first.
Or Send Us A Message And We'll Come Back To You The Same Day →Airline Pilot Program
$89,000
Zero Time To Airline Ready
Book A Discovery Flight
Full Airline Pilot Program Details