Train In The Airplane You'll Actually Go On To Fly.

A conventional turbocharger pushes manifold pressure above sea-level values to produce extra power, which adds heat and stress. A turbonormalized system instead maintains sea-level manifold pressure as you climb — so the engine makes its rated 310 horsepower all the way to FL250 (25,000 feet) instead of losing performance with altitude. Practically, it means the airplane climbs over terrain and weather rather than negotiating with them, and still cruises at 215 knots.

$1,799 for the complete program — 5 hours total: 3 hours of flight training in the SR22 Turbo, 1 hour on our Redbird full-motion simulator, and 1 hour of classroom ground instruction. On satisfactory completion your instructor signs the FAR 61.31(f) endorsement in your logbook, and it never expires.

FAR 61.31(f) requires a one-time logbook endorsement before you may act as pilot in command of an airplane with an engine of more than 200 horsepower. The SR22 Turbo has 310, so the endorsement is mandatory. You can still fly the airplane with one of our instructors before you hold it — that's exactly what the three flight hours in this program are.

CAPS is the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System — a rocket-deployed parachute that lowers the entire airplane, not the occupants individually. We treat it as a trained decision skill, not a feature: which scenarios call for it, the altitude and airspeed envelope in which it works, and the mental habit of deciding before you're in the situation. Pilots who have rehearsed the decision act on it; pilots who haven't tend to hesitate, and hesitation is the actual risk.

The Garmin Perspective glass flight deck — primary flight display, multifunction display, integrated autopilot and flight-management logic. It's the same family of thinking you'll meet in turbine and light-jet cockpits, which is a large part of why training in this airplane pays off later. We drill flight-plan entry, vertical navigation, autopilot modes and display-failure reversion on the Redbird before doing them at 215 knots.

You buy it as a programme, not by the hour. The Premium Private Pilot Program is $22,500 and is flown start to finish in N422SN — 38 aircraft hours, 30 hours of dual, 2 hours in the Redbird, 40 hours logged. If you already hold a certificate, the High-Performance Endorsement is $1,799 for 5 hours complete. Fuel is included in both, and the number does not move once you enroll.

Yes — the Luxury Discovery Flight is $399. You'll sit in the left seat of N422SN with a Cirrus instructor, hands on the side-yoke, and fly the airplane yourself over Los Angeles. No experience or certificate required, and if you enrol within 24 hours, 100% of it credits toward your training. Book a discovery flight →

Our $11,700 Instrument Rating course is flown in the Piper Warrior, Piper Arrow and Diamond DA20, with a Cirrus SR22 Turbo upgrade available for an additional charge. If you own a Cirrus or intend to buy one, doing the rating in the airplane you'll actually fly IFR is worth every dollar of the upgrade. See the IFR course →

It cruises at roughly 215 knots — about 247 mph — which is around 50 knots quicker than our twin and 80 knots quicker than the Arrow. Los Angeles to San Francisco, Las Vegas or Phoenix stop being expeditions. Combined with the FL250 ceiling, you fly over the Sierras and most Southern California weather rather than around them.

One — N422SN, an SR22 Turbo, maintained in-house at Van Nuys Airport alongside the rest of our 12-aircraft, six-type fleet. Because it's a single airplane in high demand for both training and discovery flights, we recommend booking Cirrus time a few days ahead.

Los Angeles Flight School operates from Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) — 7900 Balboa Blvd. Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406. We're open 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week, and we serve Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, Canoga Park and the greater Los Angeles area. Call (818) 290-8249.