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.
Hands-On Introductory Flight · Encino
Discovery Flights For Encino, Flown From Van Nuys
A discovery flight is an hour with you at the controls, taking off four miles from Encino and turning south over your own neighborhood before you land.
2,000+Discovery flights flown safely
5.0★Our Google rating, 100+ reviews
10 minFrom Encino to the flight line
9AM–9PMSeven days a week at KVNY
Discovery Flight · Encino, Los Angeles County
An Hour In The Air, Ten Minutes From Ventura Blvd
People in Encino have watched airplanes climb out of Van Nuys their whole lives. If you live anywhere near Balboa or White Oak, one goes over the roof every few minutes on a busy afternoon. A discovery flight is the version where you are the one flying it. You take the left seat, an instructor takes the right, and your hands are on the controls for most of the hour.
The route from Van Nuys toward Encino is short and unusually good. You lift off heading south, cross the Sepulveda Basin at around a thousand feet, and Encino is underneath you almost immediately. From there most people want to find their own street first, then follow Ventura Boulevard, then climb for the reservoir and the ridge above the Encino Hills. On a clear day you can carry on over the mountains to the coast at Malibu.
It is $229 for sixty minutes for one person, $299 for ninety and $399 for two hours. For two people the same durations are $299, $399 and $499. The Cirrus SR22 Turbo with the glass cockpit is $499 for an hour with two of you aboard. All of it is loggable time, and if you decide to keep going and enroll within twenty-four hours, the full cost comes off your training.
How It Works
What Happens On The Day — Start To Certificate
Plan on about two hours at the airport in total, most of which you spend flying.
1
Arrive At Suite 108A
Come to 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, ten minutes up the road from Encino. Park free in the lot immediately outside. Get there fifteen minutes early, bring a photo ID, and wear sunglasses if you have them. There is very little paperwork and none of it takes long.
2
Preflight Walkaround
Your instructor walks you around the airplane and shows you what they are checking and why. Fuel, oil, control surfaces, tires, the pitot tube. It takes about fifteen minutes and it is the part people remember, because it is the moment the whole thing stops being abstract.
3
Taxi, Run-Up And Takeoff
You will hear the tower on the headset and you will taxi the airplane yourself with the rudder pedals, which is stranger than it sounds. After the run-up your instructor lines up on runway 16 and takes off while you follow through on the controls. Van Nuys has a long runway and a lot of traffic, both good things to see early.
4
Your Hour Over Encino
Once clear of the pattern the airplane is yours. Turns, climbs, descents, holding a heading and an altitude, all with an instructor beside you. We will fly wherever you want within reason. Most Encino passengers ask for their own house first, then the Sepulveda Basin, then the mountains to the south.
5
Landing And Logbook
The instructor handles the landing while you follow through again. Afterwards the flight gets logged, and that time counts toward a certificate if you ever decide to pursue one. If you want to enroll, we credit 100% of what you paid today against the cost of training, provided you do it within twenty-four hours.
Transparent Pricing
Discovery Flight Pricing For Encino Students
Every figure below is the real, published price. No "call for a quote," no hidden block-time minimums.
Redbird Simulator
Full-motion simulator with an instructor. Never weather-canceled.
$1891 hour
- ✓Full-motion Redbird, hands on
- ✓No weight limit, no medical
- ✓Pause and repeat as you like
Most Popular
Discovery Flight For One
You in the pilot's seat, instructor beside you, LA underneath.
$22960 min
- ✓You fly the airplane, hands-on
- ✓Loggable time toward your license
- ✓90 min $299 · 120 min $399
- ✓100% credited if you enroll in 24 hrs
Discovery Flight For Two
One flies, one rides along. The most-gifted flight we offer.
$29960 min
- ✓Bring a partner, friend or parent
- ✓90 min $399 · 120 min $499
- ✓Gift certificates available
Luxury Discovery Flight
Premium Cirrus SR22 glass cockpit. The anniversary flight.
$49960 min
- ✓Cirrus SR22 Turbo, glass cockpit
- ✓90 min $699 · 120 min $949
- ✓Add a passenger +$100
Multi-Engine Discovery
Twin-engine Piper Seminole. A real taste of the professional path.
$49960 min
- ✓Twin-engine Piper Seminole
- ✓Real multi-engine fundamentals
- ✓90 min $699 · 120 min $899
Every discovery flight is 100% credited toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours. For a Encino student going on to the $10,900 private pilot program, that makes the first flight effectively free.
Getting Here From Encino
10 Minutes And 4 Miles From Encino
The drive is Balboa Boulevard the whole way. From Ventura Boulevard head north, over the 101, past Burbank Boulevard, and you are into the Sepulveda Basin with Lake Balboa on your right and the Encino golf course on your left. Keep going through Victory, Vanowen, Sherman Way and Saticoy, and the airport is on the right at 7900 Balboa Blvd. Four miles, about ten minutes.
Two practical notes. Ventura Boulevard backs up badly between 4 and 6 pm, so for an evening slot cross the Valley on Burbank Boulevard and come north from there instead. And parking at the hangar is free in a lot directly outside the door, so nobody has to circle the block while you check in. Bring whoever is coming to watch, there is room to wait.
Book A Discovery Flight
Book Your Discovery Flight From Encino
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
Which Airplane To Fly
Most first flights happen in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, the Diamond DA20 or the Piper Warrior. The Diamond is the one with the bubble canopy and it is the best choice if the view is the reason you are here. The Warrior seats four, which matters if you want somebody in the back rather than waiting on the ground.
If you want more, the Cirrus SR22 Turbo is the luxury option at $499 for an hour with two of you aboard, with a full glass panel, leather seats and a whole-airframe parachute system. The Piper Seminole twin is $499 for an hour and worth doing if two engines is the thing that appeals. There is also a Redbird MCX full-motion simulator session at $189 an hour, a good option on a marginal weather day.
What You'll See From The Air
Four Things You Will Pick Out From The Air
None of these look the way you expect them to look from the ground.
🌸
The Japanese Garden At Tillman
SuihoEn sits beside the water reclamation plant in the Sepulveda Basin. From the air it is a precise little rectangle of ponds and paths dropped into the middle of a floodplain, and it is unmistakable.
🏡
Los Encinos State Historic Park
The old adobe and its spring-fed pond just off Ventura Boulevard, the original reason there is a town here at all. From above it is a green square sitting in the middle of the boulevard.
⛰️
Encino Hills And Mulholland Drive
South of Ventura the ground rises hard into the Santa Monica Mountains. At 2,500 feet you can follow Mulholland along the ridge and see the Valley and the Westside at the same time.
⛳
The Encino And Balboa Golf Courses
Two full courses laid out inside the flood basin between Encino and the airport. Green, open and much larger than they feel from Balboa Boulevard. Usually the first proper landmark after takeoff.
The Route You Fly
Your Discovery Flight Route Over Los Angeles
About an hour from Van Nuys Airport: Universal Studios, the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory and a full circle around Downtown LA, then west just north of SoFi Stadium and LAX to the coast, from Venice Beach up to Malibu. Your instructor takes off and lands. You fly 50–80% of it.
- About 1 Hour From Van Nuys
- You Fly 50–80%
- From $229 All-In
- No Experience Needed
Stop 01 Of 11Van Nuys Airport
Loading The Map
You’re FlyingInstructor: Takeoff & LandingWe Stay North Of LAX & SoFi
The San Fernando Valley Over The Wing 01Instructor Takeoff
Van Nuys Airport
Wheels Up From Van Nuys
Your instructor takes off from one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world and talks you through every step. Once you are clear of the field, the controls are yours.
Universal Studios Hollywood From The Air 02You’re Flying
Universal Studios
The Backlot From Above
The studio lots turn out to be far bigger than they look on TV, with the soundstages lined up like a small town.
The Hollywood Sign On Mount Lee 03You’re Flying
Hollywood Sign
Nine Letters On Mount Lee
The most famous sign in the world, seen from where almost nobody gets to see it: level with the hilltop.
Griffith Observatory From The Air 04You’re Flying
Griffith Observatory
The Domes On The Ridge
The white domes of Griffith Observatory on the slope of Mount Hollywood, with the whole Los Angeles basin laid out beyond them.
Circling The Downtown Towers 05You’re Flying
Downtown LA
A Full Circle Around Downtown
In on the south side, then a full counterclockwise circle around the towers: up the east side, over the top and back around. The San Gabriel Mountains stand behind the skyline.
SoFi Stadium From Just North 06You’re Flying
SoFi Stadium
The Roof You Know From TV
We pass just north of the stadium and never fly over it. Its huge translucent roof, home of the Rams and the Chargers, sits right off your left wing.
LAX From The North Side 07You’re Flying
LAX
Airliners On Final, Off Your Left Wing
Jets lining up for one of the busiest airports on Earth, off your left wing. We stay north of LAX and never fly over it.
Venice Beach Over The Wing 08You’re Flying
Venice Beach
Right Turn Up The Coast
The boardwalk, the skate park and the sand, then a right turn up the coast with all of Santa Monica Bay opening up ahead of you.
Santa Monica Pier From The Air 09You’re Flying
Santa Monica Pier
The Pier And The Ferris Wheel
The pier, the Ferris wheel and the beach, straight out of a thousand films.
The Malibu Coast At Sunset 10You’re Flying
Malibu
The Mountains Meet The Pacific
Up the coast past the Palisades to Malibu, where the Santa Monica Mountains drop straight into the ocean.
Heading Back Across The San Fernando Valley 11You’re Flying
Warner Center
Over The Hills To Warner Center
North over the Santa Monica Mountains to Warner Center in Woodland Hills, then east across the San Fernando Valley with Van Nuys straight ahead.
12Instructor Landing
Back At Van Nuys
Your Instructor Lands, Then A Quick Debrief
Have your own pilot logbook? Bring it and your instructor will be happy to sign it. Enroll within 24 hours of landing and 100% of what you paid is credited toward your training.
Book Your Flight · From $229
Typical route. Weather and air traffic control set the final path on the day.
Hands-On From The Left Seat
You Fly The Airplane. Not A Ride Along.
50–80%Of the flight is flown by you
Your instructor takes off and lands. Almost everything in between is yours: turns, climbs, descents, holding a heading over Los Angeles. How much depends on you and the conditions on the day.
Your instructor flies the takeoff from Van Nuys and talks you through it while you listen to the tower in your headset.
You fly the airplane. Turns, climbs, descents and holding a heading over Los Angeles, for roughly 50–80% of the flight depending on you and the conditions. Your instructor has an identical set of controls and handles the radio.
Your instructor lands and narrates the approach. Have your own logbook? Your instructor will be happy to sign it. Want to fly less and look more? Say so at the briefing.
Tap Takeoff, You Fly or Landing to see who is flying.
- No license, experience or medical certificate needed
- Bring your own logbook and your instructor will be happy to sign it
- 100% credited toward training if you enroll within 24 hours of landing
Questions From Encino
Discovery Flight FAQ
7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406. From Encino it is straight up Balboa, about ten minutes and four miles. Parking is free in the lot directly outside the door. Arrive fifteen minutes before your slot and bring a photo ID.
For one person it is $229 for sixty minutes, $299 for ninety and $399 for two hours. For two people it is $299, $399 and $499 for the same durations. The Cirrus SR22 for two is $499 an hour and the Seminole twin is $499. A Redbird simulator session is $189 for an hour.
Yes. You sit in the left seat and fly it, with an FAA-certified instructor in the right seat who handles the takeoff and the landing. We have flown more than 2,000 discovery flights safely. The time goes in a logbook and counts toward a license if you later decide to carry on.
Yes. There is room to wait at Suite 108A and free parking outside, and Encino is close enough that friends and family often just drive up for the hour rather than making a day of it. If they would rather come along than watch, the two-person flight is $299 for sixty minutes.
It is one of the more common reasons people book one. Prices start at $229 for sixty minutes, and the recipient genuinely flies the airplane rather than sitting in the back, which is more memorable than most things in that price range. If they start training within twenty-four hours of the flight, the full amount is credited toward it.
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
Multi-Engine Rating
For existing pilots adding a twin.
$5,100
03
Solo Certificate
Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone.
$5,500
04
Sport Pilot
A real certificate, fewer hours, narrower privileges.
$8,400
05
Private Pilot Most Enrolled
The one most people mean by “learn to fly.”
$10,900
06
Instrument Rating
Turns a fair-weather pilot into a useful one.
$11,700
07
Comprehensive Private Pilot
Private with flight time, ground instruction and materials bundled.
$15,900
08
Premium Private Pilot
The most flight time before your checkride - 80 logged hours.
$22,500
09
Airline Pilot Program
Zero experience to airline-hireable qualifications.
$89,000
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
Take The Controls Yourself, 10 Minutes From Encino
Encino is ten minutes from the hangar door, which makes this a genuinely easy thing to say yes to on a Saturday morning. Call (818) 290-8249 or come to 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, and we will find you a slot, often in the same week.
Or Send Us A Message And We'll Come Back To You The Same Day →