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 · Northridge
Discovery Flights For Northridge, Flown From Van Nuys
You get the controls rather than a window seat, and Northridge is close enough to Van Nuys that your own street shows up about three minutes after takeoff.
2,000+Discovery flights flown safely
5.0★Our Google rating, 100+ reviews
12 minFrom Northridge to the flight line
9AM–9PMSeven days a week at KVNY
Discovery Flight · Northridge, Los Angeles County
The Short Version Of Learning To Fly
Nobody narrates this one to you from the front seat. You sit on the left, an FAA-certified instructor sits on the right, and within a few minutes of leaving the ground the airplane is yours to fly. The time is logged and it counts toward a certificate if you carry on. The whole thing sits twelve minutes down Balboa from Northridge, which is less planning than most people put into a dinner reservation.
It also makes an unusually good gift in this part of the Valley, because Northridge is genuinely interesting from the air. The grid is straight, the blocks are large and the tree cover is thick, so finding your own roof is easier here than over most of Los Angeles. Cal State Northridge, the Fashion Center at Tampa and Plummer, and the campus orange grove all pass under the wing inside the first few minutes.
Sixty minutes in a two-seat trainer is $229 for one person and $299 for two. The Luxury Cirrus For Two, glass cockpit and all, is $499 for that same hour. An hour in the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator is $189, which is a genuinely good call on a low-ceiling morning. Enroll in training within twenty-four hours and the whole cost comes off your tuition.
How It Works
How The Day Runs — Start To Certificate
About two hours of your time, one hour of it in the air.
1
Getting There And Checking In
Come fifteen minutes early to 7900 Balboa Boulevard, Suite 108A. Parking is free and on site. Bring photo ID, wear sunglasses and clothes you can move in, and leave the big camera bag in the car. There is a short waiver at the desk and nothing else to prepare beforehand.
2
The Briefing
Your instructor explains where you are going, what you will be doing with your hands, and what the airplane will feel like when it leaves the ground. If you want a particular route over Northridge, this is the moment to say so. It is also where the airsickness question gets an honest answer, which is that most people are fine and a smooth morning helps.
3
The Walkaround
You go around the airplane together checking fuel, oil, control surfaces and tires, and you are told why each one matters. It takes about fifteen minutes and it is usually where the nerves stop, because nothing about the machine stays mysterious once you have drained a fuel sample into a cup and looked at it in daylight.
4
Taxi, Takeoff And The Handover
The tower clears you onto one of the two parallel runways and your hands follow through on the controls for the takeoff roll. There is a lot of traffic here, most of it faster and heavier than you are, and your instructor narrates what all of it is doing while you go. A couple of minutes after the climbout the airplane is yours.
5
Over Northridge, Then Home
Turns, climbs, descents and a run northwest over the grid, the campus and whichever street you asked for. Your instructor flies the landing with you following through on the controls. Back at the desk you get a logbook entry for real flight time, and if you enroll within twenty-four hours the entire cost of the day comes off your training.
Transparent Pricing
Discovery Flight Pricing For Northridge 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 Northridge student going on to the $10,900 private pilot program, that makes the first flight effectively free.
Getting Here From Northridge
12 Minutes And 5 Miles From Northridge
From most of Northridge this is a single-road drive. Balboa Boulevard runs south from the 118 through the east side of the neighborhood and delivers you to 7900 Balboa, Suite 108A, just north of Sherman Way and across from the airport. Twelve minutes, five miles, no freeway required. From the west side, take Nordhoff Street or Roscoe Boulevard east to Balboa first and then turn south.
Weekends are the easy version of that drive, and weekend mornings are usually the smoothest air of the week over the Valley. Parking is free in the lot, which is worth saying plainly in Los Angeles: no meters, no structure, no validation to chase. If you are booking this as a gift, aim for a Saturday or Sunday slot and arrive fifteen minutes before the time on the booking so the briefing is not rushed.
Book A Discovery Flight
Book Your Discovery Flight From Northridge
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
Choosing The Airplane
Three airplanes take most of these flights: the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, the Diamond DA20 and the Piper Warrior. The Diamond has a bubble canopy and the best visibility of the three, which turns out to be the thing first-timers care about most once they are airborne. For One is $229, $299 and $399 at 60, 90 and 120 minutes. For Two is $299, $399 and $499.
For an occasion, the Luxury Cirrus For Two puts both of you in the SR22 Turbo behind a full glass panel: $499 at 60 minutes, $699 at 90, $949 at 120. In the Piper Seminole, a Multi-Engine Discovery Flight is $499, $699 and $899. Over 2,000 discovery flights have gone out of here safely, and the school's Google rating is a straight 5.0 across 100+ reviews.
What You'll See From The Air
What Comes Under The Wing
A northwest departure from Van Nuys puts all four of these in view within about five minutes.
🍊
The CSUN Orange Grove
A solid dark block of citrus at the northeast corner of the Cal State Northridge campus, near Lindley and Nordhoff. It is the only orchard left for miles and it is unmistakable from the air.
🛍️
Northridge Fashion Center
The mall at Tampa and Plummer, with long pale roofs and the biggest single expanse of parking in the neighborhood. On a sunny afternoon it is the brightest thing on the ground and a quick pointer to the west side.
🎓
The Cal State Northridge Campus
Playing fields, parking structures and the Oviatt Library lawn all in one block. With around 38,000 students enrolled it is the busiest square mile in the area, and from 2,500 feet it is obvious why.
🛣️
The 118 Ronald Reagan Freeway
The straight line across the top of Northridge, running east to west along the base of the foothills. It is the cleanest boundary in this part of the Valley and the easiest way to see where the neighborhood ends.
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 Northridge
Discovery Flight FAQ
Yes. The instructor handles the takeoff with your hands following through on the controls and flies the landing, but the middle of the flight is yours: turns, climbs, descents and the route. That is the difference between a discovery flight and a sightseeing ride. The time is logged in your name and counts toward a certificate.
For One is $229 at 60 minutes, $299 at 90 and $399 at 120. For Two is $299, $399 and $499. The Luxury Cirrus For Two begins at $499 and the Multi-Engine Discovery Flight at $499. The Redbird MCX simulator is $189 for the hour. Every one of those prices includes the briefing and the debrief either side of the flight.
Usually, yes. Northridge is roughly five miles northwest of the field, so you are overhead a few minutes after departure and there is time to circle. Give your instructor the cross streets during the briefing and the route gets built around them, traffic and airspace permitting.
Allow twelve minutes down Balboa Boulevard, or twenty on a weekday when Nordhoff and Reseda are busy with campus traffic. Parking is free in the lot at 7900 Balboa, with no meters and no validation to chase. Get there a quarter of an hour ahead of your slot so the briefing is unhurried.
One hundred percent of what you paid is credited toward training if you enroll within twenty-four hours. From there, Standard Private Pilot is $10,900 and a Solo Certificate is $5,500. The in-person consultation at Suite 108A costs nothing, and there is no decision to make on the day itself.
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, 12 Minutes From Northridge
Most people in Northridge have driven the length of Balboa Boulevard a thousand times without ever seeing it from above. Call (818) 290-8249 or book online, and we will have an instructor and an airplane waiting at the other end of it.
Or Send Us A Message And We'll Come Back To You The Same Day →