DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
An Amazing Experience with Essence Flight Academy and CFI Joseph!! Flying with them was such a memorable experience! From the moment I arrived, everything...
One Quick Check
You’re Almost In The Air
Confirm one thing and the calendar opens.
Discovery Flight For One60 MIN
$229
Close to the limit, or not sure? Call us on (818) 290-8249 before you book and we’ll talk you through the options.
Van Nuys Airport · KVNY · Open 9am–9pm, seven days
Discovery Flight Over Los Angeles
A discovery flight is an introductory flying lesson where you sit in the left seat and fly the airplane yourself, with an FAA-certified instructor beside you. Sixty minutes, $229, no experience and no license needed.
100%credited if you enroll within 24 hours
5.0★on Google, across 53 reviews
2,000+discovery flights flown safely
15+ yearsexperience per FAA-certified instructor
✦ Purchase & Schedule · Van Nuys Airport
Choose Your First Flight. You Take the Controls.
Four hands-on Discovery Flights, one promise: you fly the airplane — with an FAA-certified instructor beside you and Los Angeles below you. Pick a length; the price is all-in.
Diamond DA20 · Cessna 162 · Piper Warrior
The Classic
⏱ 60–120 MIN
Discovery Flight for One
★ 4.9 · 500+ flyers
Your first step into the world of flight — and it's all yours. Briefing, takeoff, then: "Your controls."
- ✓Hands-on stick time
- ✓Pre-flight briefing & walk-around
- ✓Soar over the LA skyline
- ✓1-on-1 FAA-certified instructor
- ✓Logs toward your license
Flight length
$229all-in · one flyer · no hidden fees
Book For One →
★ Most booked
Piper Warrior · four seats
Piper Warrior · four seats
★ Most Popular
⏱ 60–120 MIN
Discovery Flight for Two
★ 4.9 · 500+ flyers
One of you flies hands-on while the other soaks in the views — you both land with the same story.
- ✓Hands-on flying for one — views for both
- ✓Hollywood Sign & downtown flyover
- ✓Headsets for both of you
- ✓FAA-certified instructor
- ✓The most-gifted flight we fly
Flight length
$299all-in · two seats
Book For Two →
✦ Luxury
Cirrus SR22 Turbo · glass cockpit
Cirrus SR22 Turbo · glass cockpit
✦ The Showstopper
⏱ 60–120 MIN
Luxury Discovery Flight — Turbo Cirrus
★ 4.9 · 500+ flyers
The flight people plan anniversaries around — Turbo Cirrus SR22, glass cockpit, and a lot more coastline.
- ✓Hands-on control of a Cirrus SR22T
- ✓Glass panel & air conditioning
- ✓The one to pick for the coast
- ✓FAA-certified instructor
- ✓Anniversaries, birthdays & bucket lists
Flight length
Add a passenger · instructor + 2 is our maximum +$100
$399all-in
Book the Cirrus →
Piper Seminole · twin-engine
The Pro Move
⏱ 60–120 MIN
Multi-Engine Discovery Flight
★ 4.9 · 500+ flyers
Two engines, real procedures, and a genuine taste of the professional path — in our twin Piper Seminole.
- ✓Hands-on multi-engine flying
- ✓Real multi-engine fundamentals
- ✓LA from a view most never see
- ✓FAA-certified instructor
- ✓For the career-curious & seasoned
Flight length
$499all-in · two seats
Book Multi-Engine →
Prefer to start on the ground?
Redbird Full-Motion Simulator Discovery Flight
An hour in our FAA-approved Redbird MCX with an instructor beside you. You fly it yourself, indoors on the field — pause, reset and try the tricky part again. Never weather-cancelled, and no weight limit.
🎟 Every price includes the aircraft, the fuel and your FAA-certified instructor — and 100% of it is credited toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours of your flight. All flights depart Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A. Open 9am–9pm, seven days, on (818) 290-8249. Full booking terms are on our discovery flight terms page.
One quick check
You’re almost in the air
Confirm one thing and the calendar opens.
Discovery Flight For One60 MIN
$229Close to the limit, or not sure? Call us on (818) 290-8249 before you book and we’ll talk you through the options.
Loved On Google And Yelp
Five Hundred Reviews. 4.9 Stars.
More five-star reviews than any other flight school in Los Angeles — written by the people who learned to fly here, not by us.
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
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.
LEARN TO FLY
★★★★★
I can't recommend Essence Flight School enough! The staff is awesome, and the whole vibe is just really positive and cool. Huge shoutout to Anthony, our...
INSTRUMENT RATING
★★★★★
I'm currently working on my instrument rating at essence, and it has been Fantastic so far, my instructor is Alex and he is very knowledgeable and patient...
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...
KIDS FIRST FLIGHT
★★★★★
Had a great experience with this company. My son has been very into airplanes and his flight simulator on the computer so for his 11th birthday treated...
LEARN TO FLY
★★★★★
Essence Flight Academy is an outstanding place to learn how to fly. From the start, I felt comfortable and confident thanks to the professionalism and...
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...
HANDS-ON FLIGHT
★★★★★
One of the best flight experiences I've ever done! If you're looking for a fun flight, beautiful views, and even taking control of the plane, Essence...
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...
SKY PROPOSAL
★★★★★
Unforgettable private flight with Essence—smooth journey and a magical moment as I proposed to my girl in the skies! Highly recommend!
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...
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
This was my first flight at Essence and it will be one I will never forget for several reasons. Joseph was an awesome instructor, demonstrating...
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
FIRST FLIGHT
★★★★★
My experience at Essence Flight School was absolutely incredible! I have to admit, I was super nervous at first because flying in a small plane seemed...
NEW STUDENT
★★★★★
I recently joined Essence flight school after my consultation with Alex. Their team is very honest about what to expect the pricing and they were...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Anthony was an INCREDIBLE instructor and it was SO fun to enjoy my first time on a plane at Essence Flight Academy! The atmosphere was super chill and it...
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...
GIFT FLIGHT
★★★★★
Great experience with first ever discovery flight! Would highly recommend! Got it as a gift for my dad and he had a great time flying!
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...
PPL → INSTRUMENT
★★★★★
I enrolled as student at Essence Flight School in July, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. I got my Private Pilot License here, and I'm now...
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
An Amazing Experience with Essence Flight Academy and CFI Joseph!! Flying with them was such a memorable experience! From the moment I arrived, everything...
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.
LEARN TO FLY
★★★★★
I can't recommend Essence Flight School enough! The staff is awesome, and the whole vibe is just really positive and cool. Huge shoutout to Anthony, our...
INSTRUMENT RATING
★★★★★
I'm currently working on my instrument rating at essence, and it has been Fantastic so far, my instructor is Alex and he is very knowledgeable and patient...
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...
KIDS FIRST FLIGHT
★★★★★
Had a great experience with this company. My son has been very into airplanes and his flight simulator on the computer so for his 11th birthday treated...
LEARN TO FLY
★★★★★
Essence Flight Academy is an outstanding place to learn how to fly. From the start, I felt comfortable and confident thanks to the professionalism and...
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...
HANDS-ON FLIGHT
★★★★★
One of the best flight experiences I've ever done! If you're looking for a fun flight, beautiful views, and even taking control of the plane, Essence...
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...
SKY PROPOSAL
★★★★★
Unforgettable private flight with Essence—smooth journey and a magical moment as I proposed to my girl in the skies! Highly recommend!
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...
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
This was my first flight at Essence and it will be one I will never forget for several reasons. Joseph was an awesome instructor, demonstrating...
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
FIRST FLIGHT
★★★★★
My experience at Essence Flight School was absolutely incredible! I have to admit, I was super nervous at first because flying in a small plane seemed...
NEW STUDENT
★★★★★
I recently joined Essence flight school after my consultation with Alex. Their team is very honest about what to expect the pricing and they were...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Anthony was an INCREDIBLE instructor and it was SO fun to enjoy my first time on a plane at Essence Flight Academy! The atmosphere was super chill and it...
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...
GIFT FLIGHT
★★★★★
Great experience with first ever discovery flight! Would highly recommend! Got it as a gift for my dad and he had a great time flying!
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...
PPL → INSTRUMENT
★★★★★
I enrolled as student at Essence Flight School in July, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. I got my Private Pilot License here, and I'm now...
See Discovery Flight Details — $229
Reviews shown verbatim. Many name Essence Flight Academy — the same school, same team, same hangar, before the rebrand.
Book your discovery flight
One hour, and you will know
Pick a length, pick an airplane, and we will put you in the left seat over Los Angeles with an FAA-certified instructor beside you. If you would rather come and look at the aircraft first, a free in-person consultation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Discovery Flight For One
$229
60 minutes · you fly it · fully loggable · 100% credited if you enroll within 24 hours
Book a discovery flight
or call (818) 290-8249
Definition
What a discovery flight actually is
A discovery flight — you will also see it called an introductory flight, an intro flight or an introductory flying lesson, and they all mean the same thing — is a single, one-off flight lesson designed for somebody who has never flown a small airplane before. You are not a passenger. You sit in the left seat, which is the pilot's seat, with a full set of controls in front of you. An FAA-certified instructor sits in the right seat with an identical set of controls, and can take over at any instant.
The point of it is to answer a question that no amount of reading will answer: do you actually like this? Plenty of people spend years assuming they would love to fly and discover in twenty minutes that what they really wanted was the view. Others walk out to the airplane politely curious and come back having decided on a career. Either result is worth $229, and both are more useful than another evening of watching cockpit videos.
It is called a discovery flight because discovery runs both ways. You find out whether the airplane, the noise, the movement and the workload suit you. Your instructor finds out how you learn, whether you are heavy or light on the controls, and what you will need more time on. If you decide to continue, that hour is not a demo you paid for and threw away — it is lesson one, already in your logbook.
Nothing about it requires preparation. You need no experience, no license, no medical certificate and no knowledge of aviation whatsoever. You do not need to have decided anything. You turn up, you fly, and then you go home and think about it for as long as you like.
The short answer
How much does a discovery flight cost?
A discovery flight over Los Angeles costs $229 for sixty minutes. That is the price for one person and it is the whole price: the airplane, the fuel, your FAA-certified instructor, the briefing before you walk out and the debrief when you get back. There is nothing added at the desk afterwards. If you want to bring somebody with you it is $299. In the luxury Cirrus SR22 Turbo it is $399, and in the twin-engine Piper Seminole it is $499. If you would rather stay on the ground for a first try, an hour in our Redbird MCX full-motion simulator is $189.
Longer flights cost more because they use more airplane and more of an instructor's day. For one person, ninety minutes is $299 and two hours is $399. For two people, ninety minutes is $399 and two hours is $499. In the Cirrus it is $549 and $699. In the twin it is $699 and $899. Every one of those figures is fixed and published, and all of them are listed further down this page. Nobody here quotes by the hour and then hands you a different number at the end.
Here is the part most people do not expect. If you enroll in flight training within twenty-four hours of landing, one hundred percent of what you paid for the discovery flight comes off the price of your training program. Private pilot training starts at $10,900, so the $229 stops being a cost and becomes your first payment. That offer is explained to you before you fly rather than produced afterwards as a sales close, and nobody will lean on you while you are still taking your headset off.
The time is also loggable. Your instructor writes the flight into a logbook with your name on it and signs it, and that hour counts toward the forty hours of flight time the FAA requires for a private pilot license. It counts whether you begin training next month or in five years. A discovery flight is not a sightseeing ride sold as a lesson — it is the first hour of real flight instruction, and it is recorded as such.
Lengths
How long is a discovery flight, and which length should you book?
Sixty minutes is the usual answer and the right one for most people. The longer options exist because Los Angeles is bigger than an hour.
Sixty minutes
Roughly forty minutes in the air once you allow for taxiing and the run-up, plus about half an hour on the ground either side. Enough to fly the San Fernando Valley, do real turns and climbs, and know how you feel about it. This is what most people book.
- For one$229
- For two$299
- Luxury Cirrus$399
- Multi-engine$499
Ninety minutes
The length to pick if you want to get somewhere rather than stay over the Valley. Ninety minutes buys the Santa Monica Mountains and a look at the coast with time to linger, instead of turning back the moment the water appears.
- For one$299
- For two$399
- Luxury Cirrus$549
- Multi-engine$699
Two hours
A proper trip. Two hours lets you run the shoreline, or go over the mountains and come back a different way, at a civilized pace with time to hand the controls back and just look out of the window for a while.
- For one$399
- For two$499
- Luxury Cirrus$699
- Multi-engine$899
One hour in the simulator
The Redbird MCX is a full-motion simulator that sits indoors on the field. It is the right first step for anyone worried about motion, weather or committing to an airplane, and it can be paused mid-maneuver so you can ask a question properly.
- Redbird MCX$189
- Duration1 hour
- WeatherNever a factor
On the day
What happens on the day of your discovery flight
Allow about two hours from arriving to leaving for a sixty-minute flight. Nothing about it is rushed.
1
You arrive and meet your instructor
Come to 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, about fifteen minutes before your slot. There is free parking immediately outside the door. Bring photo identification. Your instructor introduces themselves, asks what you are hoping to get out of the hour, and answers whatever you want to ask before anything else happens.
2
The briefing
You sit down at a table with a model or a diagram and go through what the controls do and what the airplane will feel like when you move them. This takes fifteen or twenty minutes. It is the part that makes the flying make sense, and it is where most people stop being nervous, because the airplane stops being mysterious.
3
The walk-around
You go out to the airplane together and inspect it. Your instructor shows you what they are checking and why — fuel, oil, control surfaces, tires, the things that matter. You are not watching a performance; you are learning the routine that every pilot does before every flight for the rest of their flying life.
4
Start-up, taxi and takeoff
You get in the left seat, put on a headset and hear the tower for the first time. Your instructor handles the takeoff and talks you through it, because a first takeoff at a busy Class D airport is a lot to hand somebody. Van Nuys has two runways and a full-time tower, so there is genuine radio traffic to listen to.
5
You fly the airplane
Once the airport is behind you, your instructor gives you the controls, and from that point you are the person flying. Straight and level, turns left and right, climbs, descents, holding a heading while the ground moves underneath you. Your instructor stays on the radio and keeps an eye out, and takes over instantly if anything needs it.
6
Landing, logbook and no sales pitch
Your instructor flies the landing. Back inside you get a debrief on what you did well and what you would work on next, and the flight is written into a logbook in your name and signed. Then we tell you about the 24-hour credit, answer questions, and let you go home. You are welcome to book a free in-person consultation another day if you want to talk it through properly.
The honest version
Do you actually fly the plane? Yes — with two exceptions
This is the question we get asked most, usually by somebody who has been on a helicopter tour and suspects the controls were decorative. They are not. Small training airplanes have two complete sets of controls, and the set in front of you works exactly as well as the set in front of your instructor. From shortly after departure until we turn back toward the field, you are the person flying.
The two exceptions are the takeoff and the landing, and they stay with your instructor. That is not caution for its own sake — those are the two phases with the least margin, at a towered airport with jets in the pattern, and asking somebody to do one on their first hour would be unfair rather than generous. Your instructor narrates both, hands on the controls, so you can see what is happening.
Everything in between is genuinely yours. You will hold an altitude and lose it and get it back. You will roll into a turn and discover that the airplane needs a little more from you than you expected. You will be surprised how physical it is, and how quickly a heading wanders if you stop paying attention to it. That is the actual experience of flying, and it is why an hour of it tells you more than a year of thinking about it.
If you would rather have a lighter first hour, say so. Some people want to fly the whole time, some want twenty minutes of controls and forty minutes of looking at Los Angeles, and some want to hand it back after ten minutes and try again next month. All three are fine. Tell your instructor at the briefing and they will build the hour around it.
Before you book
The things first-timers worry about
Being nervous is normal, and it is not a reason to wait
A good share of the people who walk in here are quietly apprehensive, and almost none of them say so at the desk. It is worth saying so. Tell your instructor at the briefing that you are nervous and the whole hour changes shape: they will fly more of it, explain more of it, stay lower and smoother, and check in with you rather than waiting for you to volunteer that you have had enough.
Small airplanes are noisier and more physical than an airliner, and the first few minutes feel like a lot. Most people settle within ten. Mornings are usually smoother than afternoons in the San Fernando Valley, because the ground heats up through the day and the air gets bumpier with it, so book an early slot if turbulence is what worries you.
You do not need a medical certificate
No medical certificate, no license and no paperwork of any kind is required to take a discovery flight. Your instructor is a certificated pilot acting as pilot in command; you are receiving instruction. A third-class FAA medical certificate is only required later, before you fly solo, and it is a straightforward examination that most people pass without difficulty.
Glasses and contact lenses are fine. If you have a specific medical condition and want to know whether it would eventually stop you getting a certificate, call us on (818) 290-8249 before you book and we will tell you honestly rather than sell you an hour first.
Bringing someone, and buying one as a gift
Discovery Flight For Two at $299 exists for exactly this: one of you flies from the left seat, the other sits in the back with a headset and hears everything, and you can swap partway through if you both want a turn. In the Cirrus SR22 Turbo, the same arrangement is $399 and covers considerably more of Southern California in the same hour.
A large share of what we fly is bought by somebody else. Gift certificates are available for every discovery flight at the same prices, and the recipient books their own date rather than being handed one that may not suit them. If you are buying for somebody who has talked about flying for years without doing anything about it, this is the version of the gift that actually gets used.
- Discovery Flight For One — $229 for 60 minutes
- Discovery Flight For Two — $299 for 60 minutes
- Luxury Cirrus For Two — $399 for 60 minutes
- Multi-Engine Discovery Flight — $499 for 60 minutes
- Redbird MCX simulator — $189 for 1 hour
What to wear and what to bring
Photo identification, sunglasses and closed shoes. Headsets are provided. Wear something you can add a layer to, because the cockpit is warm on the ground at Van Nuys and cooler at altitude. Skip anything loose enough to get in the way of the controls. Eat something beforehand — flying on an empty stomach is a common and avoidable cause of feeling unwell.
Bring a phone or a camera if you want photographs. You will have both hands occupied for a good part of the flight, so the pictures usually happen while your instructor has the controls back, which is another small argument for ninety minutes over sixty.
From the air
What Los Angeles looks like from 2,500 feet
Where you go depends on the day, the weather and what air traffic control is willing to give us — but these are the things people remember.
🏞️
The Sepulveda Basin
It sits directly off the end of the field, and it is the first thing that makes sense from the air: a deliberate green hole in the middle of the Valley, built to flood so that everything downstream does not. From the ground it is a park. From above it is obviously a piece of engineering.
⛰️
The Santa Monica Mountains
The ridge between the Valley and the ocean is startlingly thin once you can see both sides of it at once. People who have driven Mulholland their whole lives tend to go quiet at this point, because the map in their head rearranges itself.
🌊
The Malibu coastline
Fifteen minutes from the runway the Pacific fills the windshield. On the ninety-minute and two-hour flights there is time to follow the shoreline instead of turning around as soon as you reach it, which is most of the argument for booking the longer slot.
🏙️
Downtown and the basin
On a clear day the towers stand up out of the haze with the San Gabriels behind them, and the sheer scale of the built-up area between you and them is the thing nobody is ready for. Los Angeles does not read as a city from the ground. It does from the air.
🎬
The studios and the Hollywood Hills
Depending on routing you may get a look at the hillside sprawl on the south side of the Valley, the reservoirs tucked into the canyons, and the studio backlots that turn out to be far bigger and far more industrial than television suggests.
✈️
Van Nuys Airport itself
One of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, and worth a look on the way back in: two parallel runways, rows of business jets, helicopter operators, and the traffic pattern you have just been part of.
Getting here
Finding us at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A
We are on the western boundary of Van Nuys Airport, at 7900 Balboa Boulevard, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406. From the 101 come off at Balboa and head north for about five miles through Victory, Vanowen and Sherman Way; the airport perimeter appears on your right at around Saticoy. From the 405 or the 118, Roscoe and Sherman Way both bring you across to Balboa without much drama outside the peaks.
There is a free parking lot immediately outside our door. The building is a shared aviation complex with a number of unrelated companies working out of it, so look for the suite number rather than the street number when you pull in — 108A. If you cannot find us, call and somebody will walk out and wave.
We are open 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, on (818) 290-8249. Booking online is the fastest way to secure a specific slot, but if you want a particular airplane, a particular time of day, or a quiet word about whether this is a good idea for a nervous parent or a fifteen-year-old, call first. A free in-person consultation is also available if you would rather come and look at the airplanes before you commit to flying one.
FAQ
Discovery flight questions, answered
A discovery flight is a single introductory flying lesson for someone who has never flown a small airplane. You sit in the pilot's seat with a full set of controls and fly the airplane yourself, with an FAA-certified instructor in the right seat who has an identical set and can take over instantly. It is also called an introductory flight or an introductory flying lesson. No experience, license or medical certificate is needed.
$229 for sixty minutes for one person, which includes the airplane, the fuel and your instructor with nothing added afterwards. For two people it is $299, the luxury Cirrus SR22 Turbo is $399 and the twin-engine Seminole is $499. Ninety-minute and two-hour options run from $299 up to $899 depending on the aircraft. An hour in the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator is $189.
Sixty minutes is the standard length and what most people book. Allow about two hours at the airport in total, because the briefing, the walk-around inspection and the debrief afterwards all sit outside the flight time. Ninety-minute and two-hour flights are available if you want to reach the coast or follow the shoreline rather than staying over the San Fernando Valley.
Yes. There are two complete sets of controls and yours works. Your instructor flies the takeoff and the landing and narrates both, and everything in between is yours: turns, climbs, descents, and holding an altitude and a heading. If you would rather fly less and look out of the window more, say so at the briefing and your instructor will build the hour around that instead.
No. Neither is required for a discovery flight, because your instructor is the pilot in command and you are receiving instruction. A third-class FAA medical certificate is only needed later, before your first solo flight. Glasses and contact lenses are not a problem. If you have a specific condition you are worried about, call (818) 290-8249 before booking and we will give you a straight answer.
Yes. Discovery Flight For Two is $299 for sixty minutes: one of you flies from the left seat, the other sits in the back with a headset and hears everything, and you can swap partway through. The Luxury Cirrus For Two is $399 and the twin-engine Seminole is $499. If you would like more than one passenger, call us and we will tell you what the aircraft on that day will take.
Yes. Your instructor logs the flight in a logbook with your name on it and signs it, and it counts toward the forty hours of flight time the FAA requires for a private pilot certificate. It counts whether you start training the following week or years later. This is real dual instruction, not a sightseeing ride.
One hundred percent of what you paid for the discovery flight is credited against your training program if you enroll within twenty-four hours of the flight. Private pilot training starts at $10,900, the sport pilot license is $8,400 and the solo certificate is $5,500, so at $229 the introduction effectively becomes your first payment. Financing is available through Stratus Financial and through in-house payment plans.
Tell your instructor at the briefing rather than in the air. They will fly more of the flight, keep it lower and smoother, and check in with you regularly. Morning slots are usually calmer than afternoons because the air over the Valley gets bumpier as the ground heats up. Eat beforehand. If you want to come back early, we come back early, and nobody makes anything of it.
We do not fly a discovery flight in conditions that ruin the point of it — you would spend the hour in cloud and see nothing. If the weather will not cooperate we move your booking, and the Redbird MCX simulator at $189 is available indoors regardless. The full booking and rescheduling terms are set out on our discovery flight terms page.
First flights are usually in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, the Diamond DA20 or the Piper Warrior — light, slow and forgiving enough that nothing gets ahead of you. The Cirrus SR22 Turbo is a fast glass-cockpit single with a whole-airframe parachute, and the Piper Seminole is our twin. Ask for a specific aircraft when you book and we will hold it if it is available.
Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), from 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406, with free parking outside the door. Van Nuys has two runways and a full-time control tower, which means real radio work and a proper traffic pattern on your first flight. We are open 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, on (818) 290-8249.
Talk To Us
Questions Before You Book?
Call and you get somebody who flies out of Van Nuys, not a call center. If your question is easier to write down than to ask on the phone, send it over and we will come back to you.
Call (818) 290-8249- Open9am–9pm, seven days a week
- Phone(818) 290-8249
- Address7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406
- AirportVan Nuys Airport (KVNY)
Open 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, on (818) 290-8249. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406, with free parking outside the door.
More on discovery flights and what comes next
Book a discovery flight
Discovery Flight For One — $229Discovery Flight For Two — $299Luxury Cirrus For Two — $399Multi-Engine Discovery Flight — $499Redbird MCX Simulator — $189All discovery flights
No cost, no obligation
Get the full training plan and price sheet
The three private pilot packages, what each one includes, the financing options and a realistic timeline built around how often you can actually fly. Sent to you in one email. Nobody will pressure you.
- Every package price, itemised
- Financing from $2,500 down
- A timeline based on your schedule