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 · Sherman Oaks
Discovery Flights Near Sherman Oaks, From Van Nuys
You will be flying the airplane within a few minutes of leaving the ground, over your own neighborhood, with an FAA-certified instructor beside you and nothing to prepare beforehand.
2,000+Discovery flights flown safely
5.0★Our Google rating, 100+ reviews
12 minFrom Sherman Oaks to the flight line
9AM–9PMSeven days a week at KVNY
Discovery Flight · Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles County
A First Flight That Starts On Ventura Boulevard
A discovery flight is not a scenic tour with a pilot narrating over your shoulder. You sit in the left seat, you hold the controls, and you fly the airplane: the takeoff roll, the climb, the turns, and as much of the approach as you want. An FAA-certified instructor sits beside you with a second set of controls. Every minute is logged in a logbook that is yours to keep afterward.
Sherman Oaks produces a particular kind of first flight. Because the field is only six miles away, the neighborhood is underneath you almost immediately, and most people spend the first ten minutes hunting for their own roof. After that the instructor will turn you west along the Santa Monica Mountains, or north toward Santa Clarita, or south over the Sepulveda Pass toward the coast, depending on the visibility and what you feel like seeing.
It is also, quietly, the most reliable gift in Los Angeles for someone who already has everything. We have flown more than 2,000 discovery flights safely, a good share of them booked by somebody other than the person flying. The two-seat option at $299 for an hour means the person who bought it can come along, and the Cirrus SR22 with its glass cockpit and leather interior is $499 for two if the occasion calls for it.
How It Works
What Happens On The Day — Start To Certificate
Plan on roughly ninety minutes at the airport for a sixty-minute flight.
1
Arrive At Suite 108A
7900 Balboa Boulevard, on the west side of Van Nuys Airport. Park free outside, come in, and meet the instructor flying with you. Bring a photo ID and wear whatever you would wear to lunch. There is no special clothing, no paperwork to have read in advance, and no test.
2
The Preflight Walkaround
You do the inspection with the instructor: fuel, oil, control surfaces, tires, the whole checklist. This is not theater for the benefit of visitors. It is the same walkaround every pilot does before every flight, and it is the first part of the day that is genuinely yours to do.
3
Takeoff And The Climb Out
Your hands are on the controls for the takeoff roll with the instructor following through on his own set. Van Nuys is a busy Class D field, so you will also hear live air traffic control on the headset from the moment the engine starts, which for most people is the surprise of the day.
4
You Fly
Turns, climbs, descents, and a long look at where you live. Sixty minutes covers Sherman Oaks, the Sepulveda Basin and a run along the ridgeline. Ninety minutes at $299 gets you out to the coast at Malibu. Two hours at $399 opens up the Santa Barbara channel or a look at Catalina on a clear day.
5
Landing, Then The Logbook
The instructor takes the landing unless you want to keep a hand on the yoke through it, which plenty of people do. Afterward your time gets logged and it counts toward a license. If you decide within 24 hours to enroll in training, 100% of what you paid for the flight is credited toward the course.
Transparent Pricing
Discovery Flight Pricing For Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks student going on to the $10,900 private pilot program, that makes the first flight effectively free.
Getting Here From Sherman Oaks
12 Minutes And 6 Miles From Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks to 7900 Balboa Boulevard is about six miles. From Ventura Boulevard, the simplest route is west into Encino and then north on Balboa, straight past the Sepulveda Basin, Lake Balboa and the golf courses, with the hangar on your right before Roscoe. Twelve to fifteen minutes and not a single freeway ramp.
If you would rather use the 405, join it northbound at Ventura or Burbank Boulevard, come off at Roscoe, run west two miles to Balboa and turn south. Northbound is the forgiving direction here, since the Sepulveda Pass queue you know from the morning news is building the other way. Parking at the hangar is free: no meter, no structure, no walk from the lot.
Book A Discovery Flight
Book Your Discovery Flight From Sherman Oaks
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 You Will Fly
Most discovery flights go out in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, the Diamond DA20 or the Piper Warrior. The DA20 has a bubble canopy that puts the whole Valley in view at once, which is why we usually suggest it for a first flight over your own neighborhood. Sixty minutes is $229 for one person and $299 for two, with ninety-minute and two-hour options above that.
If the flight is meant to be an occasion, the Cirrus SR22 Turbo has a full glass cockpit, leather seats and a whole-airframe parachute: $499 for two for an hour, $699 for ninety minutes, $949 for two hours. There is a twin-engine option in the Piper Seminole from $499, and a Redbird MCX full-motion simulator session at $189 an hour for anyone who would rather start on the ground.
What You'll See From The Air
What You Will See From The Airplane
Sixty minutes out of Van Nuys shows you more of Los Angeles than an afternoon of driving it.
🏬
Sherman Oaks Galleria
The block at Ventura and Sepulveda that everyone raised in the Valley recognizes on sight. From the air it is a clean pale rectangle set against the freeway, and it is usually the first thing a passenger points at.
🏛️
The Getty Center
White travertine on the ridge above the Sepulveda Pass, directly south of Sherman Oaks. On a clear day the whole complex is visible from the Valley side before you have finished climbing out.
〰️
The Los Angeles River Channel
The concrete channel running east along the northern edge of Sherman Oaks, out past the Sepulveda Dam. It is the sharpest man-made line in the Valley and it makes an unusually good visual reference.
💧
Encino Reservoir
Tucked into the Santa Monica Mountains a few miles west, invisible from every road you have ever driven. Most people from the neighborhood have no idea it is there until they see it from 2,500 feet.
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 Sherman Oaks
Discovery Flight FAQ
Yes. You will be at the controls for most of the flight, including the takeoff roll, with an FAA-certified instructor beside you on a second set of controls. The instructor works the radio and takes the landing unless you want to follow through on it. This is the same first lesson a student pilot flies, not a shortened version of one.
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. Every minute is loggable and counts toward a pilot license, and if you enroll in training within 24 hours we credit 100% of what you paid.
Not really. Van Nuys is the closest general aviation airport to Sherman Oaks, about six miles up Balboa Boulevard. Santa Monica is forty minutes away over the Sepulveda Pass, and Hollywood Burbank is a commercial airport rather than a training field. Van Nuys is also the busier field, which means more useful radio experience on a first flight.
Both work. There is seating and free parking at 7900 Balboa Boulevard, Suite 108A, and the ramp is visible from the building. If they would rather come up, the two-person discovery flight is $299 for an hour, and the second seat is a proper seat with a headset, not an afterthought.
Early morning is smoothest. The air over the Valley is calmest before about ten and the visibility toward the coast is usually at its best. Summer afternoons get bumpy over the hills. We fly 9 AM to 9 PM every day, and an evening flight over the lit-up Valley is worth doing at least once in your life.
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 Sherman Oaks
If you have looked up at the airplanes crossing Ventura Boulevard and wondered, this is the twelve-minute version of finding out. Call (818) 290-8249, where we are rated 5.0 on Google, and we can usually find you a slot within the same week.
Or Send Us A Message And We'll Come Back To You The Same Day →