Seven miles of Sherman Way separate Canoga Park from a runway, and on a discovery flight you fly the aircraft yourself for most of the hour.
Hands-On From The Left Seat
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.
The Route You Fly
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.
01Instructor Takeoff
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.
02You’re Flying
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.
03You’re Flying
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.
04You’re Flying
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.
05You’re Flying
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.
06You’re Flying
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.
07You’re Flying
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.
08You’re Flying
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.
09You’re Flying
The Pier And The Ferris Wheel
The pier, the Ferris wheel and the beach, straight out of a thousand films.
10You’re Flying
The Mountains Meet The Pacific
Up the coast past the Palisades to Malibu, where the Santa Monica Mountains drop straight into the ocean.
11You’re Flying
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
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 $229Typical route. Weather and air traffic control set the final path on the day.
Canoga Park was laid out as Owensmouth in 1912 and took its present name two decades later. The street that made it, Sherman Way, still runs dead straight east from Topanga Canyon Boulevard along the route the Pacific Electric cars once used. Follow it seven miles and you arrive at the western fence of Van Nuys Airport. That is the entire journey. No freeway, no interchange, no decision to make, and it is why people from this end of the Valley tend to book on a whim and be airborne the same afternoon.
A discovery flight is not a sightseeing ride with a pilot narrating. You start with a briefing at the table, walk out and take part in the pre-flight inspection, then sit in the left seat with an instructor beside you. Once clear of the airport the controls are yours for the bulk of the hour: climbs, turns, descents, holding a heading, feeling how little the airplane needs from you. The instructor handles the takeoff and landing.
The hour is logged. Your instructor writes and signs it into a logbook in your name, and that time counts toward a pilot certificate whenever you choose to start one. If you enroll in training within twenty-four hours, the entire cost of the flight comes off your course, which means the introduction effectively costs nothing at all. Nobody at this school will chase you afterwards. Plenty of people fly once, love it, and leave it there.
Bookings from Canoga Park skew toward occasions. Eighteenth birthdays and graduations from the high schools around Sherman Way, quinceañeras where somebody wanted a present nobody else would think of, Warner Center offices marking a retirement, and parents of nine or ten year olds who have watched enough aviation videos to know the controls already. The minimum age is nine. There is no upper limit and no fitness requirement beyond being able to climb into the seat.
Our Courses
Ten programs flown out of Van Nuys Airport, with real pricing on every one. Start with an hour at the controls, or go straight through to airline-hireable qualifications — it is the same ladder either way.
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Start Here
The first hour at the controls, over Los Angeles, with an instructor beside you. It is the entry point to every course below — and the cheapest way to find out whether flying is actually for you.
From$229
Open 9 AM–9 PM, Seven Days · (818) 290-8249
CertificateMost Popular
The one most people mean by “learn to fly.” Fly with an instructor, fly alone, then carry passengers on your own certificate.
Fly With An Instructor Fly Solo Carry Passengers $10,900 Enroll Now
Youth Program
Ages 10–15. For young people who want to start before they can legally solo.
$4,200 View Course
Milestone
Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone. The day everything changes.
$5,500 View Course
Certificate
A real certificate with fewer hours and narrower privileges. The shortest honest route to flying yourself.
$8,400 View Course
Bundle
Private Pilot with flight time, ground instruction and study materials bundled into one price.
$15,900 View CourseBundle
The same certificate as Private, with the most flight time before your checkride. Eighty logged hours, ground instruction and materials, all in one price.
80 Logged Hours Ground School Included Materials Included $22,500 View Course
Rating
The rating after Private. Turns a fair-weather pilot into a useful one who can file, launch and land in cloud.
$11,700 View Course
Rating
For pilots already certificated who are adding a twin. Trained in our own Piper Seminole.
$5,100 View Course
Our Fleet
Diamond DA20, Cessna 162, Piper Arrow II and our Piper Seminole twin — all on the field at Van Nuys.
View The FleetThe Full Route
Zero experience to airline-hireable qualifications, in one continuous program rather than nine separate ones. Financing is available, and every hour of it is flown out of Van Nuys.
$89,000Financing Available
Free In-Person Tour Before You Commit
Book It Or Gift It
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
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 Or Gift
Same Price
Two Seats
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 Or Gift
Same Price
The Nice One
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
$499Book Or Gift
Same Price
Twin Engine
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 Or Gift
Same Price
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, 360 lb combined. Questions: (818) 290-8249, 9 AM–9 PM, seven days.
From anywhere in Canoga Park, take Sherman Way east. It carries you past Owensmouth, De Soto, Winnetka, Tampa and Reseda in a straight line with no clever turns anywhere in it. When you reach Balboa Boulevard, turn north. A few blocks up, past Saticoy, the airport fence appears on your right and our lot opens beside it at 7900 Balboa Boulevard, Suite 108A. Seven miles, fifteen to twenty minutes, and no freeway involved at any point.
Vanowen Street and Roscoe Boulevard run parallel and work equally well if Sherman Way is dug up, which happens. The 101 is pointless for this trip and the 118 sends you the long way round the north side of the airport. This is one of the shortest runs to a general aviation field anywhere in Los Angeles, and it is why so many of the first flights on our books come from these few square miles.
Parking is free in our own lot right outside the suite, with no meter, no barrier and nobody to pay. Arrive about fifteen minutes early with a photo ID, wear closed-toe shoes and bring sunglasses, because the light over the Valley at altitude is stronger than it looks from the ground. Everything else, including headsets, is provided. If you cannot find the entrance, ring (818) 290-8249 from Balboa and someone will walk out to you.
From shortly after takeoff until the approach, the aircraft is yours to fly with an instructor beside you and dual controls between you. That is the whole point. A scenic ride tells you what Los Angeles looks like from above; sixty minutes on the controls tells you whether you want to keep doing this, which is more useful.
Your instructor writes and signs the flight into a logbook that belongs to you. If you never fly again it is a nice thing to keep. If you start training next year, or in five years, that hour still counts toward the forty-hour minimum for a private certificate. It is a genuine first step rather than a souvenir.
Enroll in a training program within twenty-four hours of the flight and one hundred percent of what you paid is credited against your course. A $229 introduction becomes a $229 discount on the certificate. Nobody will pressure you into deciding on the day, and the offer is explained before you fly rather than after.
Most schools introduce you to whatever single-engine airplane is free. Here you choose: the light trainers, the Cirrus SR22 Turbo with its glass panel and airframe parachute, the twin-engine Piper Seminole, or the full-motion simulator if the weather turns. All of it lives on one ramp, so switching your booking is a phone call.
The usual aircraft for a first flight is the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, the Piper Warrior or the Diamond DA20. They are light, forgiving and slow enough that nothing happens faster than you can follow it, which is exactly what you want on a first attempt at holding a heading. The DA20 has a bubble canopy and by some distance the best view of the ground, so if you are flying to look at the west Valley rather than to concentrate, ask for it when you book.
If you want something with more presence, the Cirrus SR22 Turbo is a modern high-performance single with a full glass cockpit, leather, air conditioning and a whole-airframe parachute, and the twin-engine Piper Seminole gives you two of everything and a very different sound on the take-off roll. Behind both sits the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator, which is the sensible choice for a nervous first-timer or a young child, since it does everything the aircraft does and can be stopped mid-maneuver for a proper conversation about what just happened.
Four things to look for once the instructor hands you the controls.
Bell Creek and the Arroyo Calabasas meet behind Canoga Park High School, and everything downstream of that junction is the Los Angeles River. From the air the two channels joining into one are perfectly obvious.
A dark block of citrus trees and old oaks sitting in the middle of the street grid off Roscoe, with an adobe house in among them. Nothing else for miles is that green or that irregular in shape.
The only cluster of high-rise buildings west of the 405, standing up out of an otherwise flat and low valley floor. On a clear afternoon you can see them from most of the practice area.
A straight line running north toward the Santa Susana Mountains, with the enormous pale rooftops of the shopping centers laid out beside it. It is the easiest way to orient yourself over this half of the Valley.
About seven miles and fifteen to twenty minutes, straight east on Sherman Way and then north on Balboa. There is no freeway on the route at all. It is one of the shortest drives to a flight school anywhere in the city, which is why so many first flights on our books come from this neighborhood.
Yes, for most of the hour. After the briefing and the walk-around you sit in the left seat with dual controls, and once clear of the pattern the instructor hands over. You will fly turns, climbs and descents and hold a heading. Takeoff and landing stay with the instructor, who talks you through both.
It does. The time is entered and signed into a logbook in your name and counts toward the forty-hour minimum for a private certificate. There is no expiry on it. If you enroll in a training program within twenty-four hours, the full cost of the flight is credited against your course as well.
Yes, and it is a large share of what we book. Discovery Flight For One is $229, For Two is $299, the Luxury Cirrus For Two is $499 and the twin-engine flight is $499. We can arrange it so the recipient chooses their own date rather than being handed one. Call (818) 290-8249 and we will sort out the details.
Nine is the minimum for the aircraft and there is no maximum. Younger children can fly the Redbird MCX simulator, $189 for a sixty-minute session, which moves the way an airplane does and can be paused at any point. Teenagers who take to it can solo at sixteen and hold a certificate at seventeen.
We will move your booking rather than fly you in conditions that make the hour unpleasant or pointless, and there is no charge for a weather reschedule. Marine layer mornings in late spring are the usual culprit here, and they normally clear by lunchtime, so an afternoon slot the same day often works.
A photo ID, sunglasses and closed-toe shoes. Dress for a warm cockpit and a cool cruise altitude, so layers help. Headsets and everything else are provided. Arrive about fifteen minutes before your slot so there is time for paperwork and a proper briefing without rushing the flying part.
Not meaningfully. There is no airfield in the west Valley itself, and the fields further out add drive time without adding aircraft. Van Nuys gives you two parallel runways, a full-time tower and seven types on one ramp, seven miles from Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Drive Sherman Way east, turn north on Balboa, park free outside the door and be airborne over your own neighborhood within the hour. Call (818) 290-8249 to book a discovery flight from $229, or ask about the Cirrus and the twin.
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.
Loved On Google
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
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...
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...
Reviews shown verbatim, exactly as each reviewer published them.
Aviation News
Notes from the flight line at Van Nuys — weather, regulation changes, checkride questions and the cost of training, written up as they come.
Open 7 days · 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
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