Enter the class, your age on the day of the exam and the month you took it. You get the exact date each set of privileges runs out — including the step-down periods almost everybody miscalculates.
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, 370 lb combined. Questions: (818) 290-8249, 9 AM–9 PM, seven days.
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...
Nothing is stored and nothing is sent anywhere. The maths runs in your browser. Durations are from 14 CFR 61.23(d).
A first class medical does not expire and leave you grounded. It steps down. Under 14 CFR 61.23(d) the privilege periods all start on the day of the examination and run concurrently, so when the twelve-month ATP window closes, the same certificate carries on serving commercial privileges, and then private privileges, for the remainder of their own longer periods.
Worked example. You take a first class exam in March at age 36. ATP privileges run to 31 March the following year. Commercial privileges also run to 31 March the following year. Private privileges run to 31 March five years out. One exam, three different dates, and the certificate in your pocket is still perfectly valid for private flying four years after it stopped being valid for the airlines.
The other thing people get wrong is the age test. The FAA uses your age on the date of the examination, not your age now. Turning 40 the week after your exam does not shorten the certificate you already hold.
And every period runs to the last day of the month, not the anniversary of the day you were examined. An exam on 3 March expires at the end of March, not on 3 March.
From 14 CFR 61.23(d). Age is measured on the date of the examination. Every period runs to the end of the month.
| Privileges being exercised | Under 40 at exam | 40 or over at exam |
|---|---|---|
| Airline transport pilot — requires a first class medical | 12 calendar months | 6 calendar months |
| Commercial pilot — requires at least a second class | 12 calendar months | 12 calendar months |
| Private, recreational and student — requires at least a third class | 60 calendar months | 24 calendar months |
Note the middle row: commercial privileges are 12 months regardless of age. Only the ATP and the private/recreational/student rows change at 40.
If you are flying under BasicMed rather than a third class medical, the intervals are different and they are set out in Part 68. This tool does not model them.
An Authorization for Special Issuance can carry its own expiry that is shorter than the standard period. If your certificate came with one, the date on the paperwork wins.
A valid US driver’s license works instead, provided your most recent medical application was not denied and no certificate has been suspended or revoked.
Limitations such as corrective lenses or a color vision restriction stay on the certificate for its whole life. They are a separate question from when it runs out.
A $229 discovery flight requires no medical certificate at all. You need one before your first solo, which lands somewhere between 15 and 25 hours in — so there is plenty of time to sort it out. If you want to talk through your own situation before spending anything, the consultation is free and takes about twenty minutes.
The durations come from 14 CFR 61.23(d). Age is always measured on the date of the exam.
60 calendar months if you were under 40 on the date of the examination, and 24 calendar months if you were 40 or over. The period runs to the last day of the month, so an exam on 3 March expires at the end of March, not on 3 March.
For ATP privileges it is 12 calendar months if you were under 40 at the exam and 6 calendar months if you were 40 or over. It then continues to serve commercial privileges for 12 months and private privileges for 60 or 24 months from the same exam date.
12 calendar months for commercial privileges, regardless of your age. It then continues to serve private, recreational and student privileges for 60 calendar months if you were under 40 at the exam, or 24 months if you were 40 or over.
Effectively yes. Under 14 CFR 61.23(d) the privilege periods run concurrently from the exam date rather than one after another, so once the 12-month ATP window closes the same certificate still covers commercial privileges, and then private privileges, until those longer periods end.
No. Every period runs to the last day of the month in which it expires. A third class exam taken on 12 June at age 30 is valid through 30 June five years later, not through 12 June.
Your age on the date of the examination. Turning 40 a week after your exam does not shorten the certificate you already hold, and it does not change until your next exam.
You cannot exercise the privileges that have lapsed, though lower privileges may still be covered if their longer period is still running. There is no grace period, and there is no penalty for letting one lapse. You simply book another exam with an AME.
No. You need one before your first solo flight, which typically happens between 15 and 25 hours into training. A discovery flight at $229 requires no medical certificate at all, and Sport Pilot at $8,400 requires none either.
No. BasicMed is a separate route under 14 CFR Part 68 with its own intervals, its own physician form and online course, and real limits on aircraft weight, occupants, altitude and speed. This calculator only covers medical certificates issued under Part 67.
Yes. An Authorization for Special Issuance can carry an expiry shorter than the standard period for that class. If your paperwork states a date, that date governs, not the standard duration.
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
Los Angeles Flight School
