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.
2026 Prices · Published, Not Quoted
How Much Does Flight School Cost In Los Angeles?
A private pilot certificate at Van Nuys is $10,900 for the 40-hour standard program and $15,900 for the 60-hour comprehensive. Sport pilot is $8,400, the instrument rating is $11,700, and the complete zero-to-airline program is $89,000. Every one of those numbers is on this page rather than behind a phone call.
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 Cirrus For Two
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
$399Book 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.
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...
$10,900standard private pilot program, 40 logged hours
$179/hrwet, single-engine, package rate for enrolled students
5.0★100+ reviews on Google
$2,500down, where financing starts
The Short Answer
How Much Does Flight School Cost In Los Angeles?
At LA Flight School in Van Nuys the published package prices are $8,400 for a sport pilot certificate, $10,900 for the standard private pilot program with 40 logged hours, $15,900 for the comprehensive with 60 logged hours, $22,500 for the premium program flown in a Cirrus SR22 Turbo, $11,700 for an instrument rating, $5,100 for a multi-engine add-on and $89,000 for the complete zero-to-airline career program. Each package includes the aircraft, the instructor, ground school and Redbird MCX simulator time.
The reason quotes vary so widely across schools is that most of them price by the hour and then estimate how many hours you will need. 14 CFR 61.109 sets 40 hours as the FAA minimum for a private certificate, and AOPA puts what students actually need at between 50 and 70 hours. A school quoting the 40-hour minimum at an hourly rate is quoting a number that very few students actually pay.
We sell fixed packages instead, which moves the risk of extra hours off the student. Enrolled students fly at $179 an hour, wet, in a single-engine aircraft — that is the aircraft and its fuel, and it is the only hourly figure we publish. Instructional hours sit inside the package price. Financing through Stratus Financial and our in-house payment plans starts at $2,500 down. Before you commit to any package, check what a discovery flight near you costs — $229 for sixty minutes, credited in full if you enroll within 24 hours.
Every Price On One Page
What Does Each Pilot Certificate And Rating Cost?
Published 2026 package prices at Van Nuys Airport, with the regulation that sets the training requirement for each.
| Program | What it covers | The regulation | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport Pilot License | 20 hours minimum, single-engine | 14 CFR 61.313 | $8,400 |
| Solo Certificate | Training to first solo | 14 CFR 61.87 | $5,500 |
| Standard Private Pilot | 40 logged hours, 30 dual, 2 simulator, 3 ground | 14 CFR 61.109 | $10,900 |
| Comprehensive Private Pilot | 60 logged hours, 50 dual, 5 simulator, 10 ground | 14 CFR 61.109 | $15,900 |
| Premium Private Pilot | 40 logged hours in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo | 14 CFR 61.109 | $22,500 |
| Instrument Rating | 50 hours cross-country PIC, 40 instrument | 14 CFR 61.65 | $11,700 |
| Multi-Engine Rating | Add-on class rating, Piper Seminole | 14 CFR 61.63 | $5,100 |
| Teen Flight Training, ages 10 to 15 | Built around the school calendar | — | $4,200 |
| Zero-to-airline career program | No experience to airline-ready | 14 CFR 61.159 and 61.160 | $89,000 |
| Redbird MCX simulator session | One full-motion simulator session | — | $189 |
| Discovery Flight For One | 60 minutes, loggable dual instruction | 14 CFR 61.109 | $229 |
Enrolled students fly at $179 an hour, wet, in a single-engine aircraft. That figure is the aircraft and its fuel; instructional hours sit inside the package price. It is the only hourly rate we publish, and we do not rent aircraft by the hour to pilots who are not training with us.
Where The Money Goes
What Actually Drives The Cost Of Flight Training?
Aircraft time is the biggest line item, roughly two-thirds of the total. 14 CFR 61.109 sets the FAA minimum for a private certificate at 40 hours and AOPA puts what students actually need at between 50 and 70. That gap is where budgets fail, and it is driven almost entirely by training frequency. Fly two or three times a week and skills compound. Fly once a fortnight and you pay aircraft rates to re-learn last month, every lesson.
Instructor time is the second item, and in our packages it is bundled rather than metered, so it cannot surprise you in month four. The third lever is the simulator. An hour in the FAA-approved Redbird MCX costs a fraction of an aircraft hour, is never canceled for weather, and is the right place to meet an engine failure or an instrument approach for the first time. Two simulator hours are inside the $10,900 standard program and five inside the $15,900 comprehensive.
The fourth is weather, and it is the one Los Angeles wins on. We measured twelve months of NOAA hourly observations at Van Nuys against a 3,000 ft ceiling and 5 statute miles visibility and counted 355 flyable days a year. A canceled lesson is not just a lost day; it is a gap that costs aircraft time to close.
Pay Less
How Do You Make Flight School Cheaper?
Five levers, in the order of how much money they actually save.
1
Fly Two Or Three Times A Week
This is the single biggest cost lever any student controls, and it is worth more than any discount. The difference between finishing near the 40 hours in 14 CFR 61.109 and drifting past 70 is roughly thirty aircraft hours.
2
Pass The Written Exam Before You Solo
Ground knowledge is cheap and aircraft hours are not. The private pilot airplane knowledge test is 60 questions in 2 hours with a passing score of 70, per the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, and there is no regulatory reason to leave it late — 14 CFR 61.39 only requires it passed before the practical test.
3
Use The Simulator Deliberately
Procedures, emergencies and instrument work practiced in the Redbird MCX transfer straight to the aircraft, and a simulator session is $189. It is also the lesson that survives a marine layer morning.
4
Train Where The Fleet Is Deep Enough
Canceled lessons stretch timelines and budgets. A school that owns its aircraft and inspects them every 100 hours under 14 CFR 91.409(b) plans its downtime; a school brokering aircraft discovers it.
5
Choose The Package That Matches Your Honest Pace
If you can fly two or three times a week, the $10,900 standard program at 40 logged hours is the cheaper honest answer. If you cannot, the $15,900 comprehensive at 60 logged hours costs less than the standard program plus thirty hours bought one at a time. Pick against your calendar, not your optimism.
Courses & Pricing
Every Course 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.
Start Here
Discovery Flight
The First Hour At The Controls. Credited Toward Your Training If You Enroll Within 24 Hours Of Landing.
From$229
Book A Discovery Flight
01
Discovery Flight
The first hour at the controls; credits toward training if you enroll within 24 hours of landing.
From$229
02
Teen Flight Training Ages 10–15
Starting before it is legal to solo.
$4,200
03
Multi-Engine Rating
For existing pilots adding a twin.
$5,100
04
Solo Certificate
Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone.
$5,500
05
Sport Pilot
A real certificate, fewer hours, narrower privileges.
$8,400
06
Private Pilot Most Enrolled
The one most people mean by “learn to fly.”
$10,900
07
Instrument Rating
Turns a fair-weather pilot into a useful one.
$11,700
08
Comprehensive Private Pilot
Private with flight time, ground instruction and materials bundled.
$15,900
09
Premium Private Pilot
The most flight time before your checkride - 80 logged hours.
$22,500
10
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
Next Step
Get A Number For Your Calendar, Not A Teaser Quote
The free in-person consultation at Van Nuys ends with a written training plan and a real cost estimate built around how often you can actually fly. If you would rather fly first, the $229 discovery flight is a real lesson and the full price comes off any program if you enroll within 24 hours. Call (818) 290-8249.
Discovery Flight For One
$229
Credited in full against any package within 24 hours
Book A Discovery Flight
Or Call (818) 290-8249
Keep Reading
Cost Detail
Private Pilot License Cost In Los AngelesFlight School Cost CalculatorHow Much Does It Cost To Become A PilotThe Cheapest Way To Get A Pilot's LicenseFlight School Financing Options
FAQ
Flight School Cost Questions
At Van Nuys the published package prices are $8,400 for a sport pilot certificate, $10,900 for the standard private pilot program with 40 logged hours, $15,900 for the comprehensive with 60 logged hours and $22,500 for the premium program in a Cirrus SR22 Turbo. The instrument rating is $11,700 and the complete zero-to-airline program is $89,000.
$10,900 for 40 logged hours or $15,900 for 60 logged hours at Van Nuys, including the aircraft, the instructor, ground school and Redbird MCX simulator time. 14 CFR 61.109 sets the FAA minimum at 40 hours, and AOPA puts what students actually need at between 50 and 70.
Because most schools quote an hourly rate multiplied by the FAA minimum of 40 hours from 14 CFR 61.109, and most students need more than 40. Ask any school what a typical student actually pays in total rather than what the hourly rate is. Our packages are priced at 40 and 60 logged hours so the number does not move after you enroll.
$179 an hour, wet, in a single-engine aircraft, for enrolled students. That covers the aircraft and its fuel; instructional hours sit inside the package price. It is the only hourly figure we publish, and we do not rent aircraft by the hour to pilots who are not training with us.
$229 for a 60-minute flight lesson at Van Nuys in which you fly the aircraft with a certificated instructor beside you, or $189 for a session in the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator. The full price is credited against any program if you enroll within 24 hours.
Yes. Financing through Stratus Financial and our in-house payment plans starts at $2,500 down, with the balance spread across the training. We sell packages rather than blocks of flying time, so you enroll on a program and pay it down.
For a career pilot the relevant comparison is the $89,000 zero-to-airline program against the earnings of the job, and we publish an airline pilot salary guide rather than making claims about hiring. For everyone else, an FAA pilot certificate does not expire — 14 CFR 61.56 only requires a flight review every 24 calendar months to keep exercising it.
The 4 that are not paid to the school: the FAA medical examination, the knowledge test, the examiner's fee for the practical test, and personal equipment such as a headset. Those are charged by the aviation medical examiner, the testing center, the examiner and the retailer, not by us. Our packages cover the aircraft, the instructor, ground school, simulator time and books.
We do not publish an instructor hourly rate, because instruction is bundled into the package price rather than metered. The standard private pilot program at $10,900 includes 30 hours of dual instruction and the comprehensive at $15,900 includes 50.
A sport pilot certificate at $8,400, which needs 20 hours under 14 CFR 61.313 rather than the 40 in 14 CFR 61.109, and which can be exercised on a valid US driver's license in place of a medical certificate under 14 CFR 61.23(c), subject to the conditions in that paragraph. It carries a smaller set of privileges in exchange.
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
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
★★★★★
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...
See Discovery Flight Details — $229
Reviews shown verbatim, exactly as each reviewer published them.
Aviation News
Latest From The Field
Notes from the flight line at Van Nuys — weather, regulation changes, checkride questions and the cost of training, written up as they come.
Van Nuys Airport · KVNY
(818) 290-8249
7900 Balboa Blvd. Suite 108A
Van Nuys, CA 91406 Get directions →
Open the full contact page
Open 7 days · 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Los Angeles Flight School7900 Balboa Blvd. Suite 108A
Van Nuys, CA 91406 Get directions →
★★★★★
5.0 · 100+ Google reviews