Aerial view over the San Fernando Valley from a training flight out of Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport · KVNY

Flight School Van Nuys — Train Where Los Angeles Learns to Fly

Los Angeles Flight School operates on the field at Van Nuys Airport, one of the busiest general-aviation airports in the world, with the largest dedicated training fleet at KVNY and two FAA-approved Redbird MCX full-motion simulators.

On the field at 7900 Balboa BlvdLessons 9am to 9pm dailyFree on-site parking
5.0★on Google, from 53 reviews
2,000+discovery flights, flown safely
15+ yearsFAA-certified instructor experience
7 typesfrom Skycatcher to Seminole
Why Van Nuys

The busiest GA airport in America is also its best classroom

Van Nuys is not a sleepy training field, and that is exactly the point. You learn inside real Class D airspace with professional controllers, on two parallel runways given over almost entirely to light aircraft, minutes from the practice areas over the Santa Susana Pass and the Malibu coastline. Students who train at Van Nuys graduate comfortable on the radio and confident in complex airspace — skills that pay off for the rest of their flying lives.

The weather cooperates too. While coastal airports sit under the marine layer, the Valley usually burns clear by late morning, which is why Van Nuys students train on schedule year-round. Combine that with a tower whose whole job is sequencing light aircraft, and you spend your money flying rather than waiting.

Several schools operate at Van Nuys Airport. What separates ours is fleet depth and honesty: the largest dedicated training fleet on the field, so scheduling is never the bottleneck, and published prices on every program, so you know the real number before you walk in. Add two FAA-approved Redbird MCX full-motion simulators, financing through Stratus Financial with in-house payment plans, and a free in-person consultation before you commit to anything.

A training aircraft on a flight over the San Fernando Valley
Training packages

Every program at Van Nuys, priced honestly

Packages, not hourly teaser rates — aircraft, instructor, ground school and simulator time are included.

Solo Certificate

$5,500

Train to your first solo, sport or private track.

Learn more

Sport Pilot License

$8,400

The fastest route to flying legally as pilot in command.

Learn more
Most popular

Standard Private Pilot

$10,900

The full FAA Private Pilot Certificate. Where most students start.

Learn more

Comprehensive Private Pilot

$15,900

More simulator and ground time built into the package.

Learn more

Premium Private Pilot

$22,500

Train in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo with the widest margin of hours.

Learn more

Instrument Rating

$11,700

The rating that makes a license useful in SoCal weather.

Learn more

Multi-Engine Rating

$5,100

A short add-on rating flown in the Piper Seminole.

Learn more

Airline Pilot Program

$89,000

Zero time to airline-ready, financing available.

Learn more

How much is flight school?

guide

Every fee itemized — including the ones schools forget to mention.

Learn more
Every course above is a package — the price covers the aircraft, your instructor, ground school and the simulator time in that package. Financing is available through Stratus Financial and in-house payment plans, and a discovery flight is credited in full against any package if you enroll within 24 hours. All training flies from Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A.
Discovery flights

Try it first — a discovery flight over Los Angeles

You fly the aircraft from the left seat with an instructor beside you. The time is loggable and counts toward a certificate.

Discovery Flight For One

$229/ 60 min

You fly it. 90 min $299, 120 min $399.

Learn more

Discovery Flight For Two

$299/ 60 min

Bring a passenger. 90 min $399, 120 min $499.

Learn more

Luxury Cirrus For Two

$399/ 60 min

The SR22 Turbo, glass cockpit. 90 min $549, 120 min $699.

Learn more

Multi-Engine Discovery

$499/ 60 min

The Piper Seminole twin. 90 min $699, 120 min $899.

Learn more

Redbird Simulator Session

$189/ 1 hr

FAA-approved full-motion MCX, on the field at Van Nuys.

Learn more
Choosing a school

How to compare Van Nuys flight schools

1

Fleet depth decides your timeline

A school with three airplanes and forty students becomes your bottleneck the first time maintenance takes an aircraft down. We run the largest dedicated training fleet at Van Nuys — Cessna 162, Diamond DA20, Piper Warrior, Piper Arrow II, Cirrus SR22 Turbo and Piper Seminole — so the airplane is never the reason you didn't fly.

2

Published prices beat phone quotes

Every program price is on this page. Ask any school that quotes by phone what their average graduate actually pays — then compare it to our package numbers, which are built on realistic hours rather than FAA minimums nobody hits.

3

Simulators cut real money

Two FAA-approved Redbird MCX full-motion simulators mean procedures, emergencies and instrument approaches get practiced at a fraction of aircraft cost — and weather never cancels a sim lesson.

4

Start free, decide later

The in-person consultation costs nothing: tour the fleet, meet instructors, and leave with a personal training plan. A discovery flight is credited in full against any package if you enroll within 24 hours.

FAQ

Van Nuys flight school questions

Sport Pilot is $8,400, Private Pilot programs run $10,900 to $22,500 depending on aircraft and pace, the Instrument Rating is $11,700 and the Multi-Engine Rating is $5,100. The complete Airline Pilot Program is $89,000. Every package includes aircraft, instructor, ground school and simulator time.

Book a discovery flight from $229 or a free in-person consultation. You will fly with a certified instructor, tour the fleet, and leave with a personal training plan. No experience is required to begin.

No — you need an FAA medical certificate before your first solo, not your first lesson. Our FAA medical guide walks you through getting one in Los Angeles, and sport pilot training requires only a driver's license.

Most students earn the private pilot certificate in three to six months flying two to three times per week. Sport pilot takes about two months, and accelerated full-time students can finish a private certificate in six to eight weeks.

Students drive in from Sherman Oaks, Encino, Burbank, Woodland Hills, Studio City, Glendale, Santa Monica, Calabasas, Santa Clarita and across greater Los Angeles — most of the Valley is within twenty minutes of our ramp at 7900 Balboa Blvd.

It is busy in the best way: a tower dedicated to light aircraft, two parallel runways, and constant real-world radio practice. Students trained at Van Nuys handle complex airspace anywhere because they have been doing it since lesson one.

Talk to us

Your first lesson is one phone call away

Book a Redbird session for $189 or a real discovery flight from $229, and see Los Angeles from the pilot's seat this week. Call (818) 290-8249 or book online — the consultation is free and the coffee is decent.

Discovery Flight For One
$229
60 minutes, hands on the controls, fully loggable
Book a discovery flight or call (818) 290-8249