Training aircraft on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at sunset
Reference · 100+ Questions

Flight Training FAQ: Every Question People Actually Ask

Most flight school FAQ pages answer eight questions and none of the awkward ones. This one answers more than a hundred, including what things cost, what can disqualify you, what happens if you fail a checkride, and what we do not include. Written by the instructors at Van Nuys Airport who get asked these on the phone every day.

Call (818) 290-8249
Costs And MedicalsHours And TimelinesCareers And Visas
100+questions answered, grouped by subject
5.0★100+ Google reviews
$8,400our lowest-cost path to a pilot certificate
$229discovery flight, credited in full if you enroll within 24h
How To Use This Page

Start With The Question That Is Actually Stopping You

Almost everyone who calls us has one specific worry sitting underneath the general ones. Usually it is money, sometimes it is a medical condition, occasionally it is a fear of being too old or too young or too foreign or too bad at maths. The general questions are easy to answer. The specific one is the one that decides whether you ever book a lesson.

So this page is organized by subject and written to be skimmed. Use your browser's find function if you know the word you are looking for. Answers are short on purpose — one or two sentences, with the number in the first line. If an answer applies to your situation but you want it confirmed against your own paperwork, call (818) 290-8249 and ask for an instructor rather than a salesperson.

Flight instructor answering a student pilot questions before a lesson at Van Nuys Airport
Getting StartedCosts And PaymentsMedicals And HealthThe Training ItselfAircraft And SimulatorsWeather And SchedulingCertificates And RatingsCareersInternational StudentsOur School
Getting Started

Before You Book Anything

The questions people ask in the first phone call, in roughly the order they ask them.

Am I Eligible, And Is This For Me?

Do I Need Any Experience To Start Flight Training?
None at all. The overwhelming majority of students have never touched the controls of a small aircraft before their first lesson, and the syllabus assumes exactly that. Your instructor will have you flying the airplane within about ten minutes of takeoff.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Start Flying Lessons?
There is no minimum age to take lessons. You must be 16 to fly an airplane solo, 17 to hold a private pilot certificate, and 14 to solo a glider or balloon. We run a dedicated teens program for ages 10 to 15 at $4,200.
Am I Too Old To Learn To Fly?
There is no upper age limit on flying for pleasure. People start in their sixties and seventies routinely, and the only real requirement is holding a valid medical certificate — or flying under BasicMed or as a sport pilot, neither of which needs an FAA medical exam.
Do I Need A College Degree To Become A Pilot?
No FAA certificate requires a degree, including the Airline Transport Pilot certificate. Some major airlines still prefer one, but the regional carriers that hire first-job pilots generally do not.
Do I Need To Be Good At Maths?
You need arithmetic and the ability to read a chart. Fuel burn, weight and balance, and time-distance problems are all done on a rotating cardboard slide rule or a phone app, and the numbers involved are small.
Can I Learn To Fly If I Wear Glasses Or Contact Lenses?
Yes. The FAA medical standard is vision correctable to 20/20, not uncorrected 20/20. A very large share of professional pilots wear corrective lenses.
Do I Need To Be A US Citizen To Learn To Fly In America?
No. Non-US citizens must be approved through the TSA's Alien Flight Student Program before beginning training toward a certificate, which we walk you through on our TSA flight training approval page.
How Do I Know If I Will Actually Be Any Good At It?
You will not know until you fly, which is the entire reason a discovery flight exists. Manual coordination matters much less than most people expect; the students who struggle are usually the ones who fly infrequently, not the ones who lack talent.
Is Flying Dangerous?
General aviation carries more risk than driving a car and less than riding a motorcycle, and almost all of that risk is decision-based rather than mechanical — weather, fuel, and pressing on when you should turn around. Training is largely about teaching you to make those three decisions well.

The First Steps, In Order

What Is The Very First Thing I Should Do?
Book a discovery flight. It is $229 for 60 minutes, you fly the aircraft yourself with an instructor beside you, the hour is logged as real dual instruction, and the full amount is credited against any program if you enroll within 24 hours.
Is A Discovery Flight The Same As A Scenic Tour?
No. A tour is a ride; you sit and look out of the window. A discovery flight is lesson one — you do the preflight walkaround, you handle the controls in flight, and it goes in a logbook. Read the full explanation on what a discovery flight actually is.
What Do I Need To Bring To A Discovery Flight?
Government photo ID and closed-toe shoes. That is the entire list. Sunglasses are useful and we lend headsets.
Do I Need A Student Pilot Certificate Before My First Lesson?
No. You need it before your first solo flight, not before you start training. It is free, issued through the FAA's IACRA system, and your instructor submits it for you.
Do I Need A Medical Certificate Before I Start Lessons?
No, but get one early anyway. It is the single item that can genuinely stop your training, and finding out in week one is far better than finding out four months into a program.
How Soon After My First Lesson Can I Start The Real Program?
Immediately. Students frequently book their second lesson before they leave the building, and if you enroll within 24 hours the discovery flight price comes off the program.
When Will I Fly Solo?
Most students solo between 15 and 25 flight hours, which for someone flying twice a week is roughly two to three months in. Consistency moves that number far more than natural ability does.
What Is The Single Biggest Reason People Quit Flight Training?
Running out of money because they flew too infrequently. Someone who flies once a month spends the first twenty minutes of every lesson recovering what they lost, and the total hours required climb until the budget breaks. Fly twice a week or wait until you can.
Can I Try It Without Committing To Anything?
Yes, and we would prefer you did. A discovery flight, a $189 Redbird simulator session and a free in-person consultation are all available with no obligation and no deposit.
Money

Costs, Payments And What Is Not Included

Every figure here is published elsewhere on this site too. If a school will not put its numbers in text, that tells you something.

What Things Cost

How Much Does It Cost To Become A Private Pilot?
Our Standard Private Pilot Program is $10,900 for 40 logged hours, the Comprehensive is $15,900 for 60 logged hours, and the Premium is $22,500 flown in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo. Every one of those prices is fixed at enrollment and includes aircraft, dual instruction, Redbird simulator time, ground school and materials. Full itemisation is on the private pilot license price page.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Become A Pilot?
A sport pilot certificate at $8,400. It requires 20 flight hours rather than 40, needs no FAA medical if you hold a valid US driver's license, and limits you to light-sport aircraft, daytime visual conditions and one passenger.
How Much Does An Instrument Rating Cost?
$11,700 at our published rates. It is the rating that most changes what you can do with an aircraft in Los Angeles, because it lets you depart through the summer marine layer instead of waiting for it to burn off.
How Much Is A Multi-Engine Rating?
$5,100 as an add-on. There is no FAA minimum hour requirement — it is a proficiency rating, and most people finish in 10 to 15 hours.
What Does The Full Zero-To-Airline Path Cost?
$89,000 for our commercial and airline career program, which takes you from no experience to the certificates and ratings an airline first job requires.
What Does It Cost To Rent An Aircraft Per Hour?
We sell training packages rather than hourly rental to the public. Enrolled students train at the package rate of $179 an hour, wet, single-engine — already built into the program price and fixed at the moment you enroll. The Standard Private Pilot Program is $10,900 for 40 logged hours and the Comprehensive is $15,900 for 60.
What Is A Wet Rate?
An hourly aircraft rate with fuel included. A dry rate excludes fuel, which you buy separately, so a dry number always looks cheaper than it turns out to be. Always ask which one you are being quoted before you compare two schools. Every hour in every program we sell is wet, at the $179 package rate, single-engine.
How Much Does The FAA Written Exam Cost?
The written exam is booked and paid for directly with the testing center rather than with the school, and the fee is set by them. You take it at a PSI test center, and you should sit it before you finish flight training rather than after — that is the part that is actually in your control.
How Much Is The Checkride?
The checkride is conducted by a Designated Pilot Examiner who is independent of the flight school, so it is arranged and settled directly with them on their own terms. What we control is whether you are ready: your instructor signs you off only when you are consistently meeting the ACS standards.
How Much Is An Aviation Medical?
A third-class medical is issued by an Aviation Medical Examiner, who sets their own terms — it is arranged directly with the doctor rather than through the school or the FAA. Apply through MedXpress before the appointment and get it done early.
Do I Have To Buy A Headset?
No. We lend you a headset on your discovery flight and there is one available for every lesson after it. Books and training materials are included in all three private pilot programs, so there is nothing you need to buy before you start. Most pilots do eventually buy their own headset, simply because they prefer it.

Paying For It

Can I Pay As I Go Instead Of Paying Up Front?
We sell programs rather than loose hours, because continuity is what actually gets people to a certificate rather than to hour forty with no end in sight. If cash flow is the concern, financing starts from $2,500 down with monthly payment plans, and the program price is fixed at enrollment so nothing moves underneath you.
Do You Offer Financing?
Yes, through Stratus Financial and through in-house payment plans. Details are on our financing page.
Is The Discovery Flight Really Credited Back In Full?
Yes, the entire $229, against any training program, if you enroll within 24 hours of flying. It makes trying it free for anyone who continues, which is the point of doing it that way.
Why Do Quotes From Different Schools Vary By Thousands Of Dollars?
Three reasons, almost always: a different assumed number of flight hours, ground instruction billed separately rather than included, or a more expensive aircraft. A quote is not comparable to another quote until you know how many logged hours it delivers and what sits inside the price. Ours states both — 40 logged hours at $10,900, or 60 at $15,900, with simulator time, ground school and materials included.
What Is Not Included In Your Program Price?
Everything we control is inside it: the aircraft, the dual instruction, the Redbird simulator hours, the ground school, and your books and training materials. The items outside it are the ones no flight school provides at all — the FAA written exam, the checkride with an independent Designated Pilot Examiner, and your medical certificate from an Aviation Medical Examiner. Those are arranged directly with those parties.
Does Flying More Often Actually Save Money?
It mostly saves you time, which is the more useful answer. The gap between a twice-a-week student and a twice-a-month student is routinely twenty flight hours and more than a year of calendar. Because our package price is fixed at enrollment and any additional hours stay at the $179 package rate, an inconsistent schedule costs you months rather than a surprise bill — but the months are very real.
Will The Hourly Rate Go Up During My Training?
Not yours. Fuel moves and prices follow it across the industry, which is precisely why we fix yours at enrollment: enrolled students train at $179 an hour wet, single-engine, and the program price you sign up at is the one you finish at. Ask every other school on your list the same question, and get the answer in writing before you pay a deposit.
Can I Use A 529 Plan, An Employer Education Benefit Or A Student Loan?
Some students do, but eligibility depends entirely on the plan and on whether the training is tied to an accredited institution. Check with your plan administrator rather than taking a flight school's word for it.
Is There A Cheaper Way To Fly Once I Have My License?
Yes — a flying club, a partnership in an aircraft, or simply flying without paying for instruction you no longer need. The cost calculator will let you model it.
Medicals And Health

FAA Medical Certificates

The subject people are most reluctant to ask about, which is exactly why it belongs near the top.

The Basics

Which Class Of Medical Certificate Do I Need?
Third class for a private pilot, second class to exercise commercial privileges, first class for airline transport. Sport pilots need no FAA medical at all if they hold a valid US driver's license.
How Long Is A Third-Class Medical Valid?
60 calendar months if you are under 40 on the date of the exam, 24 months if you are 40 or over.
Who Issues An Aviation Medical?
An Aviation Medical Examiner, not your regular doctor. You complete the application in the FAA's MedXpress system online first, then take the reference number to the appointment.
What Is BasicMed?
An alternative to the third-class medical for certain private operations, using a state-licensed physician and a free online course. You must have held a valid FAA medical at some point since July 2006 to use it, so it is a renewal route rather than a starting route.
What Actually Disqualifies You From An FAA Medical?
Far less than people assume. The specifically disqualifying conditions are a defined list — certain cardiac, neurological, psychiatric and substance-related diagnoses — and many of them are still approvable through a Special Issuance. Talk to an AME before you conclude you are ineligible.
Can I Fly If I Take Antidepressants Or Have An ADHD Diagnosis?
Possibly, but not automatically, and this is the one area where you should speak to an AME before you file anything through MedXpress. Certain SSRIs are approvable under an FAA protocol and some ADHD histories are workable; an application filed badly is much harder to fix than one never filed.
Can I Fly If I Am Color Blind?
Usually yes, sometimes with a restriction against night flying and color signal control. There are alternative FAA tests, and passing one can remove the limitation.
Do I Need A Medical To Fly A Glider?
No FAA medical certificate is required for gliders or balloons. You self-certify that you have no known medical condition that would make you unable to operate safely.
I Have A Condition I Am Worried About — Who Do I Ask?
An Aviation Medical Examiner, and for complicated histories, an aviation medical consultancy. Do not ask a flight school and do not ask a forum. Our FAA medical certificate guide covers the process in Los Angeles.
The Training Itself

How Lessons, Exams And Checkrides Work

Time And Structure

How Long Does It Take To Get A Private Pilot License?
Six to nine months for a student flying two or three times a week. Accelerated programs compress that to a matter of weeks; flying once a fortnight stretches it past two years and costs considerably more.
How Many Flight Hours Do I Need?
40 is the FAA minimum under FAR 61.109. The national average is 60 to 75, and that gap is where most of the money goes.
How Long Is A Single Lesson?
Budget about two hours at the airport for one to one and a half hours in the air. Preflight, briefing and debrief are not padding — the debrief is where most of the learning actually lands.
What Happens In A Typical Lesson?
A ground briefing on the maneuver you are about to fly, the preflight walkaround, the flight itself, then a debrief where your instructor tells you what to fix and what to read before next time.
What Is Ground School And Do I Have To Do It?
It is the knowledge half of the certificate — weather, regulations, navigation, aerodynamics, aircraft systems — and yes, you need it to pass the written exam. Ours is included in the program price. See ground school in Los Angeles.
When Should I Take The FAA Written Exam?
Early — ideally within the first couple of months, and definitely before you start checkride preparation. Students who leave it until the end stall out, because the written becomes a wall between them and the finish line. Our written exam guide covers the format.
Is There Homework?
Yes, several hours a week if you want to finish near 50 hours rather than 75. Turning up to a lesson already knowing the maneuver is the cheapest thing you can do in aviation.
What Is A Checkride?
The FAA practical test, given by a Designated Pilot Examiner. An oral examination of one to two hours followed by a flight, tested against the published Airman Certification Standards, which are free to download and which you should read in your first month.
What Happens If I Fail My Checkride?
You receive a Notice of Disapproval listing the specific tasks you did not pass, you retrain those tasks with your instructor, and you retake only those items. It is a normal part of aviation and it is not the end of anything.
Do I Have To Fly Cross-Country Flights?
Yes. A private pilot certificate requires cross-country experience including a solo cross-country of at least 150 nautical miles with landings at three points. Ours typically run north toward the Santa Ynez valley or up the coast.
Do I Have To Fly At Night?
Yes — three hours of night training including ten takeoffs and landings and a night cross-country. Night flying over the LA basin is, for what it is worth, the part most students remember.
What Is The Hardest Part Of Learning To Fly?
Landings and the radio, in that order. Both are pattern-recognition skills that arrive suddenly rather than gradually, usually right after the week you were convinced you would never get them.

Instructors

Will I Have The Same Instructor Throughout?
That is the intention and it is what produces the fewest wasted hours. Ask any school — including this one — what its instructor turnover looks like, because a school that cannot answer is a school where you will be reintroducing yourself every few months.
What Happens If My Instructor Leaves?
You are reassigned, and your logbook and training records go with you. It costs you a few hours of re-familiarisation, which is real money, so it is a fair thing to ask about before you enroll.
What If I Do Not Get On With My Instructor?
Ask to change, immediately and without apologising for it. Personality fit affects how fast you learn far more than anyone likes to admit, and a good school will swap you without making it awkward.
Are Your Instructors Building Hours Toward An Airline Job?
Most flight instructors in the United States are. That is how the industry works and it is not a criticism — but it is the reason turnover exists anywhere, and it is why you should ask the question. We run a team of 11 and we hire instructors who want teaching to be the career rather than the waiting room.
Equipment

Aircraft, Simulators And Maintenance

What You Will Fly

What Aircraft Will I Train In?
Our Cessna, Piper and Diamond single-engine aircraft, on both the $10,900 Standard and the $15,900 Comprehensive programs. The $22,500 Premium program is flown entirely in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo, and the Piper Arrow and Piper Seminole are there for complex, high-performance and multi-engine work later. We own and maintain every one of them.
Cessna Or Piper — Does It Matter?
Not to the certificate. High wing gives you better ground visibility and shade; low wing gives you a better view in a turn and a step to stand on. Pick one, stay in it until you are consistent, then fly the other in an afternoon.
Should I Train In A Glass Cockpit Or Traditional Instruments?
Learn on whichever you will fly afterwards. Steam gauges force you to build a scan; glass makes information easier to read and harder to interpret when it fails. Transitioning either direction takes a few hours, so it is not the decision people treat it as.
Can I Train In The Cirrus?
Yes — that is precisely what the Premium Private Pilot Program is: $22,500, flown entirely in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo with its full glass cockpit, 38 aircraft hours, 2 hours in the Redbird and 40 hours logged. Most people still take the certificate on the $10,900 Standard or $15,900 Comprehensive program and transition into the Cirrus afterwards, which is a few hours rather than a course.
What Is CAPS?
The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System — a rocket-deployed parachute for the whole aircraft, not the occupants. It is standard on Cirrus aircraft and it has a documented save record.
How Well Maintained Are The Training Aircraft?
Aircraft used for instruction for hire require a 100-hour inspection under FAR 91.409(b) in addition to the annual inspection. A privately owned airplane needs only the annual. A training fleet is therefore inspected several times more often than the average private aircraft, and we own ours rather than leasing them in.
Do You Have A Flight Simulator?
A Redbird MCX full-motion, FAA-approved simulator. A session is $189, it is never canceled for weather, and it is the cheapest hour in aviation. Details on the Redbird MCX page.
Does Simulator Time Count Toward My Certificate?
A limited number of hours count toward the private pilot certificate, and considerably more count toward an instrument rating. Its real value is procedural: you can fly the same approach six times in an hour, which you cannot do in an airplane.
Can I Rent An Aircraft After I Get My License?
Our aircraft are here for our students and graduates, and access is arranged after a checkout with one of our instructors rather than from a public rate card. Full fleet details are on the training aircraft page.
Should I Buy My Own Aircraft?
Not before you hold a certificate and know what you actually want to fly. Training on a package at $179 an hour wet, with the price fixed at enrollment, beats ownership economically until you are flying well over a hundred hours a year — and by then you will know which airplane you actually want.
The Fleet

The Aircraft These Answers Refer To

We own every airplane on this ramp. Not a broker's rental, not a tired trainer with 12,000 hours on the airframe — ours, inspected on our schedule, and flown by our own instructors every day of the week.

Piper Warrior training aircraft at Van Nuys Airport
Piper Warrior — the standard private pilot trainer on the Standard and Comprehensive programs.
Diamond DA20 training aircraft at Van Nuys Airport
Diamond DA20 — bubble canopy and the best visibility on the ramp for early handling lessons.
Cessna trainer on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport
Cessna trainer — high wing and a simple panel, where the $8,400 sport pilot route is flown.
Piper Arrow II complex training aircraft at Van Nuys Airport
Piper Arrow II — retractable gear and constant-speed prop for complex and commercial work.
Cirrus SR22 Turbo at Van Nuys Airport flight school
Cirrus SR22 Turbo — glass cockpit and the CAPS airframe parachute. The $22,500 Premium program.
Piper Seminole multi-engine training aircraft at Van Nuys Airport
Piper Seminole — the twin, for the $5,100 multi-engine add-on.

Single-engine training on the Standard and Comprehensive programs is flown in the Cessna, Piper and Diamond aircraft. The Premium program is flown in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo with its full glass cockpit.

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.

A student's hands on the control stick and a kneeboard in a training aircraft, the instrument panel lit in front of them Most Given

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 Or Gift
Same Price

The Hollywood sign on its ridge seen past the wing of a light aircraft, with the San Fernando Valley beyond Two Seats

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 Or Gift
Same Price

A Cirrus SR22 Turbo parked on the ramp with both gullwing doors raised, showing the leather interior and glass cockpit The Nice One

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 Or Gift
Same Price

The flight school's Piper Seminole twin-engine training aircraft parked inside the hangar at Van Nuys Twin Engine

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 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.

Our Courses

Every Course We Offer, From First Flight To Airline

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.

5.0 Average Rating

100+ Google Reviews

Start Here

Discovery Flight

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

Book A Discovery FlightTake A Free Tour First

Open 9 AM–9 PM, Seven Days · (818) 290-8249

A student pilot at the controls of a Diamond DA20 at golden hour, the Van Nuys flight line behind the aircraftCertificateMost Popular

Private Pilot

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 A flight instructor and a young student side by side in the cockpit of a light training aircraftYouth Program

Teen Flight Training

Ages 10–15. For young people who want to start before they can legally solo.

$4,200 View Course Side profile of a Diamond DA20 training aircraft with its canopy raised on the ramp at Van Nuys AirportMilestone

Solo Certificate

Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone. The day everything changes.

$5,500 View Course Three Cessna 162 Skycatcher light sport aircraft parked in a row on the ramp at Van Nuys AirportCertificate

Sport Pilot

A real certificate with fewer hours and narrower privileges. The shortest honest route to flying yourself.

$8,400 View Course A pilot at the controls of a Diamond DA20 with the canopy open on the ramp at Van Nuys AirportBundle

Comprehensive Private Pilot

Private Pilot with flight time, ground instruction and study materials bundled into one price.

$15,900 View Course A student pilot at the controls of a Diamond DA20 on the ramp at Van Nuys AirportBundle

Premium Private Pilot

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 Sun breaking under a low cloud deck over Santa Monica Bay, seen from the cockpit in flightRating

Instrument 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 The flight school's Piper Seminole twin-engine training aircraft parked inside the hangar at Van NuysRating

Multi-Engine Rating

For pilots already certificated who are adding a twin. Trained in our own Piper Seminole.

$5,100 View Course A Piper Arrow II photographed head-on inside the hangar with its landing gear doors open

Our Fleet

See Every Aircraft You Could Train In

Diamond DA20, Cessna 162, Piper Arrow II and our Piper Seminole twin — all on the field at Van Nuys.

View The Fleet

The Full Route

Airline Pilot Program

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

Explore The ProgramSee Financing Options

Free In-Person Tour Before You Commit

Not Sure Which One

Come And See The School First

Course prices are packages, not hourly rates - the aircraft, your instructor, ground school and simulator time are all in the figure. A free in-person tour of the hangar and the flight line, no obligation. Or call and we will talk you through the ladder in ten minutes.

Book A Free Tour Call (818) 290-8249

Financing Options Redbird MCX Simulator — $189/Hour Our Training Fleet

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.

5.0Google100+ Reviews 355Flyable DaysA Year At Van Nuys 9–9Open Daily9 AM To 9 PM, 7 Days
The Downtown Los Angeles skyline under an overcast sky, seen from a small airplane on a flight with LA Flight School, from the Google review by Marc Bolanos SAFETY FIRST
Marc BolanosJAN 2026 Google
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
The view from the pilot seat of a small training airplane, with the instrument panel beside the window and Los Angeles below, from the Google review by Diego Gutierrez DISCOVERY FLIGHT
Diego GutierrezOCT 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
The sun setting over the hills past the wing of a small airplane on a sunset flight from Van Nuys, from the Google review by Ethan Pilon SUNSET CIRRUS
Ethan PilonOCT 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
A yellow and white Piper training airplane, registration N6312C, parked on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport under a clear blue sky, from the Google review by Mia Bompat FLYING LESSON
Mia BompatJUN 2026 Google
★★★★★
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...
Sunset over the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu coastline, seen from a small airplane above Santa Monica Bay, from the Google review by Sanaz Diba KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
Sanaz DibaAUG 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
Pink and orange sunset clouds over the ridgelines of the Santa Monica Mountains, photographed from a small airplane, from the Google review by Rakkad Alhouqani HONEYMOON SURPRISE
Rakkad AlhouqaniJUL 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
A row of yellow and white LA Flight School training airplanes parked on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at dusk, from the Google review by Niyousha Aslejafari FULL-MOTION SIM
Niyousha AslejafariNOV 2025 Google
★★★★★
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...
A student and an instructor in headsets in the front seats of a small airplane, flying toward the sunset over the Pacific, from the Google review by Bruce Guido DISCOVERY FOR TWO
Bruce GuidoNOV 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
A smiling LA Flight School student standing in front of a white training airplane outside the hangar at Van Nuys Airport, from the Google review by George Attallah SIMULATORS
George AttallahAPR 2024 Google
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
A student pilot in a headset sitting in a Cirrus with the door raised, parked outside a hangar at Van Nuys Airport, from the Google review by Tania Anders TEEN FIRST LESSON
Tania AndersJUN 2025 Google
★★★★★
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...
A white Cirrus being moved out of its hangar at Van Nuys Airport before a flight, from the Google review by Meghan Klien FIRST-TIME FLYER
Meghan KlienOCT 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
The Downtown Los Angeles skyline under an overcast sky, seen from a small airplane on a flight with LA Flight School, from the Google review by Marc Bolanos SAFETY FIRST
Marc BolanosJAN 2026 Google
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
The view from the pilot seat of a small training airplane, with the instrument panel beside the window and Los Angeles below, from the Google review by Diego Gutierrez DISCOVERY FLIGHT
Diego GutierrezOCT 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
The sun setting over the hills past the wing of a small airplane on a sunset flight from Van Nuys, from the Google review by Ethan Pilon SUNSET CIRRUS
Ethan PilonOCT 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
A yellow and white Piper training airplane, registration N6312C, parked on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport under a clear blue sky, from the Google review by Mia Bompat FLYING LESSON
Mia BompatJUN 2026 Google
★★★★★
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...
Sunset over the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu coastline, seen from a small airplane above Santa Monica Bay, from the Google review by Sanaz Diba KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
Sanaz DibaAUG 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
Pink and orange sunset clouds over the ridgelines of the Santa Monica Mountains, photographed from a small airplane, from the Google review by Rakkad Alhouqani HONEYMOON SURPRISE
Rakkad AlhouqaniJUL 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
A row of yellow and white LA Flight School training airplanes parked on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at dusk, from the Google review by Niyousha Aslejafari FULL-MOTION SIM
Niyousha AslejafariNOV 2025 Google
★★★★★
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...
A student and an instructor in headsets in the front seats of a small airplane, flying toward the sunset over the Pacific, from the Google review by Bruce Guido DISCOVERY FOR TWO
Bruce GuidoNOV 2024 Google
★★★★★
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...
A smiling LA Flight School student standing in front of a white training airplane outside the hangar at Van Nuys Airport, from the Google review by George Attallah SIMULATORS
George AttallahAPR 2024 Google
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
A student pilot in a headset sitting in a Cirrus with the door raised, parked outside a hangar at Van Nuys Airport, from the Google review by Tania Anders TEEN FIRST LESSON
Tania AndersJUN 2025 Google
★★★★★
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...
A white Cirrus being moved out of its hangar at Van Nuys Airport before a flight, from the Google review by Meghan Klien FIRST-TIME FLYER
Meghan KlienOCT 2024 Google
★★★★★
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.

Weather And Scheduling

Flying In Los Angeles Specifically

When You Can Fly

How Often Do Lessons Get Canceled For Weather In LA?
Rarely. Southern California gives you 355 flyable days a year, which is the single biggest reason it is cheaper to learn here than in Seattle or Chicago — every canceled lesson elsewhere is currency you have to buy back in the air.
What Is The Marine Layer?
Low coastal stratus that pushes into the LA basin overnight in late spring and summer and usually burns off by mid to late morning. It delays lessons more often than it cancels them, and it is the reason an instrument rating is worth more here than the weather statistics suggest.
What Time Of Day Is Best To Fly?
Early morning is smoothest and coolest, which is why it books out first. Afternoons bring thermals and, in autumn, Santa Ana winds — excellent visibility and demanding mechanical turbulence over the basin.
Can I Train Through The Winter?
Winter is arguably the best flying season in Los Angeles. Cool dense air improves aircraft performance, visibility after a front is exceptional, and the marine layer largely disappears.
Are You Open At Weekends?
We are open 9am to 9pm, seven days a week. Weekend morning slots are the most competitive, so book those a week or two out.
How Far In Advance Do I Need To Book A Lesson?
A week ahead for a specific instructor and a specific time; often the same week for weekday slots. Students who lock a recurring slot — Tuesday 7am and Saturday 8am, for example — finish faster than students who book ad hoc.
What Happens If Weather Cancels My Lesson?
You are not charged for the aircraft, and you can usually convert the slot into a ground lesson or a Redbird session. Never fly a lesson you are not comfortable with because you feel obliged to use the booking.
Is Van Nuys A Hard Airport To Learn At?
It is a busy Class D field under the LAX Class B shelf, so you will learn radio work and airspace discipline early because you have no alternative. It is harder in the first month and it produces a more capable pilot by the checkride.
Certificates And Ratings

What Each License Lets You Do

The Ladder

What Is The Difference Between A Pilot Certificate And A Pilot License?
Nothing. The FAA issues certificates and that is the correct US legal term; everyone says license in conversation, including instructors.
What Are The Main Pilot Certificates?
Student, sport, recreational, private, commercial and airline transport, with instrument, multi-engine and instructor ratings added on top. The full ladder is on our types of pilot licenses page.
Sport Pilot Or Private Pilot — Which Should I Get?
Sport if cost is the constraint or an FAA medical is a genuine problem: 20 hours, $8,400, daytime visual conditions, one passenger, light-sport aircraft. Private if you want to fly at night, carry more people, or go somewhere in weather that is merely acceptable rather than perfect — $10,900 for the Standard program. Full comparison at sport pilot vs private pilot.
What Does A Private Pilot Certificate Actually Let Me Do?
Fly almost any single-engine airplane you are checked out in, day or night, anywhere in the United States, carrying passengers, sharing operating costs pro rata — but not flying for hire or compensation.
What Is An Instrument Rating And Do I Need One?
It permits flight in cloud and low visibility by sole reference to instruments, under air traffic control. You do not need it to fly for fun in California, and it is still the rating that most improves your actual competence. $11,700 with us; see instrument rating in Los Angeles.
What Is A Multi-Engine Rating?
Authorization to fly aircraft with more than one engine. No FAA minimum hours — it is judged on proficiency, typically 10 to 15 hours in our Piper Seminole. $5,100 as an add-on.
What Is A Commercial Pilot Certificate?
The certificate that permits flying for compensation or hire. 250 total flight hours under Part 61, plus specific cross-country, night and complex aircraft requirements. See how to become a commercial pilot.
What Is A CFI?
A Certified Flight Instructor. It is the standard way US pilots build hours toward an airline job while being paid to fly. Ours is covered at CFI training in Los Angeles.
What Is An ATP?
The Airline Transport Pilot certificate — 1,500 hours in most cases and a minimum age of 23 for the unrestricted version. Graduates of certain approved programs can hold a restricted ATP at 1,000 to 1,250 hours and age 21.
What Is A Type Rating?
A rating specific to one aircraft type, required for aircraft over 12,500 lb or turbojet-powered. This is what an airline pilot means by being typed on a 737, and the airline usually pays for it.
Does A Pilot Certificate Expire?
No. The certificate itself is issued for life. What expires is your medical and your currency: a flight review every 24 calendar months, and three takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days to carry passengers.
Can I Fly Abroad With An FAA License?
You can fly US-registered aircraft internationally, and most countries will issue a validation or a license on the basis of an FAA certificate under their own conversion rules. Converting an FAA certificate into an EASA one is a real process rather than a formality — check with the national authority concerned.
What Is Part 61 Versus Part 141?
Part 61 is the flexible route, without a fixed FAA-inspected syllabus; Part 141 is the approved-syllabus route with slightly lower hour minimums and much less scheduling flexibility. We are a Part 61 school. The comparison is at Part 61 vs Part 141.
Careers

Flying For A Living

The professional path is fixed and long: private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, then hours built as an instructor toward an ATP. Two to three years full time, and the hour-building phase is most of it. The ten questions below are the ones career-minded students ask, answered without a recruitment pitch.

$89,000 Zero-To-Airline1,500 Hours For An ATPNo Degree Required By The FAA
Airline pilot in uniform beside a jet aircraft

The Professional Path

How Do I Become An Airline Pilot?
Private certificate, instrument rating, commercial certificate, multi-engine rating, then build to 1,500 hours — usually by instructing — and hold an ATP. Our zero-to-airline program covers that path at $89,000.
How Long Does Zero-To-Airline Take?
Two to three years is realistic full time: roughly nine to eighteen months for the certificates and ratings, then a year or more building hours as an instructor. Anyone promising much faster is either counting differently or not counting hour building.
Do Airlines Require A Four-Year Degree?
Regional airlines generally do not. Some legacy carriers still prefer one and it can matter later in a career, but it is not an FAA requirement at any level.
How Do Pilots Build 1,500 Hours?
Flight instructing is the dominant route because you are paid to fly. Banner towing, pipeline patrol, aerial survey, skydive operations and Part 135 cargo are the others.
Do I Need A Part 141 School To Get An Airline Job?
No. Airlines hire on total time, certificates, ratings and record — not on which part of the regulations your school operated under. A Part 141 program with an FAA authorization can lower the ATP hour requirement to 1,000 or 1,250, which is a timing advantage rather than a hiring requirement.
Is There Really A Pilot Shortage?
Airline hiring runs in cycles and has swung hard in both directions over the past decade. Plan your training around your own finances and timeline rather than a hiring forecast, because the forecast will change before you finish.
What Do Airline Pilots Earn?
Pay varies enormously by carrier, aircraft, seat and seniority, and the actual figures are published in each airline's contract. Read those rather than a flight school's marketing page — including ours.
When Do Airline Pilots Have To Retire?
65 for Part 121 scheduled airline operations under US law. There is no mandatory retirement age for flying privately, for instructing, or for many other commercial operations.
What Flying Jobs Exist Besides The Airlines?
Corporate and charter flying under Part 135, flight instruction, aerial firefighting, air ambulance, banner and glider towing, agricultural work, survey and photography flying, and test flying. Several pay competitively and involve far less time away from home.
Can I Fly Professionally With Corrective Lenses?
Yes. First-class medical standards require distant vision correctable to 20/20 in each eye separately, and glasses or contacts are fine.
International Students

Training In The US On A Foreign Passport

Immigration and security rules change. Everything here should be confirmed against current FAA, TSA and USCIS guidance before you commit money to travel.

Visas, TSA And Paperwork

Can International Students Train At Your School?
Yes. Non-US citizens train at Van Nuys regularly, and the process is set out in full in our international student pilot guide.
What Is TSA Approval And Do I Need It?
The Alien Flight Student Program, run by the TSA, requires non-US citizens to be vetted before beginning flight training toward a certificate or rating. You apply online, pay a processing fee, submit fingerprints and wait for approval. Details at TSA flight training approval.
How Long Does TSA Approval Take?
Plan on several weeks from application to approval, and start it well before you book flights. Fingerprinting availability is usually the slowest step.
What Visa Do I Need?
The M-1 vocational student visa is the standard route for full-time flight training in the United States. Visa categories, eligibility and permitted activity are immigration questions — confirm your specific case with a US consulate or an immigration attorney before booking travel.
Do I Need To Speak Fluent English?
You must be able to read, speak, write and understand English to hold an FAA certificate. It is a regulatory requirement and the examiner assesses it. Conversational fluency is enough; the technical vocabulary is taught.
Can I Convert My Foreign Pilot License To An FAA One?
There is a route under FAR 61.75 for issuing an FAA private certificate on the basis of a foreign license, and it involves FAA verification with the issuing authority. Confirm the current process directly with the FAA, because processing details change.
How Long Will I Need To Be In The United States?
A focused private pilot course can be completed in a matter of weeks flying most days; realistically allow longer for weather, exams and examiner scheduling. Our accelerated training page explains the compressed format.
What Documents Should I Bring?
Passport, visa documentation, TSA approval confirmation, your logbook and any existing license or medical certificate. Bring originals — copies are frequently not accepted.
Our School

Questions About LA Flight School Specifically

Practical Details

Where Are You Located?
7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406, at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world.
What Are Your Opening Hours?
9am to 9pm, seven days a week. Phone (818) 290-8249.
Are You Part 61 Or Part 141?
Part 61. It gives us the flexibility to build a schedule around your work rather than around a fixed FAA-approved syllabus, which suits most people learning to fly alongside a job.
Can I See A Rate Sheet Before I Commit?
You can see the full package inclusions in text, which is the more useful document, and you should demand the same from every school you consider. Ours are published on this site rather than in a photograph of a laminated card: $10,900 buys 40 logged hours, $15,900 buys 60, and both include aircraft, instruction, Redbird simulator time, ground school and materials.
Is The Rate I Start At The Rate I Finish At?
Yes. Your program price and the $179 package rate are fixed at enrollment and do not move while you train, which is the single thing our reviewers mention most. Fuel prices move and prices across the industry follow them, so ask every other school the same question and get the answer in writing.
Do You Teach Teenagers?
Yes — a dedicated teens program for ages 10 to 15 at $4,200. They cannot solo an airplane until 16 or hold a private certificate until 17, but every hour logged before then counts.
Can I Bring Someone With Me On A Discovery Flight?
Yes. Discovery Flight For Two is $299 for 60 minutes, the Cirrus version is $499 and the multi-engine Seminole flight is $499.
I Am Frightened Of Flying. Is This A Bad Idea?
Frequently the opposite. Understanding what the aircraft is doing removes most of the fear, and we run a dedicated fear of flying course in Los Angeles. The $189 Redbird simulator is a reasonable first step if the airplane feels like too much.
Can I Just Talk To Someone Before Booking Anything?
Yes. The in-person consultation is free, takes about half an hour and produces a written plan with a timeline and a cost. Book it on our free consultation page — nothing is attached to it.
How Do I Choose Between You And Another School?
Ask both of us the same sixteen questions. We published them at how to choose a flight school, including the ones that are uncomfortable for us to answer.
Redbird MCX

A Full-Motion Simulator, And It Is Not A Toy

FAA-approved, fully enclosed, and it moves. Procedures, instrument scan, radio work and emergencies all transfer straight to the aircraft — and it is never canceled for weather, which answers about a dozen of the scheduling questions above on its own.

Simulator hours are built into every private pilot program — 2 hours on Standard and Premium, 5 hours on Comprehensive. A standalone session is $189.

Your Instructor

Career Instructors, Not Hour-Builders Passing Through

Every instructor here holds a commercial or ATP certificate plus a CFI and a current medical, and the instructor is legally pilot in command on every flight. That is the answer to a surprising number of the questions on this page, including most of the nervous ones.

There are eleven of them, which is why a twice-a-week slot is realistic rather than aspirational and why a weather cancellation is rebooked in days rather than weeks. You are matched to an instructor when you enroll, and if the fit is wrong you change — nobody here treats that as a complaint.

They fly here as a career rather than treating the school as a waiting room for an airline class date. It shows up in the debrief, which is the part of a lesson our reviewers mention most often.

Flight instructor and student wearing headsets in the cockpit at Van Nuys Airport
Start Here

The Answer To Most Of These Questions Is One Hour In An Airplane

A discovery flight is a real lesson — you fly the aircraft, the time is loggable dual instruction, and the full price is credited against any program if you enroll within 24 hours.

Redbird Simulator Session

$189 / 1 hr

Full-motion, FAA-approved, never canceled for weather. The gentlest possible start.

Most Chosen

Discovery Flight For One

$229 / 60 min

You fly it. Logged as dual instruction. Credited in full against any program within 24 hours. 90 min $299, 120 min $399.

Free Consultation

$0

Half an hour with an instructor, your calendar and your budget. You leave with a written plan and no obligation.

Bringing someone? Discovery Flight For Two is $299 for 60 minutes, the Cirrus version is $499, and the multi-engine Piper Seminole flight is $499. Programs: Sport Pilot $8,400 · Private Pilot $10,900 Standard, $15,900 Comprehensive, $22,500 Premium · Instrument Rating $11,700 · Multi-engine add-on $5,100 · Solo Certificate $5,500 · Teens 10–15 $4,200 · Zero-to-airline $89,000. Enrolled students train at $179 an hour wet, single-engine, fixed at enrollment. Financing from $2,500 down.

Back to School: $500 off any private pilot program through 30 September 2026. Standard $10,400 · Comprehensive $15,400 · Premium $22,000. Ask when you enroll.

Keep Reading

Next Step

You Will Learn More In One Hour Of Flying Than In An Evening Of Reading

Sixty minutes over Los Angeles with your hands on the controls, logged as real instruction. If you enroll within 24 hours the whole $229 comes off your program. Call (818) 290-8249 or book online.

Discovery Flight For One
$229
60 minutes · you fly the aircraft · fully loggable · credited on enrollment
FAQ

The Questions We Are Asked Most

Our Standard Private Pilot Program is $10,900 for 40 logged hours at Van Nuys Airport, the Comprehensive is $15,900 for 60 logged hours, and the Premium is $22,500 flown in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo. A sport pilot certificate is $8,400. Each price includes aircraft, dual instruction, Redbird simulator time, ground school and materials, and it is fixed at the moment you enroll.

Six to nine months for a student flying two or three times a week, and that is the honest figure rather than the brochure one. The FAA minimum is 40 flight hours under FAR 61.109, but the national average is 60 to 75 — which is why our Comprehensive program is built around 60 logged hours. Flying twice a month rather than twice a week typically adds a year to the calendar.

40 flight hours minimum for a private pilot certificate under FAR 61.109, 20 for a sport pilot certificate, 250 for a commercial certificate, and 1,500 for an unrestricted Airline Transport Pilot certificate. Most private pilot students actually finish between 55 and 75 hours depending on how consistently they fly.

Not to begin lessons, but you need a third-class medical certificate before your first solo flight. It is issued by an Aviation Medical Examiner and is valid for 60 months if you are under 40, 24 months if you are older. Sport pilots need no FAA medical at all if they hold a valid US driver's license, which is one reason the $8,400 sport route suits some people better.

A real first flight lesson, not a sightseeing ride. At LA Flight School it is $229 for 60 minutes, you handle the controls yourself with a certified instructor beside you, the time is logged as dual instruction in your logbook, and the full $229 is credited against any training program if you enroll within 24 hours.

There is no minimum age to take flying lessons — our teens program for ages 10 to 15 is $4,200. You must be 16 to fly an airplane solo, 17 to be issued a private pilot certificate, 18 for a commercial certificate and 23 for an unrestricted ATP. Gliders and balloons allow solo at 14, and there is no maximum age for private flying.

Yes. Non-US citizens must be approved through the TSA's Alien Flight Student Program before beginning training toward a certificate, which takes several weeks and requires fingerprints and documentation. The M-1 vocational student visa is the usual route for full-time training, and visa eligibility should be confirmed with a US consulate or an immigration attorney.

It is demanding rather than difficult, and the failure mode is almost always inconsistency rather than ability. Landings and radio work are the two things that feel impossible for a few weeks and then suddenly are not. Students who fly twice a week finish near 50 hours; students who fly twice a month often need 75 or more.

$179 an hour, wet, single-engine — the package rate for enrolled students. It is already built into every program price we publish and it is fixed when you enroll, so the number you start at is the number you finish at. Financing starts from $2,500 down with monthly plans available.

Our Cessna, Piper and Diamond single-engine aircraft on the $10,900 Standard and $15,900 Comprehensive private pilot programs. The $22,500 Premium program is flown entirely in a glass-cockpit Cirrus SR22 Turbo, and the $5,100 multi-engine add-on is flown in the Piper Seminole. We own and maintain all of them ourselves.

Yes. Our Redbird MCX is a full-motion, FAA-approved, fully enclosed simulator, and simulator hours are built into every private pilot program — 2 hours on the Standard and Premium, 5 hours on the Comprehensive. A standalone session is $189, and it is never canceled for weather.

Yes. Financing starts from $2,500 down with monthly payment plans, and there is currently $500 off any private pilot program — $10,400 Standard, $15,400 Comprehensive, $22,000 Premium. Ask about it when you enroll, and book a $229 discovery flight first so you know you want it.

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

One email. Opt out any time.

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.

All Aviation News
A young woman in a headset in the cockpit of a blue and white airplane with the door open, looking ahead

Part 61 Or Part 141: What Actually Changes For You

Read The Post The red and white nose and three-blade propeller of a Cirrus SR22 Turbo inside the LA Flight School hangar at Van Nuys Airport

How To Pass The Private Pilot Written Test In 30 Days

Read The Post The Downtown Los Angeles towers seen close up over the wing of a Cirrus circling the city

How To Get A Weather Briefing: What Student Pilots In Los Angeles Need To Know

Read The Post