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.
Coastal Flight · Santa Monica To Point Dume
Fly The Malibu And Santa Monica Coast
Out through the canyons, and suddenly there is nothing but water. The Pier, the Palisades, Malibu, Point Dume, Zuma — fifty miles of coastline with the Pacific on one side and the Santa Monica Mountains on the other. And you are the one flying it.
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
Open 9 AM–9 PM, Seven Days · (818) 290-8249
CertificateMost 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
Youth Program
Teen Flight Training
Ages 10–15. For young people who want to start before they can legally solo.
$4,200 View Course
Milestone
Solo Certificate
Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone. The day everything changes.
$5,500 View Course
Certificate
Sport Pilot
A real certificate with fewer hours and narrower privileges. The shortest honest route to flying yourself.
$8,400 View Course
Bundle
Comprehensive Private Pilot
Private Pilot with flight time, ground instruction and study materials bundled into one price.
$15,900 View CourseBundle
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
Rating
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
Rating
Multi-Engine Rating
For pilots already certificated who are adding a twin. Trained in our own Piper Seminole.
$5,100 View Course
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 FleetThe 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
Free In-Person Tour Before You Commit
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...
12 milesfrom Van Nuys to the shoreline
50+ milesof coast within a 90-minute flight
5.0★100+ reviews on Google
$299two people, 60 minutes
The Route
Where The Coastal Flight Takes You
Over The Mountains To The Water
Van Nuys to the coast is twelve miles, which in an airplane is about six minutes. You climb out of the Valley, cross the Santa Monica Mountains — brown ridgelines, canyon roads, houses clinging to impossible slopes — and then the ground simply stops and the Pacific begins. It is the single most dramatic moment of any flight we run.
Santa Monica And The Palisades
Turn left along the shoreline and the Pier comes up first, the Ferris wheel small and perfectly round from above. Then the bluffs at Pacific Palisades, Will Rogers, and the long straight run of PCH threading between the cliffs and the sand.
Malibu, Point Dume And Zuma
North of Topanga the coast opens out. Malibu Pier, the Colony, the surf lines at Surfrider stacked in parallel curves. Point Dume juts out into the water with the cliffs dropping straight down, and beyond it Zuma runs for two uninterrupted miles of sand. In winter and spring you regularly see gray whales from here — they migrate right along this stretch.
Or South, To Palos Verdes
The other direction is just as good and nobody expects it. South past LAX — you watch the airliners on final from above and to the side — to Manhattan and Hermosa, then the cliffs at Palos Verdes, the Point Vicente lighthouse, and the harbour at Long Beach with the Queen Mary and the container cranes. Ask your instructor for this one if you have flown the Malibu side before.
Timing
The Coast Rewards Picking The Right Hour
Coastal flying in Southern California has one variable that matters more than any other: the marine layer. A shallow deck of cloud pushes onshore overnight and usually burns back out to sea by late morning. It is most persistent in May and June — the pattern locals call May Gray and June Gloom — and it can put the shoreline under cloud while the Valley sits in full sun.
That is why we will sometimes suggest a mid-morning slot rather than a dawn one for the coastal route specifically, which is the opposite of our usual advice. Your instructor checks the actual forecast before you book and again on the day, and if the coast is socked in we will either fly the Hollywood and Valley route instead or reschedule you at no cost. Nobody pays for a flight into cloud.
Late afternoon is the other sweet spot. The light comes off the water sideways, the cliffs at Point Dume glow, and the whole coastline turns gold for about forty minutes. It is bumpier than morning air, but for photographs there is nothing close.
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
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
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
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
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.
Safety
Flying The Coast Safely
Coastal flying adds two variables — water and weather. Both are handled by procedure, not by hope.
🏖
We Stay Within Gliding Distance
Our coastal routes are flown at altitudes and distances offshore that keep a suitable landing site within gliding range throughout — standard practice for single-engine flight over water.
🦺
Flotation Carried
Flotation equipment is carried on routes that operate beyond gliding distance from shore, and your instructor briefs its location before you start the engine.
🌫
Marine Layer Is A Hard Stop
If the coast is below our weather minimums we fly the inland route or reschedule you free of charge. We do not push a coastal flight into cloud.
✈
100-Hour Inspections
Under FAR 91.409(b) aircraft used for flight instruction for hire are inspected every 100 flight hours, in addition to the annual inspection.
🪂
Parachute On The Cirrus
The SR22T carries CAPS, a rocket-deployed parachute for the entire airframe — particularly reassuring on any route with water underneath it.
👨✈️
A Professional In Command
An FAA-certified flight instructor is pilot in command at all times, flies the takeoff and landing, and has a full second set of controls.
FAQ
Coastal Flight Questions
About ten minutes to reach the shoreline near Santa Monica, and another eight or so up the coast to Malibu. A 60-minute flight covers Santa Monica and Malibu comfortably; 90 minutes gets you past Point Dume and Zuma with time to circle anything you want a second look at.
Often, yes — gray whales migrate along this stretch of coast between roughly December and April and are frequently visible from the air. Dolphin pods are common year-round. We cannot promise wildlife, but the odds are better from 1,500 feet than from the beach.
Our coastal routes are planned to remain within gliding distance of a suitable landing site, and flotation equipment is carried when a route operates beyond that. Combined with a professional instructor in command and 100-hour maintenance inspections, coastal flying is a routine, well-understood operation.
We fly the inland route — Hollywood Sign, the studios, the Valley and downtown — or reschedule you at no cost, whichever you prefer. The instructor makes the weather call and it is never negotiable.
The Cirrus SR22T at $499 for two. It is the fastest aircraft in the fleet, so you cover more coastline per minute, it has air conditioning, and the visibility from the cabin is the best we operate. That said, the $299 trainer flies the same route perfectly well.
Your instructor takes off and lands. Everything in between — the climb over the mountains, the turn along the shoreline, the run up to Malibu — is yours, with the instructor coaching and able to take over instantly.
Talk To Us
Fifty Miles Of Coastline, And You Are Flying
Book online or call (818) 290-8249 and we will check the marine layer forecast with you before you commit to a slot.
Discovery Flight For Two
$299
60 minutes down the coast, two people, you fly it
Book For Two
Or Call (818) 290-8249
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