In Short
- Where: over the Malibu coastline, on the far side of the Santa Monica Mountains from Van Nuys.
- What: the four fundamentals of flying, on lesson one.
- Why there: room to work, and a shoreline and mountains to keep you oriented.
Where It Is
Malibu runs along the Pacific coast west of Santa Monica, with the Santa Monica Mountains rising right behind it. Van Nuys Airport sits on the other side of those mountains, in the San Fernando Valley. Our practice area is out over that coastline, a short flight from the airport.
Getting There From Van Nuys
- TakeoffYour instructor flies the takeoff from Van Nuys and talks to the tower.
- The ValleyIn the climb over the San Fernando Valley, the controls come to you. You hold the climb and a heading.
- The MountainsCrossing the Santa Monica Mountains, you make your first turns.
- The CoastOver the Malibu coastline, the lesson begins in earnest.
- HomeYou fly back toward Van Nuys; your instructor flies the approach and the landing.
The trip there and back is part of the lesson. Climbing, holding a heading and turning are exactly the skills you're there to learn.
Why Train Over The Coast
- A horizon you can see. On a clear day the horizon over the ocean is easy to pick out, and keeping the nose in the right place against the horizon is most of lesson one.
- Landmarks that keep you oriented. The shoreline, the mountains and Point Dume make it easy to know where you are, and which way Van Nuys is.
- Room to work. A practice area is where a flight school flies its maneuvers. Your instructor knows it well, which leaves you free to concentrate on flying.
What You Do There
Before any maneuver, your instructor makes a pair of clearing turns to look for other traffic. Then, one at a time, they demonstrate and you fly:
- Straight and level: nose on the horizon, wings level, power set, then trim.
- Climbs and descents: change the power, change the attitude, then trim again.
- Turns: roll into a bank, add a touch of rudder, hold your altitude, roll out on a heading.
- Trim: setting the airplane up to fly itself, so your hands can relax.
Want to know the basics before you go? Read how the airplane controls work.
Weather And The Marine Layer
Low cloud along the coast is common in Los Angeles mornings, especially in late spring and early summer, and it usually burns off as the day warms. Your instructor checks the weather before you go. If we cancel for weather, we reschedule you at no cost, and your lesson never expires.
Questions
Will we fly over the Hollywood Sign and Downtown LA?
Not on the lesson. It stays focused on the practice area so you can concentrate. The landmark route is what our discovery flights fly.
Is the flight to Malibu included in the 70 minutes?
Yes. The roughly 70 minutes of flying covers the trip out, the maneuvers and the trip back.
Can I take photos?
Yes, when your instructor says it's a good moment. For much of the lesson your hands will be busy flying.