If you already hold a private or commercial certificate, the multi-engine add-on is $5,100 in a Piper Seminole, at a field thirty-five minutes west of Pasadena.
You already know what Vmc is and why it moves. So this page is not going to explain asymmetric thrust to you. The add-on is $5,100 in a Piper Seminole, it usually takes somewhere between ten and fifteen hours of dual, and most pilots coming from Pasadena knock it out in a concentrated block rather than one lesson a week. Booking three or four consecutive days is the efficient way to do it and it is how we would rather teach it.
If you fly out of El Monte or Whiteman already, keep your home field. Nothing about this requires you to move. Fly or drive over, do the rating, go back. The reason people make the trip is simply that the Seminole is here, along with a Redbird MCX full-motion simulator for procedures work and a schedule that runs 9 AM to 9 PM seven days a week, so a block of days is actually bookable rather than theoretical.
Pasadena being what it is, a fair number of the pilots who come to us for this rating are engineers, and the conversation tends to go straight to numbers: single-engine service ceiling on a hot day, accelerate-stop distance, what the critical engine actually costs you in rudder authority. That is a good way to approach a twin. The airplane is unforgiving of hand-waving and the checkride is designed to find out whether you understand it or have memorized it.
Four stages, and in a concentrated block they can sit across three or four consecutive days.
The Seminole on paper before the Seminole in the air: fuel system, counter-rotating propellers, feathering and the unfeathering accumulator, gear and electrical. Then the performance section, where single-engine service ceiling stops being trivia. Over the San Gabriels behind Pasadena on a summer afternoon, the number you calculated on the ground is the number that decides where you can go.
Takeoffs, landings, steep turns, slow flight and stalls in an airplane that is heavier, faster and less forgiving of sloppy rudder than whatever you have been flying. Van Nuys has two parallel runways and constant jet traffic, so pattern work here is busy on purpose. Most pilots need a few hours simply to stop flying it like a bigger single.
The core of the rating. Vmc demonstrations, drag demonstrations, engine failures on takeoff and in cruise, identification and verification, feathering and securing. We do a good share of the procedural drilling in the Redbird MCX first, because repeating a failure eight times in an hour on the ground makes the airborne version cheaper and much calmer.
Engine-out approaches and landings, single-engine go-around decision making, then oral prep and a stage check. There is no additional written exam for a multi-engine add-on to an existing certificate. The examiner will push on systems and performance in the oral, so know your numbers rather than your talking points about them.
Every figure below is the real, published price. No "call for a quote," no hidden block-time minimums.
Add multi-engine privileges to your existing private or commercial certificate, in our twin-engine Piper Seminole.
Aircraft are available to qualified pilots who have checked out with us — call for availability.
Not rated yet? Take a Multi-Engine Discovery Flight and fly the Seminole hands-on.
From Pasadena it is the 210 west into the 134 west near the Colorado Street Bridge, through Glendale and Burbank, then the 101 north to Balboa Boulevard and four miles north through the Sepulveda Basin. Twenty-four miles, about thirty-five minutes. Parking is free at 7900 Balboa in the lot outside Suite 108A. If you would rather not drive at all and you are current in a single, a positioning flight from El Monte or Whiteman takes a fraction of the time and is a legitimate way to arrive.
The advantage of doing this rating in a block is that the drive stops being a real factor. Three or four visits total rather than fifteen. If you are driving, avoid westbound on the 134 between 7:30 and 9:30 and eastbound between 4 and 7, and use the fact that we fly until 9 PM. Late afternoon into evening is often the best slot for engine-out work in summer anyway, once the thermals over the basin have settled down.
Pick your aircraft, pick a date and time, and you are on the schedule. You fly the airplane yourself with an FAA-certified instructor beside you — and every flight is 100% credited toward training if you enroll within 24 hours.
Full-motion simulator with an instructor. No weight limit, no medical needed.
Reserve →You in the pilot's seat over Los Angeles, hands on the controls the whole way.
Book Now →One of you flies hands-on, the other takes in the skyline. Share the story.
Book Now →Premium Cirrus SR22 glass cockpit and extended air time over the LA basin.
Book Now →Twin-engine Piper Seminole and a genuine look at the professional path.
Book Now →The twin is a Piper Seminole, and it is the airplane the $5,100 multi-engine add-on is flown in from first hour to checkride. It is the conventional choice for multi training for good reasons: counter-rotating propellers, honest handling, a Vmc that behaves the way the textbook says it does, and enough performance to be interesting without being a handful. If you want to sit in it before committing, the Multi-Engine Discovery Flight is $499 for sixty minutes, $699 for ninety and $899 for two hours.
Alongside it there is a Piper Arrow II if you need complex time or a currency flight, a Cirrus SR22 Turbo with a full glass cockpit — the airplane the $22,500 Premium Private Pilot program is flown in — and the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator. The Redbird carries more of a multi-engine syllabus than most pilots expect, particularly the procedural repetition. Instructors here hold FAA certificates and 15 or more years of experience, and the school holds a 5.0 rating on Google across 100+ reviews.
When you are busy with one engine shut down, the useful landmarks are the ones with room underneath them.
The wide flat flood basin in the northeast Valley, roughly halfway between Van Nuys and Pasadena. Large, open, unbuilt and directly under a common eastbound track, which is exactly the sort of thing to have filed away.
Southeast of Pasadena on the floor of the San Gabriel Valley, and the nearest tower and runway if the eastern leg goes wrong. Worth having the frequency out on any flight over the basin in the Seminole.
The block of hills between Glendale and Pasadena that the 134 skirts. Modest terrain, but enough to matter to single-engine climb performance on a hot day, and a clean visual boundary between the two valleys.
The wall of national forest rising straight out of Altadena and La Canada to more than five thousand feet. There is nothing under you there. It is the clearest argument in the region for knowing your single-engine service ceiling before departure.
The add-on is $5,100 for pilots who already hold a private or commercial certificate. Aircraft are available to qualified pilots who have checked out with us — call (818) 290-8249 for availability. A Multi-Engine Discovery Flight, if you want to fly the airplane before you commit to the rating, is $499 for sixty minutes, $699 for ninety and $899 for two hours.
Usually ten to fifteen hours of dual, which most pilots complete in three or four consecutive days or across two or three weekends. Prior tailwheel, complex or high-performance time helps, and recent currency helps more. There is no additional knowledge test for an add-on rating, so the calendar is driven by flying and the oral rather than by studying for a written.
You are not being asked to change home fields, only to come over for the rating. The Seminole, the Redbird MCX simulator and a 9 AM to 9 PM schedule seven days a week are what make a concentrated block possible, and a block is how this rating should be flown. If you are current in a single, a positioning flight over is quicker than the 134 and counts as time in your logbook.
Twenty-four miles and about thirty-five minutes: the 210 west into the 134, then the 101 north and up Balboa Boulevard. Westbound between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning and eastbound between 4 and 7 in the evening are the slow windows, and both are easy to schedule around given we fly until 9 PM. Doing the rating as a block means you make the drive three or four times, not fifteen. Parking is free outside Suite 108A.
A private or commercial certificate, a current medical and a flight review that is still in date. Bring your logbook and certificate to the first session. If you want multi-engine instrument privileges you will need to hold an instrument rating, and if you do not, we can talk about the instrument rating separately at $11,700.
Book It Or Gift It
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.
Twin Engine
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
Most Given
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
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
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
$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
Real pricing on every program we teach at Van Nuys Airport, beyond the pricing already shown above.
5.0 Average Rating
100+ Google Reviews
Start Here
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
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
Ages 10–15. For young people who want to start before they can legally solo.
$4,200 View Course
Milestone
Enough training to take an aircraft around the pattern alone. The day everything changes.
$5,500 View Course
Certificate
A real certificate with fewer hours and narrower privileges. The shortest honest route to flying yourself.
$8,400 View Course
Bundle
Private Pilot with flight time, ground instruction and study materials bundled into one price.
$15,900 View CourseBundle
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
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
Our Fleet
Diamond DA20, Cessna 162, Piper Arrow II and our Piper Seminole twin — all on the field at Van Nuys.
View The FleetThe Full Route
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
Loved On Google
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...
Reviews shown verbatim, exactly as each reviewer published them.
This is a short rating with a short drive attached, and the Seminole is usually free on the days you want it. Call (818) 290-8249 or come by 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, and we will pull up the calendar and block out your days.
Or Send Us A Message And We'll Come Back To You The Same Day →
