One page, seven stages, every number in the open. 1,500 hours and roughly $89,000 separate a first discovery flight from an airline class date, spread over 18 to 30 months of full-time work. Here is what each stage requires, what it costs, how long it takes, and where the running total sits when you finish it.
The reason this path frightens people is that it gets presented as one enormous purchase. It is not. It is seven separate stages, and you can stop after any of them having lost nothing but the price of that stage. Plenty of people intend to reach an airline, finish the private certificate, discover they love flying and hate the idea of a schedule, and stop there perfectly happy.
So treat the table below as a menu with a running total rather than a contract. The cumulative column is the useful one — it tells you what you have spent by the end of each stage, which is the number that decides whether you continue. And note where the line crosses: at stage five you stop paying to fly and start being paid to fly. Everything before that point is investment. Everything after it is income.
Two honest caveats before the numbers. Costs assume consistent training, three to five flights a week, at a field with 355 flyable days a year; fly once a fortnight and every figure below grows. And nothing on this page is a promise of employment — we are a Part 61 flight school, we train pilots to FAA standards, and hiring is done by airlines on their own timetable.
Elapsed time assumes full-time training. Cumulative figures are what you pay us for training; FAA written exams, the checkride examiner and your medical are paid directly to third parties.
One hour in the left seat with an instructor beside you, over Los Angeles, hands on the controls. It is a real lesson and it is loggable dual instruction, which means stage one of your career counts toward stage two. Do this before you read another word about financing.
The foundation everything else stacks on. FAR 61.109 sets a 40-hour minimum and almost nobody finishes in 40 — the national average sits at 60 to 75. This is also the stage that answers the only question that matters, which is whether you actually want to do this for a living.
Flying in cloud on instruments alone. The single largest step up in skill on the whole ladder, and effectively mandatory for any career flying. FAR 61.65 requires 50 hours of cross-country pilot-in-command and 40 hours of instrument time, a good portion of which can be flown in the Redbird MCX at a fraction of aircraft cost.
The legal line between flying for fun and flying for money. FAR 61.129 requires 250 total hours, so a large part of this stage is simply accumulating them — long cross-countries, night flying, complex aircraft. The multi-engine add-on at $5,100 is not optional if the airlines are the destination.
Where the money starts flowing the other way. The flight instructor certificate has the reputation of the hardest checkride in general aviation, and it is the ticket to being paid to fly at 250 hours. Add the CFII and MEI — the MEI especially, because multi-engine time is otherwise the most expensive hour there is to buy.
1,250 hours to find, and this is the stage that separates people who finish from people who talk about it. Instructing 60 to 90 hours a month closes it in 12 to 18 months while earning $50,000 to $80,000 in Los Angeles. Renting the same hours would cost $223,750 even at our $179 package rate, which is the entire argument for the CFI certificate in one number.
At 1,500 hours with the right sub-minimums — 500 cross-country, 100 night, 75 instrument, 250 PIC under FAR 61.159 — you are eligible for the ATP. The ATP Certification Training Program course is very often paid for by the hiring airline. Eligible is not hired, and hiring is cyclical.
The cumulative column is the one to read. It is what you have spent by the end of each stage, and it is the number that decides whether you continue.
| Stage | Hours | Cost | Elapsed Time | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Discovery flight | 1.0 logged | $229 (90 min $299, 120 min $399) | one afternoon | 1 hr · $229 |
| 2 — Private Pilot Certificate | 40 minimum, 60–75 typical | $10,900 standard program | 3–4 months full time | ~70 hrs · ~$11,100 |
| 3 — Instrument Rating | 40 instrument, 50 XC PIC (FAR 61.65) | $11,700 | 3–4 months | ~120 hrs · ~$22,800 |
| 4 — Commercial + multi-engine | 250 total (FAR 61.129) | Multi-engine add-on $5,100 · commercial stage covered by the $89,000 program | 5–6 months | 250 hrs · $27,900 in published ratings |
| 5 — CFI, CFII and MEI | FAR 61.183: commercial + instrument, age 18 | All three ratings covered by the $89,000 program | 2–4 months | ~280 hrs · $89,000 all-in on the program |
| 6 — Building to 1,500 hours | 1,250 to build | none — you are being paid | 12–18 months | 1,500 hrs · net cost falling |
| 7 — ATP and the airlines | 1,500 (1,000–1,250 restricted ATP) | ATP CTP course, very often paid for by the hiring airline | varies with the hiring cycle | 1,500 hrs · career begins |
| Stage | Additional Detail |
|---|---|
| 1 — Discovery flight | Credited back in full if you enroll within 24 hrs |
| 2 — Private Pilot Certificate | Also needed: a third-class medical before you solo |
| 3 — Instrument Rating | Simulator: Redbird MCX, $189/session |
| 4 — Commercial + multi-engine | Multi-engine add-on $5,100 |
| 5 — CFI, CFII and MEI | Two written exams: FOI and FIA, before the checkride |
| 6 — Building to 1,500 hours | Income while building $50,000–$80,000 / yr |
| 7 — ATP and the airlines | First-year regional pay $80,000–$100,000 industry-wide |
Pay and hiring figures are industry-wide data from published airline pay scales and third-party reporting, not LA Flight School figures. We do not employ airline pilots, place graduates, or guarantee employment. FAA written exams, the checkride examiner and your medical are paid directly to third parties and sit outside every program price.
The same student, the same airport, three years apart — a first pre-flight, an instrument lesson, and a twin.
Route one is the $89,000 zero-to-airline program: every certificate from stage one to stage five on a single price and a single schedule, financed through Stratus Financial or an in-house plan. You know the number on day one and it does not move. It is the fastest calendar available and it suits people who have already decided and can train full time.
Route two is one certificate at a time. Buy the private certificate for $10,900, finish it, then decide about the instrument rating. Private Pilot $10,900, Instrument Rating $11,700, Multi-Engine add-on $5,100, with the commercial and instructor stages quoted at enrollment. It takes longer, but you can stop at any stage having lost only that stage. If you are keeping a job while you train, this is almost always the right answer, and the commercial pilot license cost page breaks down the later stages in detail.
The mistake we see most often is people choosing route one in week one, before they have flown. A discovery flight costs $229 and is credited back in full if you enroll within 24 hours, which makes finding out effectively free for anyone who continues. There is no version of this where flying first is the wrong order.
The single largest cost driver on the entire path. A student flying fortnightly re-learns the previous lesson every time and routinely adds twenty hours to the private certificate alone — $3,580 of extra flight time at our $179 package rate.
An FAA medical is the one item that can stop this outright. Get it in week one. Discovering a special issuance requirement in month eight is expensive in a way nothing else on this list is.
The ATP needs 500 cross-country, 100 night, 75 instrument and 250 PIC hours, not just 1,500 total. Instructors routinely hit 1,500 total and find themselves 30 night hours short, then buy the difference.
Multi-engine time is the scarcest thing in a low-time logbook and the most expensive hour there is to buy. Adding the MEI — covered by the $89,000 zero-to-airline program — means you build it while being paid rather than while paying.
The $10,900 Standard program and the $22,500 Premium program in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo produce exactly the same private certificate. Learn in the simple airplane and transition to glass later; doing it the other way round is the most common way people overspend on this roadmap.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Rating
For pilots already certificated who are adding a twin. Trained in our own Piper Seminole.
$5,100 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.
Van Nuys Airport, the fleet and the instructors who take students through all seven stages.
LA Flight School — 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406. Open 9am to 9pm, seven days.
The roadmap above does not need seven different flight schools. Every stage from the first discovery flight to the multi-engine add-on happens in aircraft we own and maintain at Van Nuys.
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.
FAA-approved, fully enclosed, and it moves. Stage three is where it earns its place — a good portion of the FAR 61.65 instrument time is flown in it, and it is never canceled for weather.
Simulator hours are built into every private pilot program — 2 hours on Standard and Premium, 5 hours on Comprehensive.
A seven-stage roadmap only holds together if the same school can take you through all of it. Every instructor here holds a commercial certificate or an ATP plus a CFI and a current medical, and is legally pilot in command on every flight.
There are eleven of them, which is what keeps stages two through five on a full-time calendar instead of a waiting list. You are not depending on one person's diary for three to five flights a week.
You are matched to an instructor at enrollment and you can change if the fit is wrong. They fly here as a career rather than treating the school as a waiting room, so the person who starts stage two is usually still here at stage five.
Every one of the seven stages above begins with the same hour. It is a real lesson, it is loggable, and it is credited in full against any program if you enroll within 24 hours.
Bring your calendar and your budget. Leave with this roadmap filled in with your own dates and a realistic monthly number.
You fly the aircraft over Los Angeles. Loggable dual instruction, credited in full against any program within 24 hours. 90 min $299, 120 min $399.
Stages two through five on one price and one schedule, first lesson through flight instructor. Stratus Financial and in-house payment plans available.
Prefer to go one stage at a time? Private Pilot $10,900 · Instrument Rating $11,700 · Multi-Engine add-on $5,100. Same certificates, longer calendar, no long-term commitment.
Sixty minutes over Los Angeles with your hands on the controls, logged as real dual instruction toward stage two. Enroll within 24 hours and the whole $229 comes off your program. Call (818) 290-8249 — open 9am to 9pm, seven days, at Van Nuys Airport.
Seven: a discovery flight, the private pilot certificate at 40 hours minimum, the instrument rating, the commercial certificate at 250 total hours with a multi-engine add-on, the flight instructor certificates, building to 1,500 hours while being paid, and then the ATP and airline applications. Full time the whole path runs 18 to 30 months.
$89,000. Our zero-to-airline program covers every certificate from the first lesson through flight instructor on one price. Taking it one stage at a time, the published prices are $10,900 for the Standard private pilot program, $11,700 for the instrument rating and $5,100 for the multi-engine add-on, with aircraft time for enrolled students at $179 an hour wet. FAA written exams, the checkride examiner and your medical are paid directly to third parties.
18 to 24 months to airline eligibility training full time, plus 12 to 18 months of paid hour building to reach 1,500 hours — so 30 months is a realistic end-to-end figure. Part-time training around a job typically takes three to four years to the same point.
40 hours minimum for the private certificate under FAR 61.109 with 60 to 75 typical, 40 instrument hours and 50 cross-country PIC hours for the instrument rating under FAR 61.65, 250 total hours for the commercial certificate under FAR 61.129, and 1,500 total hours for the ATP under FAR 61.159. Restricted ATP paths reduce that last figure to 1,000 or 1,250 hours for qualifying military and university backgrounds.
The ATP Certification Training Program is a classroom and simulator course that has been required before taking the ATP written exam since 2014. Hiring airlines very frequently pay for it as part of a new-hire package, so most pilots never write the check themselves.
Yes. Pipeline patrol, aerial survey, banner towing, jump flying and Part 135 cargo all build hours legally, though several require 500 hours or more before they will hire you. Instructing is simply the highest-paying option available at 250 hours, at $50,000 to $80,000 a year in Los Angeles, and the one that generates the pilot-in-command time airlines read first.
Take the program if you have decided, can train full time and want a fixed price and the shortest calendar. Pay stage by stage if you are keeping a job, are not yet certain, or want the option to stop after any certificate having lost only that certificate. The totals are similar; what differs is speed and commitment.
Book a $229 discovery flight, then book an FAA medical. In that order. The flight tells you whether you want this and the medical tells you whether you can have it, and the $229 flight is credited back in full if you enroll within 24 hours — which makes it a very small amount to spend before deciding about $89,000.
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.
Aviation News
Notes from the flight line at Van Nuys — weather, regulation changes, checkride questions and the cost of training, written up as they come.
Open 7 days · 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Los Angeles Flight School
