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.
Van Nuys Airport · KVNY
Sport Pilot Certificate: The FAA Term, And What It Buys You
The FAA does not issue licenses. It issues certificates, and 14 CFR 61.23(c)(1)(ii) lets you exercise sport pilot privileges on a valid US driver license instead of an FAA medical certificate. Twenty hours of flight time, $8,400, flown from Van Nuys.
Certificate, not licenseNo FAA medical · 61.23(c)(1)(ii)20 hours · 61.3135.0 ★ · 120+ Google reviews
$8,400complete sport pilot certificate package
20 hrsFAA minimum flight time under 14 CFR 61.313
59 ktmaximum stall speed of a sport-pilot airplane under 14 CFR 61.316
5.0 ★120+ Google reviews
The word itself
It Is A Certificate. The FAA Has Never Issued A Pilot License.
Search the whole of 14 CFR Part 61 and you will not find a pilot license. The document is an airman certificate, the regulation that creates sport pilot privileges is Part 61 Subpart J, and the plastic card the FAA posts to you after your checkride says certificate on it. Everyone says license in conversation, including us, and nobody at this school will correct you at the front desk. But if you are reading regulations, filling in an IACRA application or talking to an examiner, certificate is the word that matches the paperwork.
The distinction is not pedantry once you understand what a certificate is. A license, in most other contexts, expires. Your sport pilot certificate does not. It has no expiry date printed on it and the FAA does not renew it. What expires is your currency, which is a separate thing entirely and is the part people actually get wrong.
To act as pilot in command you need a flight review with an instructor within the preceding 24 calendar months under 14 CFR 61.56 — an hour on the ground and an hour in the air, with no pass or fail attached to it in the way a checkride has. To carry your one passenger you need three takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days under 14 CFR 61.57. Let those lapse and the certificate is still perfectly valid; you simply cannot use it until you fly with an instructor again.
The medical
The Reason This Certificate Exists: No FAA Medical Required
This is the fact that should be at the top of every sport pilot page on the internet, and on most of them it is a bullet point somewhere near the bottom.
| The rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| 14 CFR 61.23(c)(1)(ii) | A sport pilot may exercise the privileges of the certificate using a valid United States driver license in place of an FAA medical certificate. No Aviation Medical Examiner appointment, no MedXPress, no waiting on a decision. |
| 14 CFR 61.303(b) | The driver-license route requires that you were found eligible for at least a third-class medical certificate at your most recent application, that your most recent medical certificate has not been suspended or revoked, that no Special Issuance authorization has been withdrawn, and that you know of no condition that would make you unable to fly safely. Never applied for a medical at all? Then none of that applies to you. |
| 14 CFR 61.53 still applies | You may not act as pilot in command while you know of a medical condition that would make you unable to fly safely. That judgment is yours, before every flight, with or without a medical certificate. |
| Who decides whether you qualify | An Aviation Medical Examiner or the FAA. Not a flight school, not a forum, and not this page. If there is anything in your history you are unsure about, talk to an AME before you choose a training track. Our FAA medical certificate guide explains how that appointment works. |
What it takes
Twenty Hours, One Written Exam, One Checkride, $8,400
The FAA minimum for a sport pilot certificate in a single-engine airplane is 20 hours of flight time under 14 CFR 61.313. At least 15 of those are dual instruction and at least 5 are solo, and inside them you fly two hours of cross-country training and a solo cross-country of at least 75 nautical miles landing at two points. A private pilot certificate needs 40 hours under 14 CFR 61.109. That halving is the entire reason the sport certificate costs less.
Then there are two tests. The sport pilot knowledge test is a computer-based FAA written exam, and it is its own exam rather than a shortened private one. The practical test is an oral examination followed by a flight with an FAA-designated pilot examiner, and you walk out of it with a temporary certificate the same day.
Our sport pilot package is $8,400, which covers the aircraft, the instruction, ground school and simulator time as one number rather than an hourly rate that moves. Financing starts at $2,500 down. What we cannot package is how often you fly — two or three lessons a week keeps you near the 20-hour minimum, and a lesson every fortnight quietly turns it into 35.
The honest limits
What The Certificate Does Not Let You Do
Sport pilot privileges and limitations are set out in 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J, rewritten by the MOSAIC final rule in 2025. These are real constraints, not marketing softeners, and you should read them before you spend anything.
1
One Passenger, However Many Seats
14 CFR 61.315(c)(4) limits a sport pilot to one passenger. MOSAIC opened four-seat airplanes to sport pilots but left that limit untouched, so the aircraft grew and the load did not. A family of four still does not fit.
2
10,000 Ft, Three Miles, No Class A
14 CFR 61.315(c)(11) caps you at 10,000 ft MSL or 2,000 ft AGL, whichever is higher. Visibility must be at least 3 statute miles with visual reference to the surface under 61.315(c)(12) and (c)(13), and Class A airspace from 18,000 ft is closed to you.
3
Only Aircraft That Meet 14 CFR 61.316
There is no weight limit and no light-sport definition in 14 CFR 1.1 any more. The test is 14 CFR 61.316: a stall speed (VS1) of 59 knots CAS or less for airplanes, four seats at most, unpressurised, fixed gear and a fixed, ground-adjustable or automated controllable-pitch propeller. Retractable landing gear, or a manual controllable-pitch propeller, needs the training and endorsement in 14 CFR 61.331.
4
Towered Fields Need 61.325
Operating at an airport with an operating control tower, and in Class B, C or D airspace, requires an instructor endorsement under 14 CFR 61.325. At Van Nuys you get it as a matter of course, because you cannot leave the ramp without it.
5
Nothing For Hire
14 CFR 61.315(c)(1) to (c)(3) bars carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire, flying for compensation or hire, and flying in furtherance of a business. You may split fuel, oil, airport fees and rental with your passenger under 61.315(b), and you must pay at least half.
6
Buy Private If This Is You
Four people in the seats, instrument weather, flying above 10,000 ft, or any intention of flying professionally: buy the private pilot certificate at $10,900 instead. We would rather sell you the right thing once.
MOSAIC, 2025
What Did The MOSAIC Rule Change For Sport Pilots?
The FAA's Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification final rule was published on 24 July 2025 at 90 FR 35034. The effective dates split by amendatory instruction number rather than by subject: most of the rule took effect on 22 October 2025, and a second set of amendments — including removal of the § 1.1 light-sport aircraft definition and the new light-sport airworthiness requirements in 14 CFR part 22 — took effect on 24 July 2026. It replaced the light-sport aircraft definition, and its 1,320 lb weight cap, with a stall-speed test in 14 CFR 61.316 — which is why most of what is written about sport pilots online is now wrong.
| What changed | Before MOSAIC | Now | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum weight | 1,320 lb maximum takeoff weight, 1,430 lb on floats | No weight limit. The definition that carried it was removed from 14 CFR 1.1. | 90 FR 35034 |
| What you may fly | Aircraft meeting the light-sport definition in 14 CFR 1.1 | Any aircraft meeting the performance limits and design requirements of 14 CFR 61.316, whatever airworthiness category it holds | 14 CFR 61.315(a), 61.316 |
| Stall speed | VS1 of 45 knots CAS | VS1 of 59 knots CAS for airplanes, measured at maximum certificated takeoff weight and the most critical center of gravity. 45 knots still applies to other categories. | 14 CFR 61.316(a)(1) |
| Seats | Two | Four in an airplane, two in anything else — but 14 CFR 61.315(c)(4) still allows a sport pilot only one passenger, so the back two stay empty | 14 CFR 61.316(a)(2), 61.315(c)(4) |
| Night | Prohibited outright | Permitted with 3 hours of night training, a night cross-country landing at least 25 nautical miles away, 10 night takeoffs and landings to a full stop, an instructor endorsement, and either an FAA medical certificate or BasicMed | 14 CFR 61.315(c)(5), 61.329 |
| Retractable gear, manual controllable-pitch propellers | Neither was available | Both available with the training and endorsements in 14 CFR 61.331. An automated controllable-pitch propeller is permitted by 14 CFR 61.316(a)(9) with no endorsement at all | 14 CFR 61.316(b), 61.331 |
| Helicopters | Not a sport pilot category | Available in helicopters certificated with the simplified flight controls designation | 14 CFR 61.316(a)(6) |
| Medical | US driver license instead of an FAA medical certificate | Unchanged. 14 CFR 61.23(c)(1) still accepts a valid US driver license for sport pilot privileges in an aircraft that meets 61.316. | 14 CFR 61.23(c)(1)(ii), 61.303(b) |
What this page will not give you is a list of aircraft that now qualify. Eligibility turns on one published number — VS1 at maximum certificated takeoff weight — and the FAA has not issued a list. That figure lives in each aircraft's FAA-approved flight manual and on its type certificate data sheet, and 14 CFR 61.316(a) requires the aircraft to have met the criteria since its original certification, so a modification cannot bring one inside them. Full detail on the MOSAIC rule and what it changed, and a step-by-step check on the MOSAIC aircraft eligibility page. Plenty of ordinary four-seat, fixed-gear, fixed-pitch singles fall under 59 knots. Plenty of faster ones do not.
Two of ours are clearly outside it: the Cirrus SR22 Turbo and the twin-engine Piper Seminole. The Piper Arrow has retractable gear and a controllable-pitch propeller, so a sport pilot needs both 14 CFR 61.331 endorsements before flying one. For anything else, ask and we will open the flight manual and show you the number for the actual aircraft you would fly, rather than guessing from a forum post.
The dates matter if you are reading older material, and most of what is online was written before this. Most of the rule, including sport pilot certification, took effect on 22 October 2025. The amendments listed separately in the rule — among them removal of the § 1.1 light-sport aircraft definition and the new light-sport airworthiness requirements in 14 CFR part 22 — followed on 24 July 2026. Both halves are in force today.
Van Nuys
Earning It At A Towered Field Is Worth More Than Earning It Quietly
Van Nuys is Class D airspace with an operating control tower, tucked under the Class B shelf that belongs to LAX. A sport pilot needs the 14 CFR 61.325 endorsement to operate here at all, which means you learn radio work and controlled-airspace procedure from your first lessons rather than as an afterthought.
That is a genuine local advantage and it is easy to miss when comparing schools on price. A sport pilot who trains at a quiet uncontrolled strip can finish the certificate without ever getting that endorsement, and then find that Burbank, Santa Monica, Long Beach and half the useful airports in Southern California are closed to them. The endorsement is a logbook entry, not a new card — which is another reason the certificate-versus-license distinction matters. Privileges get added to a sport pilot by endorsement, not by reissuing the plastic.
We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 108A, on the west side of the field. Free parking outside, open 9am to 9pm seven days a week, and Van Nuys averages 355 flyable days a year.
The fleet
Aircraft We Own, Maintained On Our Own Schedule
Sport training here is flown in the two-seat Cessna 162. Since MOSAIC the certificate reaches further than that aircraft does, and the rest of this ramp is what you move into if you go on past it.
More on each aircraft on the training aircraft at Van Nuys page, and on the Cessna 162 Skycatcher page for the light sport trainer specifically.
Redbird MCX
A Full-Motion Simulator, And It Is Not A Toy
FAA-approved, fully enclosed, and it moves. On a 20-hour certificate the simulator earns its place quickly: radio phraseology and emergency drills are expensive to rehearse in an aircraft and cheap to rehearse here.
Simulator time is built into the $8,400 sport pilot package, and a standalone Redbird session is $189 if you want to sit in one before you commit to anything.
Your instructor
Eleven Instructors, So Your Lesson Happens On The Day It Was Booked
Every instructor here holds a commercial or ATP certificate plus a CFI and a current medical, and is legally pilot in command on every flight you take with them. Eleven of them means you are not waiting on one person to have a free Tuesday.
You get matched to an instructor and you can change if the fit is wrong. Sport students often want someone who has taught adults returning to something they nearly did thirty years ago — say so at the consultation and we will pair you accordingly rather than leaving it to the roster.
What people say
5.0 ★ · 120+ Google Reviews
Three things come up repeatedly in what people write about training here.
★
The Debrief
The most repeated compliment is not the aircraft or the price. It is that somebody sat down afterwards and explained what actually happened in the air.
★
Scheduling That Holds
Eleven instructors and a fleet we own outright. Reviewers mention scheduling more than anything else, which tells you what most schools get wrong.
★
The Price Does Not Drift
What you enroll at is what you finish at. On an $8,400 package that is the whole promise, and people write about it because it is not universal.
Programs and prices
What It Costs, With Both Ways To Start
Every option gives you two routes: book it now, or book a free consultation and talk it through first. Financing from $2,500 down through Stratus Financial and our own in-house plans.
Start here
Sport Pilot Certificate
$8,400 / complete
The full FAA sport pilot certificate. No FAA medical needed under 61.23(c)(1)(ii). Aircraft, instruction, ground school and simulator time in one package price.
Standard Private Pilot
$10,900 / 40 hrs logged
Three passengers, no 14 CFR 61.316 aircraft restriction, no 10,000 ft ceiling, and the certificate every later rating is built on. Needs a third-class medical certificate before solo.
Comprehensive Private Pilot
$15,900 / 60 hrs logged
Our most chosen private pilot program: 55 hours single-engine, 5 hours in the Redbird, 10 hours of ground school. Roughly the national average, priced in from the start.
Solo Certificate
$5,500 / to first solo
For people whose entire ambition is the moment the instructor climbs out and shuts the door. Every hour counts toward sport or private afterwards.
Discovery Flight For One
$229 / 60 min
A real lesson, not a tour. You fly the aircraft, the time is loggable dual instruction, and the full $229 is credited against any program if you enroll within 24 hours.
Redbird Simulator Session
$189 / session
An hour in the full-motion Redbird MCX with an instructor beside you. The cheapest way to find out whether radio work rattles you.
Back to School: $500 off any private pilot program through 31 October 2026. Standard $10,400 · Comprehensive $15,400 · Premium $22,000. Ask when you enroll. The sport pilot certificate package stays at $8,400.
Next step
Fly First. Then Decide Which Certificate You Actually Want.
An hour in the left seat tells you more than any comparison table. If you would rather talk it through before you spend anything, the consultation is free and takes about half an hour.
Discovery Flight For One
$229
60 minutes · you fly the aircraft · credited in full on enrollment within 24 hours
MOSAIC And The New Rules
The MOSAIC rule and what it changedDoes my aircraft qualify under 14 CFR 61.316?Sport pilot night flying under 14 CFR 61.329Sport pilot endorsements explainedLight sport aircraft rules after MOSAICSport Pilot Cluster
Sport pilot license: the full guideSport pilot permit: what people meanSport pilot vs private pilot licenseSport pilot program at Van NuysCessna 162 Skycatcher at Van NuysCertificates And Medicals
Types of pilot licenses and certificatesHow to get your FAA medical certificateBasicMed vs third-class medicalSport pilot medical requirementsWhat happens on an FAA checkrideAviation glossaryCost And Getting Started
Sport pilot license cost in Los AngelesFlight school cost in Los AngelesDiscovery flight near me in Los AngelesPrivate pilot training at Van NuysFlight training financing optionsFlight school at Van Nuys AirportPilot training cost, every fee publishedFlight school in Los AngelesSources
Every regulation and rulemaking cited on this page, at its primary source. Links open in a new tab.
- Federal Register — MOSAIC Final Rule, 90 FR 35034, 24 July 2025
- FAA — MOSAIC Program Page
- FAA Advisory Circular AC 61-146, Pilot Certification And Operations For Sport Pilots
- eCFR — 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J, Sport Pilot Rules
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.303, Operating Limits And The Driver License Conditions
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.315, Sport Pilot Privileges And Limits
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.316, Aircraft Performance Limits And Design Requirements
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.325, Towered Airports And Class B, C And D Airspace
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.329, Night Privileges
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.331, Retractable Gear And Manual Controllable-Pitch Propellers
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.23, Medical Certificates: Requirement And Duration
- eCFR — 14 CFR 61.113, Private Pilot Privileges And Limitations
FAQ
Sport Pilot Certificate: Common Questions
Certificate. The FAA issues airman certificates, not licenses, and sport pilot privileges are written into 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J. Everyone says license in conversation, but certificate is the word on the card, in the regulations and on the IACRA application.
No. The certificate itself has no expiry date and the FAA does not renew it. Your currency is what lapses: a flight review every 24 calendar months under 14 CFR 61.56, and three takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days under 61.57 before you may carry a passenger.
No. Under 14 CFR 61.23(c)(1)(ii) a valid United States driver license is accepted instead. The exception is if you have ever had an FAA medical application denied, or a certificate suspended or revoked. Only an Aviation Medical Examiner or the FAA can say where you personally stand.
20 hours of flight time under 14 CFR 61.313, including at least 15 hours of dual instruction and 5 hours solo, two hours of cross-country training and a solo cross-country of at least 75 nautical miles. A private pilot certificate requires 40 hours under 61.109.
$8,400 at LA Flight School, Van Nuys Airport, as a complete package covering aircraft, instruction, ground school and simulator time. Financing starts at $2,500 down, and a $229 discovery flight is credited in full against the package if you enroll within 24 hours.
Yes. Since the MOSAIC final rule took effect on 22 October 2025, 14 CFR 61.329 lets a sport pilot fly at night after 3 hours of night flight training, one night cross-country with a landing at an airport at least 25 nautical miles away, 10 night takeoffs and landings to a full stop, and an instructor endorsement. There is one catch worth knowing before you plan around it: night also requires either an FAA medical certificate issued under part 67 or BasicMed under the conditions of 14 CFR 61.113(i). A driver license alone covers daytime sport pilot flying but not night.
A sport pilot certificate needs 20 hours and no FAA medical certificate, and limits you to one passenger, visual conditions, 10,000 ft and aircraft meeting 14 CFR 61.316. A private pilot certificate needs 40 hours and a medical certificate, and removes all of those limits. Sport is $8,400 here and the standard private program is $10,900.
Yes. Every hour already flown counts toward the 40-hour private minimum in 14 CFR 61.109. You add night flying, instrument reference training and a longer cross-country, obtain a third-class medical certificate, then take the private written exam and checkride.
The one that matters in Los Angeles is 14 CFR 61.325, which allows operations at airports with an operating control tower and in Class B, C and D airspace. Four others exist: 14 CFR 61.327 for aircraft by cruise speed, 61.329 for night, 61.331(a) for retractable landing gear and 61.331(b) for a manual controllable-pitch propeller. Endorsements are logbook entries signed by an instructor, not new certificates, and at Van Nuys the 61.325 endorsement is part of ordinary training.
Three to five months for most people flying two or three times a week. Van Nuys averages 355 flyable days a year, so weather is rarely the constraint. Flying once a fortnight is what turns a 20-hour minimum into 35 hours of paid relearning.
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 120 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
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 →
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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 · 120+ Google reviews