An introductory flight near West Hills is nine miles east on Sherman Way, 18 to 24 minutes from Valley Circle Blvd to Van Nuys Airport, with no freeway at any point. You Fly LA flies from 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, and for $229 you spend 60 minutes in the left seat of a Piper Warrior, with your hands on the yoke and a certificated instructor teaching beside you. Fly west and your end of the Valley looks like nowhere else in Los Angeles: past the Warner Center towers the street grid simply ends, and beyond it is open grassland, the Simi Hills and, over the mountains to the south, the Malibu coast.
Quick Answer: A discovery flight from West Hills costs $229 for 60 minutes, $299 for 90 and $399 for 120, at Van Nuys Airport 18 to 24 minutes east on Sherman Way. You fly the airplane between takeoff and landing, and from the west Valley the Malibu Coast flight for two ($299) is the shorter, more natural hop.
Book A Discovery Flight · $229 Book A Free Consultation Call Or Text (818) 330-1318
Nine Miles Of Surface Street, East
Sherman Way east from Valley Circle Blvd to Balboa is the straightest version: nine miles, eighteen to twenty-four minutes, then a short jog to number 7900. Roscoe Blvd and Vanowen St run parallel and do the same job. Victory Blvd works too and is the pick if you are coming from the south end of the 91307.
There is no freeway in any of it, which is the point. West Hills sits at the western edge of the City of Los Angeles — Valley Circle Blvd is effectively the county line, with Ventura County and gated Bell Canyon immediately beyond it — and the 101 is four miles south of you, running the wrong way for this trip. The 118 is north and is only useful from the Chatsworth end. For a booking at six on a weekday evening, that absence of freeway is worth more than a couple of miles of distance.
| From | Route | Distance | Typical Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Circle Blvd & Sherman Way | Sherman Way east to Balboa | ~9 mi | 18–24 min |
| Platt Ave & Victory Blvd | Victory Blvd east to Balboa, north | ~9 mi | 19–25 min |
| Fallbrook Ave & Roscoe Blvd | Roscoe Blvd east to Balboa | ~8 mi | 16–21 min |
| Bell Canyon (Ventura County) | Valley Circle north, Sherman Way east | ~11 mi | 22–28 min |
What You'll See From West Hills' Side Of The Route
Three of the route's landmarks sit on the west Valley side: the Warner Center towers, Van Nuys Airport nine miles east, and the Malibu coast behind the mountains to the south. What makes a West Hills flight different is described below; the standard loop, landmark by landmark, is on our airplane rides page.
Almost everywhere else in this city set, the interesting ground is a built environment. West Hills is the exception: the thing worth seeing from your side of the Valley is how abruptly the city ends.
Immediately west of Valley Circle, the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve — the old Ahmanson Ranch land — is thousands of acres of rolling grassland with no buildings on it, and from two thousand feet the boundary between grid and open country is a hard line you could draw with a ruler. Beyond it the Simi Hills roll west toward Simi Valley, and Bell Canyon sits in its own fold with one road in.
North of that, the Chatsworth Reservoir basin is a large empty bowl in the middle of the west Valley that most residents have never been inside, and the Santa Susana Pass is the notch through the rock where the old road and the railway climb out toward Simi. The sandstone formations at Stoney Point stand at the bottom of it. Turn south instead and the Santa Monica Mountains are ten minutes away, with the Malibu coastline directly behind them — which is why the two-person Malibu Coast route at $299 for 60 minutes works well from the west Valley.
How Your Discovery Flight Works
You will fly; that is the difference between a discovery flight and a sightseeing ride. Allow two hours at the airport for a 60-minute flight, and see what the hour involves for the longer account.
-
Sherman Way, Straight East
Nine miles along Sherman Way from Valley Circle Blvd to Balboa, 18 to 24 minutes, then north on Balboa to number 7900. From Fallbrook and Roscoe it is 16 to 21, from Bell Canyon 22 to 28. Parking is free on site; arrive fifteen minutes early with a photo ID.
-
Briefing At The Table
About five minutes on what the yoke, rudder pedals and throttle do and where you are going; from West Hills, ask for the westbound leg over the open country.
-
Preflight With Your Instructor
Fuel, oil, tires and every control surface, checked on the actual airplane by the two of you before you climb in.
-
Takeoff And Hand-Over
The instructor works the tower and flies the takeoff while your hands follow on the controls; once the climb is steady, the airplane goes where you point it.
-
West To The County Line
Climbs, turns and level flight, flown by you, over the Warner Center towers and out to where the grid gives way to the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon preserve, the Simi Hills and the Chatsworth Reservoir basin.
-
Land, Debrief, Log It
The instructor lands, you debrief, and the time is logged as dual instruction received toward the 40-hour Part 61 minimum. Enroll within 24 hours and all of it is credited toward training.
Picking A Length And A Route
Sixty minutes at $229 covers the west Valley, the open space, the Simi Hills and a look at either the mountains or the north end. Ninety at $299 adds the coast properly. A hundred and twenty at $399 is a full first lesson with time to practice rather than tour.
The named two-person flights — Malibu Coast or Downtown Los Angeles — are $299, $399 and $499, and the Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight is $499, $649 and $799 for one flyer, or $599, $849 and $1,049 with a passenger. From West Hills the coast route is the shorter hop and the more natural fit.
Book A Discovery Flight · $229 Call Or Text (818) 330-1318
The Airplane, The Weight Limits, The Paperwork
The Piper Warrior PA-28-161 is the standard airplane: low wing, four seats, straightforward to fly and forgiving to learn in. Limits 180 lb per person, 360 lb combined. The Cirrus SR22 allows 200 lb per person, 400 lb combined and adds a side-yoke, a large glass panel and a whole-airframe parachute.
Bring photo ID. You do not need an FAA medical certificate, because your instructor is the pilot in command, and you do not need any prior experience. There is no minimum age; a parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18. The full-motion simulator hour at $189 has no weight limit and is a reasonable alternative if flying makes you uneasy.
Prices
| Flight | 60 Min | 90 Min | 120 Min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Flight, one person | $229 | $299 | $399 |
| For Two — Malibu Coast | $299 | $399 | $499 |
| For Two — Downtown Los Angeles | $299 | $399 | $499 |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight | $499 | $649 | $799 |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight, With A Passenger | $599 | $849 | $1,049 |
| Full-Motion Simulator | $189 | — | — |
No tax is charged on these and there is no booking fee, so $229 is the total. The reasoning is laid out on our page on discovery flight cost, and the airport itself is described on Van Nuys Airport (KVNY).
Weather And Rescheduling
The west end of the Valley holds the May and June marine layer longer than the east end does, because the cloud comes over the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills and settles in the open ground west of you. Morning flights in that window are the ones most likely to move.
In July and August the west Valley is hot, and heat raises density altitude — slower climbs, rougher air over the hills after lunch. Early and late slots are smoother and cooler. Weather cancellations cost nothing and free rescheduling applies up to 24 hours before your flight for any reason at all: see what we do on a weather day.
The tile reads the live Van Nuys report; the open ground west of you can hold the layer after the airport has cleared. If it is blank, call or text (818) 330-1318.
Give It As A Gift From West Hills
From the west Valley, the Malibu Coast flight for two is the natural present: the coast is the shorter hop from here, and for $299 one person flies while the other rides along on the intercom, or $399 for 90 minutes to fly the shoreline properly. The Discovery Flight Gift Certificate covers it, or any other flight, in thirteen amounts from $189 to $1,049, emailed within minutes, with no blackout dates, and it never expires.
If the person you have in mind is uneasy about small airplanes, the $189 amount matches an hour in the full-motion simulator, which has no weight limit. $229 is one person for 60 minutes in the Warrior. For someone ready to go further, Flight Training Credit in $500, $1,000 or $2,500 goes toward lessons. Every option is on our flight gift certificates page.
Give A Flight · From $189 Call Or Text (818) 330-1318
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Do I Park At Van Nuys Airport?
Free, on site, at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108. Coming east on Sherman Way, Roscoe or Vanowen, you finish on Balboa. Use the street address in your map app rather than "Van Nuys Airport", which can send you to a gate on the far side of the field.
How Long Is The Drive From West Hills At Rush Hour?
Sherman Way has no freeway in it and holds at 18 to 24 minutes, with Roscoe from Fallbrook at 16 to 21, so a 6 PM weekday booking is realistic. The 101 runs the wrong way for this trip.
Can Two People Fly Together?
Yes. Two people share the airplane on the flights for two, Malibu Coast or Downtown at $299 for 60 minutes, or in the Cirrus SR22 at $599 with a passenger: the one flying sits in the left seat, the other in the back with a headset. If both of you want to fly, book a flight each.
Is There An Age Or Weight Limit?
A parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18, and otherwise there is no minimum age as long as the person flying can see over the panel and wear a headset. Weight limits: 180 lb per person and 360 lb combined in the Warrior, 200 lb and 400 lb in the Cirrus; the $189 simulator has none.
What Is Worth Seeing From The Air Out Here?
The line where the city ends. The preserve west of Valley Circle is open grassland right up to the last row of houses, and the edge is sharp enough to trace from the air; the Chatsworth Reservoir basin and the Santa Susana Pass are just to the north.
Do I Need To Use A Freeway?
No. Sherman Way, Roscoe, Vanowen and Victory all run straight east to Balboa. The 118 helps only if you are starting up by Chatsworth.
When Does Fog Cause Problems?
Mostly on May and June mornings. Cloud that crosses the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills overnight tends to linger over the open ground at this end of the Valley, so an early booking in that window is the one most likely to be moved; a late-morning slot is the safer choice.
Nearby Pages
- The West Hills flight school page — programs and what they cost.
- Flight training for Canoga Park — the next neighborhood east.
- Flight training for Chatsworth — the north-west corner of the Valley.
- Woodland Hills discovery flights — three miles east along Victory.
- Northridge first flights — the same streets, further east.
- Calabasas discovery flights — south over the hills.
- How discovery flights work in LA — the full picture.
- Flight gift certificates — including the simulator amount.
Book Your West Hills Discovery Flight
Nine miles of Sherman Way, and then a look at the county line from the side nobody sees it from. 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week.
Book A Discovery Flight · $229 Book A Free Consultation Call Or Text (818) 330-1318