Van Nuys Airport · KVNY · Open 9 AM–9 PM, Seven Days

Discovery Flight In Los Angeles: You Fly The Plane

A discovery flight is an introductory flight lesson in which you sit in the pilot's seat and fly the airplane yourself, with a certified flight instructor beside you. It is not a sightseeing ride and you are not a passenger. From the moment the airplane is safely off the ground, the controls are yours.

From $229 for 60 minutes You fly it, instructor beside you 100% credited toward training within 24 hours

Pick Your Flight

Choose Your Flight And Book It

Pick the airplane and the length below, and the price and the booking link follow — every flight here leaves from our ramp at Van Nuys.

A Piper Warrior at the head of a row of trainers on the Van Nuys ramp at sunset — PIPER WARRIOR · 160 HP · LOW WING

The Classic 60–120 Min

Discovery Flight For One

Credited in full toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours.

One seat, one instructor, no audience. You take the controls once we are clear of the Van Nuys pattern, and your instructor signs the time into your logbook if you bring one.

Hands-on stick time
Pre-flight briefing and walk-around
Hollywood Sign and downtown
One-on-one with an FAA-certified instructor
Bring your logbook, we sign it

Flight Length

$229all-in · one flyer · 60 minutes

Book For One

Weight limit 180 lb for the person flying.

Or gift it →

Two friends and their instructor in the cockpit before a discovery flight for two — PIPER WARRIOR · FOUR SEATS

★ Most Popular 60–120 Min

Discovery Flight For Two Over Downtown

Logged as dual instruction toward the 40-hour minimum for a private license.

One of you flies while the other rides on the intercom and ends up as the photographer. The route runs past the Hollywood Sign and around the downtown towers.

Two seats in the Piper Warrior
Headsets for both of you
Hollywood Sign and the downtown towers
Hands-on flying for one of you
Pre-flight briefing and walk-around

Flight Length

$299all-in · two seats · 60 minutes

Book For Two

Weight limit 360 lb combined.

Or gift it →

Golden-hour view along the California coastline from the cockpit on a Malibu discovery flight — PIPER WARRIOR · 128 KT CRUISE

The Coast 60–120 Min

Malibu Coast Flight For Two

No license, no medical certificate and no experience needed to fly it.

West over the Santa Monica Mountains, then a left turn at the water and down the Malibu shoreline. Late afternoon is when the light pays for the extra half hour.

West over the Santa Monica Mountains
The Malibu shoreline and Point Dume
Hands-on flying for one of you
Headsets for both of you
Pre-flight briefing and walk-around

Flight Length

$299all-in · two seats · 60 minutes

Book For Two

Weight limit 360 lb combined.

Or gift it →

Cirrus SR22 Turbo head-on in the hangar with both gull-wing doors raised — CIRRUS SR22 TURBO · N422SN · 215 KT

+ Luxury 60–120 Min

Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight

The only airplane on this page with a whole-airframe parachute.

Leather seats, a side-stick and a glass panel that shows the whole basin at once. At 215 knots the same hour reaches further down the coast than the Warrior does.

Cirrus SR22 Turbo N422SN
Cirrus Perspective glass panel
CAPS whole-airframe parachute
Side-stick and leather seats
Bring a passenger from +$100

Flight Length

$499all-in · one flyer · 60 minutes

Book Now

Weight limits 200 lb each and 400 lb combined.

Or gift it →

Piper Seminole twin-engine trainer N311EF at sunset at Van Nuys Airport — PIPER SEMINOLE N311EF · TWO ENGINES

Twin Engine 60 Min

Multi-Engine Discovery In The Seminole

The same twin we use for the seven-day multi-engine rating.

Two engines turning opposite ways, in the airplane we run the multi-engine course in. Pilots who already fly singles book this one to feel what the second one does.

Piper Seminole N311EF, two engines
One flies, one rides along
Loggable multi-engine time
An extra passenger is $100
Pre-flight briefing and walk-around

Flight Length

$499all-in · two seats · 60 minutes

Book For Two

Weight limits 200 lb per passenger and 550 lb combined.

Or gift it →

Los Angeles seen from the cockpit window late in a discovery flight at sunset — PIPER WARRIOR · IFR-EQUIPPED PANEL

After Dark 60 Min

Night Discovery Flight

Flown in fall and winter, when it is dark before 7:00 PM, and back on the ground by 7:00 PM.

The Valley goes dark and the basin turns into a grid of light under the wing. Evening air over the mountains is usually smoother than it was at noon.

The basin lit up after sunset
Hands-on flying for one
Headsets for everyone on board
The Hollywood Sign and downtown
Bring your logbook, we sign it

How Many Seats

$329all-in · one flyer · after dark

Book For One

Weight limit 180 lb, the same as the day flights.

Or gift it →

Redbird MCX full-motion flight simulator with a student inside at You Fly LA, Van Nuys Airport — REDBIRD MCX · FAA-APPROVED AATD

Never Cancelled 60 Min

Full-Motion Simulator Session

An FAA-approved AATD, so an instructor can log the hour with you.

The one that never leaves the ground. A Redbird MCX on full motion with an instructor beside you, and no weather call to make in the morning.

Redbird MCX on full motion
An instructor in the seat beside you
Never cancelled for weather
No weight limit

Flight Length

$189all-in · one seat · 60 minutes

Book The Simulator

No weight limit, and nothing to cancel if the marine layer sits on the Valley.

Or gift it →

You Fly LA runs discovery flights out of Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Los Angeles, starting at $229. Every flight comes in a 60-minute, 90-minute and 120-minute version, in a Piper Warrior or a Cirrus SR22, for one person or two. This page is the complete guide: what a discovery flight is, how it differs from an air tour, what it costs and why, how long yours should be, what happens from arrival to landing, the requirements, what you will see over Los Angeles, whether it counts toward a pilot license, and how to pick between our twelve flights.

Quick Answer: A discovery flight in Los Angeles is a first flying lesson in which you take the controls of a real airplane with a certified flight instructor beside you. With us it costs $229 for 60 minutes in a Piper Warrior out of Van Nuys Airport ($299 for 90 minutes, $399 for 120), passing landmarks such as the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory. Enroll in a training program within 24 hours and 100% of the flight is credited toward it.

Book A Discovery Flight · $229 Call Or Text (818) 330-1318

This page covers discovery flights in Los Angeles specifically. If you want the general explanation — what a discovery flight is anywhere in the United States, what they cost nationally, how they differ from a sightseeing tour and whether the time is loggable — read What Is A Discovery Flight?

Book A Discovery Flight In Los Angeles

You fly the airplane. Instructor included. 60, 90 or 120 minutes, from $229 at Van Nuys Airport.

See All Discovery Flights

Century City towers to Santa Monica Bay at dusk, seen from the airplane

Every Discovery Flight

What Your Flight Includes

$229 · All-In 60 Min Flight Time

Every flight leaves from our ramp at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) with an FAA-certificated flight instructor. Free rescheduling up to 24 hours before, and if the weather says no, you do not pay.

Definition

What A Discovery Flight Is

A discovery flight — sometimes called an introductory flight, a first flight lesson or an exploratory flight — is a short, structured first lesson designed to show someone what flying a small airplane is actually like. It exists because flight schools worked out long ago that no amount of explaining substitutes for putting somebody's hands on the controls.

Three things define it:

You fly. You occupy the left seat — the pilot's seat. You hold the controls, you make the turns, you climb and descend. Your instructor handles the takeoff and the landing and is on the controls the entire time, but the flying in between is yours.
An instructor teaches you. A certified flight instructor is in the right seat, with a full set of controls, explaining what you are doing as you do it. It is a lesson, not a joyride.
It is loggable. Because it is instruction given by a certified instructor in an airplane, the time counts. Your instructor can log it in a logbook, and it counts toward the flight-hour requirements for a private pilot certificate whether or not you ever come back.

That last point is what genuinely separates a discovery flight from every other way of getting into a small airplane. You are not paying for a ride. You are paying for the first hour of pilot training, and you get to keep it.

What A Discovery Flight Is Not

It is not an air tour. On an air tour you sit in the back, a commercial pilot flies, you look out of the window, and nothing is logged. It is not a helicopter tour. It is not a simulator session, though a full-motion simulator is a good companion to one. And it is not a commitment to learning to fly — most people book one purely for the experience, and that is a perfectly good reason.

Instructor and student side by side in the cockpit of a training airplane, both in headsets

Left SeatWhere you sit and fly

CFIIn the right seat throughout

LoggableCounts as dual instruction

The Same Hour, Two Names

Intro Flight Vs Discovery Flight: Same Thing?

Yes. An intro flight, an introductory flight, an intro lesson, a first flight lesson, a trial flight and a discovery flight are all the same product: a first lesson in a real airplane where you handle the controls and a certificated flight instructor teaches you. The FAA does not define any of these terms; "discovery flight" is simply the name that stuck in the United States, and "intro flight" is the same thing written on a different school's sign. If a school near you advertises an intro flight and another advertises a discovery flight, compare the length of the flight, the airplane and whether an instructor is included, not the label.

Two things are worth checking regardless of the name. First, that you will be in the pilot's seat with your hands on the controls — some "intro flights" sold by tour operators are really sightseeing rides in the back, which is a different experience and cannot be logged. Second, that the instructor is a certificated flight instructor, because only instruction from a CFI can be logged as dual instruction received toward a pilot certificate. Every You Fly LA discovery flight meets both tests, whichever length or airplane you choose. If the term you searched for was the other one, the introductory flight in Los Angeles page covers the same hour under that label; where to find a discovery flight near you compares the fields around the metro that run them, and what a discovery flight costs sets the pricing out on its own.

Instructor briefing a first-time student in the cockpit before an introductory flight

Compared

Discovery Flight Vs Air Tour Vs Simulator

Discovery Flight, Air Tour And Full-Motion Simulator Compared
	Discovery Flight	Air Tour	Full-Motion Simulator
Who flies the airplane	You, with an instructor	A commercial pilot; you watch	You, with an instructor
Where you sit	Pilot's seat, left side	Passenger seat or cabin	Pilot's seat
Is it a lesson	Yes	No	Yes
Can it be logged	Yes — counts toward a license	No	Yes, within the limits for approved devices
Real airplane	Yes	Yes	No
Real views of Los Angeles	Yes	Yes	Simulated
Weather dependent	Yes — free reschedule, and you do not pay if we cannot fly	Yes	No, never canceled
Weight limits apply	Yes	Usually	No limit
Price with us	$229 to $799	Not offered	$189

If you are torn between a real flight and the simulator, our blog works through the decision in Flight Simulator Vs Real Discovery Flight.

Redbird MCX full-motion simulator set up as a Cirrus in the Van Nuys hangar

$189Simulator, sixty minutes

NoneWeight limit in the sim

NeverWeather-canceled

The Short Answer

How Much Does A Discovery Flight Cost In Los Angeles?

Our discovery flights run from $229 to $799. That range is typical for Los Angeles, and the reason for the spread is straightforward: what you pay for is airplane time, instructor time and the number of seats you are buying.

What Changes The Price

How long you fly. The single biggest factor. Every one of our flights is offered at 60, 90 and 120 minutes, and the price steps up with each because the airplane and the instructor are booked for longer.
How many people fly. A flight for two costs more than a flight for one — the second seat is a real cost in weight, fuel and useful load, and it means someone else gets to come along and take photos.
Which airplane. A Piper Warrior is a straightforward, forgiving training airplane and the most affordable way to fly. A Cirrus SR22 is a modern, faster, leather-seated airplane with a glass cockpit and an airframe parachute, and costs more per hour to operate.
Where you go. A route up the coast to Malibu covers more ground than a loop over downtown, so it needs more time in the air.

What does not change the price with us: there is no separate instructor fee, no fuel surcharge and no landing fee added at the end. The price on the page is the price you pay. We break the economics down further in How Much Does A Discovery Flight Cost In Los Angeles?

Book A Discovery Flight · $229 Call Or Text (818) 330-1318

Piper Warrior N3034Q, front quarter, by the hangar at Van Nuys Airport

$229Sixty minutes, one person

$799The longest Cirrus flight

$189An hour in the simulator

Choosing A Length

60, 90 Or 120 Minutes: How Long Should Your Discovery Flight Be?

This is the question we get asked most often, and the honest answer depends on what you want out of the flight rather than on what you can afford. Here is how the three lengths actually differ once you are in the air.

What 60, 90 And 120-Minute Discovery Flights Each Give You
Length	Time at the airport	Roughly how far you get	Time on the controls	Best for
60 minutes	About 2 hours	The Valley, the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory and a look at downtown	Around 30–35 minutes of hands-on flying	A first taste, a gift, and anyone unsure how they will feel in a small airplane
90 minutes	About 2.5 hours	All of the above plus the Santa Monica Mountains and the coast	Around 55–60 minutes	The sweet spot — enough time to fly properly and still see the coastline
120 minutes	About 3 hours	The full coastal run past Malibu, plus time for airwork	Around 85–90 minutes	Proposals and anniversaries, and anyone treating this as a real first lesson

A few things worth knowing before you choose:

The briefing and preflight do not get longer. The ground briefing, walkaround and debrief take roughly the same time whichever flight you book, so a longer flight buys you almost entirely extra air time — it is the better value per minute in the air.
Sixty minutes is not short. It is a complete lesson and it is loggable. Nobody has ever come back from one saying it was not enough airplane.
Choose 90 or 120 if you want the coast. Getting over the Santa Monica Mountains and down onto the shoreline takes time, and on a 60-minute flight it comes at the expense of hands-on flying.
Two hours suits a serious first lesson. On a 120-minute flight there is time to reach the coast and still practice real airwork; if two of you both want to fly, book a flight each.
You can upgrade on the day if the schedule allows it. Ask your instructor at the briefing rather than at the airplane.

The Malibu shoreline at sunset seen from a training airplane on a coastal flight

60 minAbout two hours at the airport

90 minFar enough for the coast

120 minTwo hours in the logbook

On The Day

What Happens On A Discovery Flight, Start To Finish

Plan on being at the airport for around two hours for a 60-minute flight, two and a half for a 90 and about three for a 120. The flying is the middle of it.

Arrival and welcome. You meet your instructor at Van Nuys Airport. Bring photo ID. There is no paperwork marathon — a short form and you are moving.
Ground briefing (about 5 minutes). Your instructor explains how an airplane flies, what the four controls do, how to read the main instruments, what the radio calls mean, and what the plan for the flight is. They will ask what you want out of it — views, hands-on flying, or a serious first lesson — and shape the flight accordingly.
Preflight inspection (about 15 minutes). You walk around the airplane with your instructor and check it over: fuel, oil, control surfaces, tires, lights. This is a real part of every flight and you do it yourself, which is the moment most people realize this is not a theme-park ride.
Startup, taxi and run-up. You climb into the left seat, get strapped in, put on a headset, and start the engine. Your instructor makes the radio calls while you steer the airplane to the runway with your feet.
Takeoff. Your instructor flies the takeoff with your hands lightly on the controls so you can feel what they are doing.
You fly (most of the flight). Once you are clear of the airport, the airplane is yours. Level turns, climbs, descents, holding a heading, holding an altitude. Your instructor talks you through each one and takes the controls back for anything you would rather not do. If you just want to fly straight and look at Los Angeles, that is fine too.
The scenic part. Depending on your flight, you will head over the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory, out toward downtown, or west over the mountains to the coast.
Return and landing. You fly the approach back toward Van Nuys with your instructor's help; they handle the landing.
Debrief and logbook. Shutdown, then a short debrief. If you want the time logged, your instructor will log it. You will also get a clear, honest answer about what learning to fly would actually involve if you want one.

There is a more detailed walkthrough on our What To Expect page.

Student reading the preflight checklist with an instructor beside the airplane at Van Nuys

About 5 minGround briefing

15 minPreflight walkaround

2 hrsAt the airport, sixty-minute flight

Before You Book

Discovery Flight Requirements

Discovery Flight Requirements: Age, Medical, ID, Weight And Clothing
Requirement	Detail
Age	No minimum to fly a discovery flight. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign. You must be 16 to fly solo later on and 17 to hold a private pilot certificate, but neither applies to a discovery flight.
Medical certificate	Not needed. You do not need an FAA medical for a discovery flight, because your instructor is the pilot in command. You would need one later, before flying solo.
ID	Bring a government-issued photo ID.
Weight — Piper Warrior	180 lb per person, 360 lb combined
Weight — Cirrus SR22	200 lb per person, 400 lb combined
Weight — simulator	No limit
Experience	None. Most people who book have never been in a small airplane.
Clothing	Comfortable clothes and flat, closed shoes. Sunglasses are genuinely useful.

The weight limits are the same on every flight length and are not arbitrary — they are weight-and-balance limits that keep the airplane within its certified envelope with full fuel and two people aboard. If you are over them, the full-motion simulator has no weight limit at all. Full detail in Discovery Flight Requirements: Age, Weight, ID And Health.

Two aviation headsets resting on the glareshield of a training airplane cockpit

180 lbPer person, Piper Warrior

360 lbCombined, flights for two

NoneMedical certificate needed

The Route

Where You Fly From And What You Will See

Every flight leaves from Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406, in the San Fernando Valley. Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, which means real radio traffic, real sequencing and a genuine feel for how flying works. More about the field on our Van Nuys Airport page.

From there, depending on the flight you pick and what the air traffic is doing on the day:

The Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory. The classic first turn out of the Valley — the sign on the hillside and the observatory below you, from an angle almost nobody sees. On every flight, including the 60-minute ones.
Downtown Los Angeles. The towers of the financial district standing out of the basin, with the whole grid running away to the horizon.
The Santa Monica Mountains. The ridge that divides the Valley from the coast, and the canyons cut through it.
The coast and Malibu. Out over the mountains and down onto the shoreline, with the Pacific on one side and the hills on the other. The Malibu flights are built around it — 60 minutes reaches the coast, 90 follows it, and 120 runs the length of it and back.
The Valley and the mountains beyond. On a clear day the San Gabriels, and sometimes snow on the peaks in winter.

We keep a full route-by-route breakdown in The Best Views On A Discovery Flight Over Los Angeles.

The downtown Los Angeles skyline beyond the engine of the You Fly LA Piper Seminole

KVNYVan Nuys Airport

8,001 ftRunway 16R / 34L

4,000 ftRunway 16L / 34R

Logbook Time

Does A Discovery Flight Count Toward A Pilot License?

Yes. This surprises people, so it is worth saying plainly: a discovery flight is flight instruction given by a certified flight instructor in an aircraft, so the time is logged as dual instruction received and it counts toward the flight-hour requirements for a private pilot certificate. If you go on to train — with us or with anyone else, this year or in five years — that time is already in the bank. A 120-minute flight logs two hours of it.

Bring your own pilot logbook and your instructor signs it; we do not provide logbooks. It is a good souvenir even if you never fly again. If the flight does make you want to carry on, Learn To Fly In Los Angeles lays out what the path actually looks like, and Flight Training At Van Nuys Airport covers training locally.

Student pilot in a headset reading the checklist in a Cessna 162 cockpit at Van Nuys

2 hrsLogged on a 120-minute flight

100%Credited within 24 hours

61.109Private pilot hour rule

Discovery Flights

Discovery Flights Near You

Every discovery flight starts at the same place, 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, on the west side of Van Nuys Airport, but the drive and the first thing you recognize from the air depend on where you live. Each neighborhood page below covers the route to the airport, the landmarks on your side of the flight, gift ideas and the questions people from that area ask. Closest first.

Discovery Flights Near You: Drive Times To 7900 Balboa Blvd
Neighborhood	Usual Route	Off-Peak	Weekday Rush Hour
Van Nuys	Sherman Way west to Balboa	8–12 min	About the same, no freeway
Encino	Balboa Blvd north from Ventura Blvd	9–11 min	About the same, no freeway
Northridge	Nordhoff east, Balboa south	11–20 min	About the same, no freeway
Sherman Oaks	405 north to Roscoe Blvd, west to Balboa	15–18 min	28–38 min
Toluca Lake	101 west, Balboa Blvd exit, north	18–25 min	35–48 min
West Hills	Sherman Way east to Balboa	18–24 min	About the same, no freeway
Woodland Hills	Victory Blvd east, Balboa north	19–24 min	26–28 min
Calabasas	101 east, Balboa Blvd north	20–26 min	32–42 min (morning)
Studio City	101 west, Balboa Blvd exit, north	20–26 min	Up to 15 min more
Beverly Hills	405 north over the Sepulveda Pass, Roscoe west	25–30 min	50–70 min
Burbank	Victory Blvd west, north on Balboa	25–32 min	35–45 min
Glendale	134 west, 101 west, Balboa Blvd exit north	25–35 min	40–55 min
Santa Clarita	5 south, 405 south, Roscoe Blvd west	27–35 min	Avoid 6:30–9 AM
Pasadena	134 west, 101 west, Balboa Blvd north	30–38 min	45–65 min
Santa Monica	10 east, 405 north, Roscoe Blvd west	30–36 min	50–75 min
Thousand Oaks	101 east, Balboa Blvd exit, north	30–38 min	45–60 min (morning)

Coming from somewhere else? Drive times from the rest of the map are on our service areas page, or call or text (818) 330-1318 and we will tell you the best way in.

A flight instructor briefing a student beside a training airplane at Van Nuys Airport

Prices & Experiences

Every Flight We Sell, In One Table

Each price covers the airplane, the fuel and a certified flight instructor. Nothing is added at the desk. Tap any length to book it. Van Nuys Airport, KVNY.

A student's hand on the Cessna 162 glass panel, holding the checklist — **Start At $229** Sixty minutes in a Cessna 162 Skycatcher, from the left seat, with the Hollywood Sign on the first turn out of the Valley.

No.Experience — Tap A Length To Book It

Discovery Flight Cessna 162 Skycatcher, one person flies. The Hollywood Sign on the first turn out of the Valley.

60 Min$229 90 Min$299 120 Min$399

Discovery Flight For Two Over Downtown Two seats, Piper Warrior. One flies, one rides. Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, Dodger Stadium, the downtown towers.

60 Min$299 90 Min$399 120 Min$499

Malibu Coast Discovery Flight For Two Two seats, Piper Warrior. West over the Santa Monica Mountains to the shoreline, Point Dume and Zuma.

60 Min$299 90 Min$399 120 Min$499

Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight Glass cockpit, side yoke, whole-airframe parachute. Priced for one flyer; a passenger adds $100 / $200 / $250.

60 Min$499 90 Min$649 120 Min$799

Multi-Engine Discovery Flight For Two Piper Seminole. One flies, one rides; an extra passenger is $100.

60 Min$499

Night Discovery Flight The Valley and the basin after dark, sixty minutes.

For One$329 For Two$399

Full-Motion Simulator Experience Redbird MCX. No weight limit and never weather-canceled.

60 Min$189

Fear Of Flying Course A briefing and one hour of flight time with an instructor who talks it through.

Course$499

Gift Card Any amount, emailed. The recipient picks the flight, the length and the date.

Any AmountBuy

Book online · Instant text + email confirmation · Book in advance

Not sure which one? Call and describe who is flying, how long you want to be up and what you want out of it.

Call (818) 330-1318

Your Time In The Airplane

The Minutes You Book Are Minutes In The Airplane.

minutes in the airplane.
Exactly that, every time.

Also 90 min ($299) and 120 min ($399) — each is time in the airplane.

Your visit, start to finish · about 2 hours

Check-in, then a briefing of about 5 min
Walk-around with your instructor
In the airplane, 60 min
Logbook and wrap-up

Discovery Flight$229 Cirrus SR22$499

Booking Is Fully Automatic

Book Online. Only open times show on the calendar.
Text + Email. Confirmation the moment you pay.
Book In Advance. Weekends and sunsets go first.

Book 60 Minutes · $229 Or the Cirrus SR22, $499

FAQ

Discovery Flight FAQ

Do I Really Fly The Airplane?

Yes. You sit in the pilot's seat and fly for most of the flight. Your instructor handles takeoff and landing and is on the controls throughout, but the flying in between is genuinely yours. More on this in What Is A Discovery Flight, And Do You Really Fly The Plane?

Should I Book 60, 90 Or 120 Minutes?

Sixty minutes is a complete first lesson and the right choice if you are unsure how you will feel in a small airplane. Ninety is the sweet spot — enough time to fly properly and still reach the coast. A hundred and twenty is for proposals, for the full coastline, and for anyone treating this as a real first lesson. Because the briefing and preflight take the same time whichever you book, the longer flights buy you almost pure extra air time.

Do I Need Any Experience?

None at all. That is the entire point of a discovery flight.

Do I Need A Medical Certificate?

No. Your instructor is the pilot in command, so no FAA medical is required for a discovery flight.

Is There A Minimum Age?

No minimum age to fly one. Under-18s need a parent or guardian to sign the paperwork.

What Are The Weight Limits?

180 lb per person and 360 lb combined in the Piper Warrior; 200 lb and 400 lb in the Cirrus SR22. The limits are the same at 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The simulator has no weight limit.

How Long Does The Whole Visit Take?

Around two hours for a 60-minute flight, two and a half for a 90-minute flight and about three for a 120-minute flight, once you include the briefing, the preflight inspection and the debrief.

What Happens If The Weather Is Bad?

We reschedule you for free, and if the weather says no, you do not pay. Free rescheduling applies up to 24 hours before your flight for any reason. See our Weather And Cancellation Policy.

Can Someone Come And Watch?

Yes. Friends and family are welcome at the airport, and Van Nuys is a good place to watch airplanes even if you are not flying. Only the people booked into seats can come on the flight.

Can I Take Photos And Video?

Yes. Bring your phone or a camera. On the two-person flights the second person usually ends up as the photographer.

Is A Discovery Flight A Good Gift?

It is one of the better ones, because it is an experience rather than an object. If you do not know the recipient's schedule, buy a gift card and let them pick the date and the length. We wrote about the pitfalls in Is A Discovery Flight A Good Gift?

Can I Propose On The Flight?

Yes, and people do. The 90- and 120-minute Malibu flights are the usual choice. Tell us when you book so we can plan the route and the timing. See Groups, Proposals And Events.

What If I Get Nervous Or Airsick?

Tell your instructor. They can fly the airplane gently, keep the turns shallow, cut the flight short, or take the controls at any moment. If flying makes you anxious, book 60 minutes rather than 120, or spend an hour in the full-motion simulator first.

How Much Is A Discovery Flight In Los Angeles?

$229 for 60 minutes, $299 for 90 and $399 for 120 in the Piper Warrior for one person. Flights for two start at $299, the Cirrus SR22 at $499 for one flyer or $599 with a passenger, and an hour in the full-motion simulator is $189. The airplane, the fuel and the instructor are all in the price.

Do I Get To Land The Plane?

Your instructor flies the takeoff and the landing at Van Nuys, usually with your hands resting lightly on the controls so you can feel what the airplane is doing. Everything in between, the climbs, the turns and the level flight past the landmarks, is yours to fly.

Is The Discovery Flight Credited Toward Training?

Yes. If you enroll in a training program within 24 hours of your flight, 100% of what you paid for it is credited toward that program, and the logged time counts toward a pilot certificate either way.

Coming From Further Out

Discovery Flights Elsewhere In Southern California

People search for discovery flights across the whole Los Angeles basin — Orange County, the South Bay, the Valley, the Westside. We fly from Van Nuys Airport, which is reachable from most of the region and puts the Hollywood Sign, downtown and the coast within a single flight. If you are coming from Orange County or further south, the drive is worth checking against your booking time; call us and we will help you pick a slot that works.

The Los Angeles basin seen from the wing of a training airplane above the Valley

9 AM–9 PMOpen seven days

KVNYVan Nuys Airport

7900 BalboaMain Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406

Your Next Step

How To Book

Book any flight online from the Discovery Flights collection, or call (818) 330-1318 between 9 AM and 9 PM, seven days a week, if you would rather talk it through or you are booking for a group. Pick your date and time on the calendar on the product page. Free rescheduling up to 24 hours before your flight, and if the weather says no, you do not pay. You can check Van Nuys weather today before you pick a slot.

Booking for someone else? A gift certificate lets them choose the date and the length of the flight themselves. If it is for the holidays, here is how to give a flight for Christmas.

Book A Discovery Flight · $229 Give A Flight · From $189 Call Or Text (818) 330-1318

Book Your Discovery Flight

60, 90 or 120 minutes from $229 at Van Nuys Airport. You fly the airplane, an instructor teaches you, and the time goes in your logbook.

See All Discovery Flights

The training fleet lined up on the ramp at Van Nuys Airport at dusk

$229Sixty minutes, one person

24 hrsFree reschedule window

$0If the weather cancels

Talk To Us

Questions Before You Book?

Call and you get somebody who flies out of Van Nuys, not a call center. If the question is easier to write down than to ask on the phone, send it over and we will come back to you.

Call (818) 330-1318

Open 9 AM–9 PM, seven days
Phone (818) 330-1318
Address 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406
Airport Van Nuys Airport (KVNY)

Keep Reading

More On Discovery Flights And What Comes Next

The BasicsWhat Is A Discovery Flight?The general explanation: what the hour is, what it costs nationally and why the time is loggable. PricingDiscovery Flight Cost In Los AngelesEvery price on its own page, with what moves it and what is already included. On The DayWhat To Expect On Your Discovery FlightArrival, briefing, walkaround, the flying and the debrief, in order. Rides ComparedAirplane Rides In Los Angeles: You Fly It, From $229How our flights differ from a sightseeing ride you sit in the back of. Nervous FlyersFear Of Flying: What It Is And How Pilots Would Fix ItWhat actually helps, and where the simulator fits in before you fly. After The FlightLearn To Fly In Los Angeles: Start With A Discovery FlightWhat training looks like if the hour makes you want to carry on.

A Piper Warrior on the Van Nuys ramp at dusk with other trainers behind it

Your Next Step

Come And Fly With Us At Van Nuys Airport

Sixty minutes, $229, and you are the one flying. Enroll within 24 hours of landing and the whole $229 comes off your training.

Book A Discovery Flight Call (818) 330-1318

7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406 Open 9 AM–9 PM, seven days (818) 330-1318

Discovery Flight

$229

60 minutes, you fly the airplane, and the time is logged as instruction received.

Book A Discovery Flight

The Route

An Hour Over Los Angeles, Landmark By Landmark

Sixty minutes out of Van Nuys Airport: past Universal Studios, the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory, one full circle around Downtown LA, then west along the north side of SoFi Stadium and LAX to the coast, up the shoreline from Venice Beach to Malibu and home over the hills. Your instructor takes off and lands. You fly 50–80% of it.

About 1 Hour From Van Nuys
You Fly 50–80%
From $229 All-In
No Experience Needed

Waypoint 01 Of 12Van Nuys Airport

Loading The Map

You’re FlyingInstructor: Takeoff & LandingWe Stay North Of LAX & SoFi

01 / 12

The San Fernando Valley Over The Wing
01Instructor Takeoff
Van Nuys Airport
Takeoff From Van Nuys
Your instructor handles the takeoff from Van Nuys, one of the busiest general aviation airports anywhere, and explains what is happening the whole way up. Clear of the pattern, you take the controls.
Universal Studios Hollywood From The Air
02You’re Flying
Universal Studios
The Studio Lots From Above
Your first landmark, only a few minutes out. From the air the studio lots are a small city of soundstages and backlots, with the theme park perched on the hill above the freeway.
The Hollywood Sign On Mount Lee
03You’re Flying
Hollywood Sign
Level With The Letters
You fly past the Hollywood Sign close to the height of the letters, a view that belongs to pilots, with the radio tower on the summit and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond.
Griffith Observatory From The Air
04You’re Flying
Griffith Observatory
The White Domes Over The Basin
Griffith Observatory sits on its ridge in Griffith Park with the entire Los Angeles basin spread out behind it, all the way to the ocean on a clear day.
Circling The Downtown Towers
05You’re Flying
Downtown LA
One Full Circle Around The Towers
You come in from the south and fly one complete counterclockwise circle around the Downtown skyline, so the towers pass off your wing from every side with the mountains behind them.
SoFi Stadium From Just North
06You’re Flying
SoFi Stadium
The Stadium Off Your Left Wing
The route passes just north of SoFi Stadium and never crosses over it. The translucent roof of the Rams and Chargers home slides past your left wing.
LAX From The North Side
07You’re Flying
LAX
Airliners On Approach Beside You
Off your left wing, airliners line up on final for LAX, one of the busiest airports on Earth. You stay north of the airport the whole time and never fly over it.
Venice Beach Over The Wing
08You’re Flying
Venice Beach
Turn Right At The Ocean
The boardwalk, the skate park and the wide beach, then a right turn to follow the shoreline north with Santa Monica Bay opening up ahead of you.
Santa Monica Pier From The Air
09You’re Flying
Santa Monica Pier
The Ferris Wheel Below
The pier and its Ferris wheel go by beneath you with surf breaking along the beach, a scene from a hundred films, now seen from your own airplane.
The Malibu Coast At Sunset
10You’re Flying
Malibu
Where The Mountains Meet The Sea
You follow the coast past Pacific Palisades to Malibu, where the Santa Monica Mountains fall straight into the Pacific and Pacific Coast Highway traces the shore.
Back Across The San Fernando Valley
11You’re Flying
Warner Center
Back Over The Hills
A turn north over the Santa Monica Mountains brings you to Warner Center in Woodland Hills, then east across the San Fernando Valley with Van Nuys lined up ahead.
12Instructor Landing
Back At Van Nuys
Your Instructor Lands, Then You Debrief
Bring a pilot logbook and your instructor signs your first entry. Enroll in a course within 24 hours and the full cost of your flight is credited toward your training.
Book Now · From $229

Typical route, flown without landing anywhere but Van Nuys. Weather and air traffic control set the final path on the day.

Book Now · From $229 Give It As A Gift Or Call (818) 330-1318

Choose Your Flight And Book It

Discovery Flight For One

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Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight

Multi-Engine Discovery In The Seminole

Night Discovery Flight

Full-Motion Simulator Session

Book A Discovery Flight In Los Angeles

What Your Flight Includes

What A Discovery Flight Is

What A Discovery Flight Is Not

Intro Flight Vs Discovery Flight: Same Thing?

Discovery Flight Vs Air Tour Vs Simulator

How Much Does A Discovery Flight Cost In Los Angeles?

What Changes The Price

60, 90 Or 120 Minutes: How Long Should Your Discovery Flight Be?

What Happens On A Discovery Flight, Start To Finish

Discovery Flight Requirements

Where You Fly From And What You Will See

Does A Discovery Flight Count Toward A Pilot License?

Discovery Flights Near You

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The Minutes You Book Are Minutes In The Airplane.

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Discovery Flight FAQ

Do I Really Fly The Airplane?

Should I Book 60, 90 Or 120 Minutes?

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Can Someone Come And Watch?

Can I Take Photos And Video?

Is A Discovery Flight A Good Gift?

Can I Propose On The Flight?

What If I Get Nervous Or Airsick?

How Much Is A Discovery Flight In Los Angeles?

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Is The Discovery Flight Credited Toward Training?

Discovery Flights Elsewhere In Southern California

How To Book

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Questions Before You Book?

More On Discovery Flights And What Comes Next

Come And Fly With Us At Van Nuys Airport

An Hour Over Los Angeles, Landmark By Landmark

Van Nuys Airport

Universal Studios

Hollywood Sign

Griffith Observatory

Downtown LA

SoFi Stadium

LAX

Venice Beach

Santa Monica Pier

Malibu

Warner Center

Back At Van Nuys