Where Most People Start
60 Minutes
$229
60 Min In The Airplane
- Normally a Piper Warrior PA-28-161
- FAA-certificated instructor beside you
- Briefing, walk-around and debrief
- Bring your logbook, we sign it
- About 2 hours at the airport
Van Nuys Airport · Los Angeles
Flying Lessons Near Me: Your First Lesson At Van Nuys
Your first flying lesson is 60 minutes, normally in a Piper Warrior, for $229, from 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, at Van Nuys Airport. You sit in the left seat and fly the airplane, with an FAA-certificated instructor beside you. No experience and no medical certificate needed.
Open 9 AM – 9 PM, 7 days · Nothing added at checkout
How Far Are You?
How Far Is Your Flying Lesson?
Every lesson starts and ends at one place: our door on the west side of Van Nuys Airport. Pick your neighborhood, tap a pin or type any address for the straight-line distance, directions from where you are, and the page we wrote for your area.
Pick from the list, tap a pin, or type any address for directions.
From Sherman Oaks
5Miles
About 5 Miles From Van Nuys Airport
Straight-line distance from the center of each area to our door. The drive is longer. Open Our Google Business Profile
Lessons Near You, By Area
- Lake Balboa2 mi
- Reseda2 mi
- Northridge2 mi
- Mission Hills & North Hills3 mi
- Panorama City3 mi
- Granada Hills4 mi
- Encino4 mi
- Tarzana4 mi
- Winnetka4 mi
- Sherman Oaks5 mi
- Porter Ranch5 mi
- Canoga Park6 mi
- San Fernando6 mi
- Chatsworth6 mi
- Woodland Hills7 mi
- Sylmar7 mi
- North Hollywood8 mi
- Studio City8 mi
- West Hills8 mi
- Calabasas9 mi
- Toluca Lake9 mi
- Burbank11 mi
- Santa Clarita13 mi
- Pasadena21 mi
Your Time In The Airplane
The Minutes You Book Are Minutes In The Airplane.
Who's Flying?
How Long In The Airplane?
60
minutes in
the airplane.
Exactly that, every time.
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
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
Just Me · Discovery Flight In Los Angeles
Your First Lesson
What Your First Flying Lesson Includes
Budget about two hours at the airport for a 60-minute lesson. This is the shape of it, from the parking lot to the logbook.
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Step 1
Check-In And Briefing
Arrive about 15 minutes early with photo ID. Then a briefing of about 5 minutes with your instructor: what the controls do, how the airplane climbs, turns and descends, and where you are going today.
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Step 2
The Walk-Around
The pre-flight inspection every pilot does before every flight: fuel, oil, control surfaces and tires. You do it together with your instructor.
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Step 3
Start, Taxi And Takeoff
Engine start and taxi, with real calls to Van Nuys ground and tower. Your instructor handles the radios and flies the takeoff, usually with your hands resting lightly on the controls so you can feel what the airplane is doing.
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Step 4
You Fly The Airplane
Once you are established in the climb the controls are yours: straight and level, climbs, descents and turns, heading and altitude. Your instructor is on the controls with you throughout.
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Step 5
Landing And Logbook
Your instructor flies the landing and you taxi back. Then a debrief on what went well and what comes next, and, if you bring your own logbook, a signed entry: dual instruction that counts toward a pilot certificate.
Know What You Are Booking
Flying Lesson Or Sightseeing Ride?
Plenty of what comes up for “flying lessons near me” is a scenic flight: a pleasant hour where a pilot flies and you look out of the window. Ask anyone you book with two questions: will I be handling the controls, and will the flight be logged as dual instruction?
| Question To Ask | A Flying Lesson | A Sightseeing Flight |
|---|---|---|
| What You See | Los Angeles from the air | Los Angeles from the air |
| Who Flies The Airplane? | You do, from the left seat | The pilot does; you are a passenger |
| Who Is Beside You? | An FAA-certificated flight instructor with dual controls | A commercial pilot with no teaching role |
| Is The Time Logged? | Yes, as dual instruction toward a certificate | No |
| Is There A Briefing? | Yes, about 5 minutes before you get in | Usually a safety briefing only |
| Where Do You Sit? | Front left, the pilot’s seat | Wherever the seat plan puts you |
| Does It Lead Anywhere? | It is hour one of a pilot certificate | It is a one-off experience |
Our explainer, what is a discovery flight, covers the difference in more detail.
From The Left Seat
What You Will See
You choose the direction. East takes you toward Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign with downtown off the nose; west crosses the Santa Monica Mountains to Santa Monica Bay and the Malibu coast. These photos were taken on our own flights over Los Angeles.
The Coast At Sunset · 1 / 6
Prices
What Flying Lessons Cost Near You
Start with one lesson, keep going lesson by lesson at published rates, or move to a fixed package with every hour listed. These are You Fly LA’s own prices.
First Lesson
90 Minutes
$299
90 Min In The Airplane
- Normally a Piper Warrior PA-28-161
- A route rather than a loop
- Briefing, walk-around and debrief
- Bring your logbook, we sign it
- About 2½ hours at the airport
120 Minutes
$399
120 Min In The Airplane
- Normally a Piper Warrior PA-28-161
- The coast and the city in one flight
- Briefing, walk-around and debrief
- Bring your logbook, we sign it
- About 3 hours at the airport
Lesson By Lesson
Aircraft Time
$179/hr
Package Rate
- Piper Warrior or Cessna 162 Skycatcher
- Diamond DA20-C1: +$50/hr
- Cirrus SR22 Turbo: +$400/hr ($579/hr)
Instruction
$110/hr
Flight Or Ground
- FAA-certificated instructor
- In the airplane or the simulator
- Briefings, debriefs and ground lessons
Simulator Time
$120/hr
Inside A Training Course
- FAA-approved Redbird full-motion simulator
- Procedures, and weather on demand
- The $189 simulator experience is a separate 60-minute session
Private Pilot
Standard
$10,400
40 Hours Logged
- 38 hrs single-engine aircraft · $179/hr
- 2 hrs full-motion simulator · $120/hr
- 30 hrs dual instruction · $110/hr
- 3 hrs ground school and briefings
- Books and training materials included
$2,500 down + 4 × $1,975/mo
Enroll NowMost Popular
Comprehensive
$15,400
60 Hours Logged
- 55 hrs single-engine aircraft · $179/hr
- 5 hrs full-motion simulator · $120/hr
- 50 hrs dual instruction · $110/hr
- 10 hrs ground school and briefings
- Books and training materials included
$2,500 down + 6 × $2,150/mo
Enroll NowMost Flight Time
Premium
$22,000
80 Hours Logged
- 70 hrs single-engine aircraft · $179/hr
- 10 hrs full-motion simulator · $120/hr
- 60 hrs dual instruction · $110/hr
- 20 hrs ground school and briefings
- Books and training materials included
$2,500 down + 10 × $1,950/mo
Enroll NowSport Pilot
Sport Pilot Course
$8,400
28 Hours Logged
- 25 hrs flight time in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher
- 3 hrs full-motion simulator
- 25 hrs dual instruction
- 10 hrs ground school, pre- and post-flight
- Books included
$2,500 down + 3 × $1,966/mo
Enroll NowEnroll in a training program within 24 hours of your first lesson and 100% of what you paid for it is credited toward the program. Not sure which fits? Book a free consultation, or see how much flight lessons cost in Los Angeles.
Requirements
Who Can Take A Flying Lesson
Almost anyone. You need no FAA medical certificate, no student pilot certificate, no aviation knowledge and no experience, because your instructor is the pilot in command. Bring government photo ID. The medical and the student pilot certificate come later, when you want to fly solo.
Age
There is no minimum age to take a lesson and no upper age limit. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian who signs, and the person flying must be able to see over the panel and wear a headset comfortably. Ages 10 to 15 have their own Teens Pilot Course.
Weight
The limits are the manufacturer’s, not ours: 180 lb per person and 360 lb combined in the Piper Warrior, 200 lb and 400 lb combined in the Cirrus SR22. The simulator has no weight limit. Close to a limit? Call (818) 330-1318 before you pay and we will find the flight that works.
Nervous?
Say so on the phone and we will tell you honestly whether an airplane or the full-motion simulator ($189, 60 minutes, instructor beside you) is the better first hour. There is also a Fear Of Flying Course.
Before You Leave Home
What To Wear And What To Bring
- Government photo ID (a passport if you are visiting from outside the US)
- Closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothes
- Sunglasses: the light over the Valley is bright
- Your glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
- A phone or camera if you want photos
- Nothing else: headsets are provided
Skip heavy perfume or cologne in a small cabin, and anything bulky around your feet, because you will be using the rudder pedals. If you are sensitive to motion, eat something light beforehand and say so at the briefing; the smoothest air is usually the first flight of the morning and the last hour before sunset.
Keep Going
After The First Lesson: How Lessons Become A License
Nothing has to happen next; plenty of people take one flight and enjoy the story. If you want to keep going, the path is well worn: lessons that build the basic maneuvers and landings, then solo, then cross-country flying, the written exam and the checkride. If your first lesson is in your logbook, it already counts.
Two Licenses To Aim For
The Sport Pilot License is $8,400 for 28 logged hours in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, with a U.S. driver’s license in place of a medical; it allows one passenger and daytime flying. The Private Pilot License starts at $10,400 for the 40-hour Standard package and lets you carry passengers and fly at night.
How Often To Fly
Twice a week is the pattern that works for most people, because each lesson starts where the last one ended. Once a week works but takes roughly twice as long and costs more in total hours. We train under Part 61 and fly 9 AM to 9 PM every day, so lessons can follow your work week. How long it takes depends on how often you fly: how often to fly and how long flight school takes set out the arithmetic.
Van Nuys Airport · West Side
Where Your Lesson Starts
Every lesson starts at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, on the western side of Van Nuys Airport. Put the street address into your satnav, not “Van Nuys Airport”: the field has several public gates over about a mile of frontage.
Find Us
You Fly LA
7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108Van Nuys, CA 91406
Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), west side of the field
Open 7 Days9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Before Your Lesson
0 / 4 Ready
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01
Navigate To 7900 Balboa Blvd
From the 405, take the Sherman Way exit west about a mile and a half to Balboa. From the 101, exit at Balboa Blvd and drive north.
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02
Park On Site
There is parking on site. Not sure where to pull in? Call (818) 330-1318 before you set off.
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03
Arrive 15 Minutes Early
Bring photo ID and wear closed-toe shoes. Headsets are provided.
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04
Running Late? Call
Between 4 and 7 PM on a weekday, allow more time than the map says. Call from the road and we can often shift things around.
Questions
Flying Lessons Near Me: Your Questions
Anything else? Call (818) 330-1318, 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week.
$229 for a 60-minute first lesson at You Fly LA, covering the airplane, the fuel and the instructor, with nothing added at checkout. Ninety minutes is $299 and 120 minutes is $399. After that, lessons run at published rates: aircraft from $179 an hour and instruction $110 an hour.
Yes. You sit in the left seat, the pilot’s seat, and once you are established in the climb the controls are yours. Your instructor handles the takeoff, the landing and the radios, with an identical set of controls.
No. Your instructor is the pilot in command, so you need no license, no medical certificate and no experience. An FAA medical and a student pilot certificate only matter later, when you want to fly solo.
About two hours for a 60-minute lesson: arrive 15 minutes early, a briefing of about 5 minutes, the walk-around, the flight, then the debrief and logbook. Allow about two and a half hours for 90 minutes and about three for 120.
There is parking on site at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406. Give your satnav or rideshare driver the street address rather than “Van Nuys Airport”, and call (818) 330-1318 if you cannot find us.
There is no minimum age; anyone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian who signs. Weight limits are 180 lb per person and 360 lb combined in the Piper Warrior, and 200 lb and 400 lb combined in the Cirrus SR22. The simulator has no limit. Close to a limit? Call before you book.
Yes. The time is logged as dual instruction and counts toward a pilot certificate. Enroll in a training program within 24 hours of your flight and 100% of what you paid is credited toward it.
Government photo ID, closed-toe shoes, comfortable clothes and sunglasses. Headsets are provided. Skip heavy perfume and anything bulky around your feet.
If the weather says no, you do not pay: we move you to a new slot at no cost. You can move a booking yourself at no charge with at least 24 hours’ notice.
No question matches. Call (818) 330-1318 and ask us directly.
Van Nuys Airport · Open 7 Days
Book Your First Flying Lesson
Sixty minutes, $229, seven days a week. You fly the airplane, we sign your logbook if you bring one, and nothing is added at checkout.
Open 7 Days9:00 AM – 9:00 PM