Four Cessna 162 Skycatchers parked in a row at Van Nuys Airport

Sport Pilot · Van Nuys Airport

Sport Pilot License In Los Angeles, At Van Nuys Airport

A real FAA pilot certificate with a 20-hour minimum, flown on a valid US driver's license instead of a medical. Our course is a fixed $8,400 in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, from 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, open 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week.

Enroll Now Book A Free ConsultationBook A Discovery Flight · $229

Training near you: in a straight line, about 2 miles from Northridge, 4 from Encino and 5 from Sherman Oaks.

$8,400Sport Pilot Course · Fixed 20 HrFAA Minimum · 61.313 61.23(c)Driver's License, No Medical C162Cessna 162 Skycatcher

At A Glance

The Sport Pilot Course At A Glance

Every figure is a published You Fly LA price or a rule from 14 CFR Part 61. Tap a tile for the detail.

28 Hr Logged In The Course. 25 hours of flight in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher plus 3 hours in the full-motion simulator. The FAA minimum is 20.

What The $8,400 Includes

25 Hr Dual Instruction. Instruction at $110 an hour inside the course. The FAA asks for at least 15 hours of flight training with an authorized instructor.

The 20-Hour Minimum

10 Hr Ground Instruction. Briefings, debriefs and the knowledge areas of 14 CFR 61.309, which the knowledge test and the checkride both draw on.

Sport Pilot Requirements

$2,500 Down, Then 3 × $1,966. A direct, interest-free plan with us over the course of the training, not a loan.

Flight Training Financing

~$175 FAA Knowledge Test. Paid to the testing center, not to us. The student pilot certificate is free through IACRA.

Sport Pilot License Cost

17 Minimum Age To Certificate. You must be 17 to hold a sport pilot certificate for an airplane (14 CFR 61.305). Lessons have no minimum age, and you can solo on a student pilot certificate from 16.

Packages & Prices

What The $8,400 Includes

Fixed and all-in: the aircraft, simulator, instruction and ground hours are listed before you start, and books are included. At our own package rates the parts add up to $8,685; the course is $8,400.

Sport Pilot

Sport Pilot Course

$8,400

28 Hours Logged

  • 25 hrs Cessna 162 Skycatcher, fuel included · $179/hr
  • 3 hrs full-motion simulator · $120/hr
  • 25 hrs dual instruction · $110/hr
  • 10 hrs ground instruction · $110/hr
  • Class B, C and D airspace endorsement included
  • Books and training materials included

$2,500 down + 3 × $1,966/mo

Enroll Now

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 · $110/hr
  • Books and training materials included
  • Requires an FAA third-class medical

$2,500 down + 4 × $1,975/mo

Enroll Now

Discovery Flight

Discovery Flight · 60 Min

$229

Your First Lesson · Piper Warrior

  • You fly from the left seat, an instructor beside you
  • Logged as dual instruction toward your 20 hours
  • The full $229 is credited if you enroll within 24 hours
  • Not sure yet? The in-person consultation is free
Book A Discovery Flight

Paid to others, not to us: the FAA knowledge test (about $175) and the examiner's fee (roughly $800 to $1,000 in Southern California). Extra hours, if you need them, are billed at the same package rates. Line by line: sport pilot license cost.

The Hours

The 20-Hour Minimum, And Why Most Take 25 To 40

For a sport pilot certificate with airplane single-engine privileges, 14 CFR 61.313 sets a floor of 20 hours of flight time:

Sport Pilot Minimums, Airplane Single-Engine
RequirementFAA Minimum
Total flight time20 hours
Flight training with an authorized instructor15 hours
Solo flight training5 hours
Cross-country flight training2 hours
Takeoffs and landings to a full stop10
Solo cross-country75 nm, full-stop landings at two points
Test preparation, within 2 calendar months2 hours
Credit in an approved simulator or training deviceUp to 2.5 hours

Twenty is a legal floor, not a forecast. Most sport pilot students finish between 25 and 40 hours, and what moves the number is frequency, not talent: a student flying twice a week lands near the low end, a student flying twice a month does not. That is why the course is built around 25 aircraft hours rather than 20. At Van Nuys you also need the Class B, C and D airspace endorsement before you can leave the field, and that work takes real flying.

Already training? The hours in your logbook count toward these minimums. Bring it to a free consultation and we will count what is left with you.

The Medical Question

The Driver's License Instead Of A Medical

Under 14 CFR 61.23(c) you may fly as a sport pilot holding a valid US driver's license instead of an FAA medical certificate, in an aircraft that meets the limits of 61.316. You must follow every restriction on that license: if it says corrective lenses, you wear them in the airplane. The exceptions matter more than the rule. The driver's-license route is closed if:

  • Your most recent application for an FAA medical was denied
  • Your most recent medical certificate was suspended or revoked
  • Your most recent special issuance Authorization was withdrawn
  • You know, or have reason to know, of a medical condition that would make you unable to fly safely

Talk To An AME Before You Apply

If you have never applied for an FAA medical, the route is open. If you apply and are denied, it closes. So if you think a medical might be refused, talk to an Aviation Medical Examiner before you submit anything, not after. One more trade to know: night flying under 61.329 needs a medical certificate or the 61.113(i) alternative, so the driver's-license route and night flying do not combine.

Sport Pilot Medical Requirements

The Airplane

The Cessna 162 Skycatcher, And What MOSAIC Changed

The course is flown in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher: a two-seat, high-wing trainer with a 100-horsepower Continental engine, a Garmin G300 glass panel, fixed gear and a fixed-pitch propeller. It is forgiving to land, and the high wing makes the traffic pattern easy to read. Inside the course it flies at the $179 package rate with fuel included. Full specifications are on our Cessna 162 Skycatcher page.

What A Sport Pilot May Fly Since MOSAIC

The FAA's MOSAIC rule took effect on 22 October 2025, with further provisions on 24 July 2026. Sport pilot privileges no longer turn on a 1,320-pound weight cap. Under 14 CFR 61.316 an airplane qualifies on performance and design:

  • A clean stall speed (VS1) of 59 knots CAS or less
  • Up to four seats, though you may still carry only one passenger
  • A non-pressurized cabin
  • Fixed gear and a fixed, ground-adjustable or automated controllable-pitch propeller, unless you hold the 61.331 endorsements

Separately, 61.315 limits you to airplanes with a top level-flight speed (VH) of 87 knots CAS or less unless you hold the 61.327(b) endorsement. The Skycatcher is a legacy light sport aircraft that sits inside the 61.316 limits; it is faster than 87 knots, so a sport pilot needs that endorsement to fly it as pilot in command. For any other airplane, check the numbers, not the label.

MOSAIC Rule Explained
Three yellow and white Cessna 162 trainers, N179LC, N60225 and N7030B, parked in a row beside a large hangar at Van Nuys Airport
Cessna 162 Skycatchers · Van Nuys

An Honest Answer

When Sport Pilot Is The Right Choice, And When It Is Not

We will talk you out of this certificate if it is wrong for you. The short version:

Sport Pilot Is Right If

  • An FAA medical is a genuine obstacle, and you have never applied for one
  • You want to fly locally, in daylight, with one passenger, for the pleasure of it
  • $2,000 decides whether you start at all: $8,400 against $10,400 for the Standard private pilot course
  • You want a certificate sooner: a 20-hour minimum against 40

Go Straight To Private Pilot If

  • You can hold a medical and expect to want more later: upgrading means all of 61.109, a second knowledge test and a second checkride
  • You want to fly at night, which needs a medical anyway
  • You want to carry more than one passenger
  • You have professional ambitions: instrument, commercial and everything above build on the private certificate
  • You want to fly on average-weather days: the 3-mile visibility floor and keeping the ground in sight cancel flights a private pilot would take

The longer route is on our private pilot license page. If you are genuinely undecided, have that conversation with an instructor, not a spreadsheet.

Sport Pilot Vs Private Pilot

Sport Or Private?

Sport Pilot Vs Private Pilot

Both are real FAA pilot certificates. Pick one to see it on its own, or show only the rows where they differ.

Sport Pilot Vs Private Pilot
CompareSport PilotPrivate Pilot
Course price here$8,400$10,400 (Standard)
FAA minimum flight time20 hours (61.313)40 hours (61.109)
Instruction and solo minimums15 dual, 5 solo20 dual, 10 solo
MedicalUS driver's license (61.23(c))FAA third-class medical
Minimum age1717
PassengersOneLimited only by the seats
Night flyingOnly with the 61.329 endorsement, plus a medical or the 61.113(i) alternativeYes
Altitude10,000 ft MSL or 2,000 ft AGL, whichever is higherNo equivalent limit
Visibility3 statute miles minimumStandard VFR minimums
Class B, C and D airspaceWith the 61.325 endorsement, included in our courseYes
AircraftWithin 61.316; above 87 kt VH needs 61.327(b)No equivalent limit
Payment plan$2,500 down + 3 × $1,966$2,500 down + 4 × $1,975

Hours flown toward the sport certificate count toward the private pilot's 40, but the knowledge test and the checkride do not carry over, and you must still meet every requirement of 14 CFR 61.109. The whole decision is on sport pilot vs private pilot.

Book A Free Consultation Private Pilot License

From Our Ramp

Where You Will Train, And What You Will See

Real You Fly LA photos: the trainers on our ramp at Van Nuys, and Los Angeles from the air.

Book A Discovery Flight
Low-angle view of a yellow Piper trainer with Cessna 162s and a twin parked behind it near the hangars at Van Nuys at dusk

Our Trainers At Dusk, Van Nuys · 1 / 5

Low-angle view of a yellow Piper trainer with Cessna 162s and a twin parked behind it near the hangars at Van Nuys at duskShow Photo 1Yellow Piper trainer in the foreground with more yellow aircraft and hangars behind at duskShow Photo 2Aerial sunset over West Los Angeles with Century City towers, the Santa Monica Mountains and the ocean on the horizonShow Photo 3Aerial view of the coastline and mountains running along a calm ocean under a red and orange sunsetShow Photo 4Red sunset over the Pacific seen above the dark glareshield of an aircraft instrument panelShow Photo 5

How It Works

How The Course Runs At Van Nuys

One instructor, a written syllabus, and lessons from 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week. In this order:

Sport Pilot Requirements
  1. Yellow aircraft wing in the corner of the frame above Los Angeles streets at dusk, the sun setting over the ocean1 / 6

    Step 1

    Fly A Discovery Flight

    Sixty minutes over Los Angeles from the left seat, $229. It is logged as dual instruction toward your 20 hours, and the full $229 is credited to the course if you enroll within 24 hours.

  2. Yellow trainers in a row on the Van Nuys ramp as the sun sets behind tall trees and palms2 / 6

    Step 2

    Ground And Dual Lessons

    Briefings on the 61.309 knowledge areas, then dual flights in the Skycatcher through the areas the checkride tests: airport operations, takeoffs and landings, slow flight, stalls and emergencies. Apply for your student pilot certificate through IACRA early: it is free and takes a few weeks to arrive.

  3. Aerial dusk view of West Los Angeles with Century City towers, the mountains and the curve of Santa Monica Bay3 / 6

    Step 3

    The Airspace Endorsement

    Van Nuys is Class D beneath the Burbank Class C, just north of the Los Angeles Class B. Radio work, towered-airport operations with three full-stop landings and the Part 91 rules earn the 61.325 endorsement, included in the course.

  4. Yellow Piper and Cessna 162 trainers lined up on the ramp as the sun sets behind trees at Van Nuys4 / 6

    Step 4

    First Solo

    Before you solo, an instructor other than your own flies a stage check with you. Then you fly the Skycatcher alone: at least 5 hours of solo flight training.

  5. Aerial view at sunset across Los Angeles neighborhoods toward the ocean, the sun on the horizon under a cloudy sky5 / 6

    Step 5

    Cross-Country

    Two hours of cross-country training with your instructor, then a solo cross-country of at least 75 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two points.

  6. Aerial view of West Los Angeles high-rises and neighborhoods in golden haze with the Santa Monica Mountains behind6 / 6

    Step 6

    Knowledge Test And Checkride

    The FAA sport pilot knowledge test costs about $175 at the testing center. After 2 hours of test preparation and a second stage check, you fly the practical test with an examiner: an oral and a flight, to the Sport Pilot Airman Certification Standards.

How Far Are You?

Sport Pilot Training Near You

There is one place we train: Van Nuys Airport, from the west side of the field. Pick your neighborhood for the straight-line distance to our door and Google directions from there.

Pick from the list, tap a pin, or type any address for directions.

From Sherman Oaks

5Miles

About 5 Miles From Van Nuys Airport

Get Directions Flight School Near Sherman Oaks

Straight-line distance from the center of each area to our door. The drive is longer. Open Our Google Business Profile

Areas We Serve

Van Nuys Airport · West Side

Where The Course Is Flown

Every lesson starts and ends at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, on the west side of Van Nuys Airport (KVNY). A free consultation is the easiest way to see the Skycatcher before you commit.

Find Us

You Fly LA

7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108
Van Nuys, CA 91406

Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), west side of the field

Open 7 Days9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

(818) 330-1318alex@youfly.la

Get Directions Open In Google Maps

Read Our Google Reviews

Yellow Piper Warrior N3034Q parked beside a tan hangar at Van Nuys Airport
Piper Warrior N3034Q · Van Nuys Airport

Before Your First Lesson

0 / 4 Ready

  1. 01

    Navigate To 7900 Balboa Blvd

    Give GPS or a rideshare driver the street address, not “Van Nuys Airport”: the field has several public gates over about a mile of frontage, and the wrong one means a locked fence.

  2. 02

    Park On Site

    There is parking at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108. If you cannot find us, call (818) 330-1318 and someone will talk you in.

  3. 03

    Arrive 15 Minutes Early

    Bring a government photo ID and wear closed-toe shoes. Headsets are provided.

  4. 04

    Allow For Traffic

    Between 4 and 7 PM on weekdays, give yourself more time than the map says.

Questions

Sport Pilot License: Questions

Still unsure? Call (818) 330-1318, 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week.

Sport Pilot License Requirements

At least 20 under 14 CFR 61.313: 15 hours of flight training with an instructor and 5 solo. Most students finish between 25 and 40, depending mostly on how often they fly. Our course includes 25 hours in the Cessna 162 and 3 in the simulator.

At You Fly LA, at Van Nuys Airport, a fixed $8,400 with books included, or $2,500 down and three payments of $1,966. Budget separately for the FAA knowledge test (about $175 at the testing center) and the examiner's fee (roughly $800 to $1,000 in Southern California).

Yes, on a valid US driver's license under 14 CFR 61.23(c), unless your most recent medical application was denied, a medical was suspended or revoked, a special issuance was withdrawn, or you know of a condition that would make you unable to fly safely.

One passenger, however many seats the airplane has, and never for compensation or hire. Night flying needs the 61.329 endorsement plus a medical certificate or the 61.113(i) alternative, so it does not combine with the driver's-license route.

Yes, with the 14 CFR 61.325 endorsement: radio and navigation training, towered-airport operations with three full-stop landings, and the Part 91 rules. Van Nuys is Class D beneath the Burbank Class C, so every sport pilot student here gets it. Class A airspace is prohibited.

The Cessna 162 Skycatcher: two seats, a high wing, 100 horsepower and a Garmin G300 glass panel, at the $179 package rate with fuel included. It sits inside the post-MOSAIC limits of 14 CFR 61.316.

Yes. Hours flown toward the sport certificate count toward the private pilot's 40, but you must meet all of 14 CFR 61.109, hold a third-class medical, and pass the private pilot knowledge test and checkride. If you can hold a medical, starting on private usually costs less overall.

It depends on how often you fly. At two lessons a week the course takes roughly three months; at one lesson a week it stretches toward six, and costs more, because each lesson starts by rebuilding the last.

Yes. People say permit, license or certificate; the FAA issues a sport pilot certificate under Subpart J of 14 CFR Part 61. It is a full pilot certificate. The learner's document is the student pilot certificate you hold while you train.

Van Nuys Airport · Open 7 Days

Start Your Sport Pilot License

Ready now? Enroll in the sport pilot course with $2,500 down. Or fly first: a discovery flight logs toward your 20 hours, and the $229 comes off the course if you enroll within 24 hours.

Open 7 Days9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Book A Discovery Flight60 minutes · $229 · you fly Free In-Person ConsultationAbout half an hour at Van Nuys, nothing to sign Call Or Text (818) 330-1318Open 9–9, 7 days