Two things decide whether your flight happens on the day you booked it: the weather, and whether the airplane and the instructor are fit to fly. This page explains how we handle both, what happens to your money in every case, and what Los Angeles weather actually does through the year so you can pick a date that works.
The Policy In One Line: free rescheduling up to 24 hours before · if the weather says no, you do not pay.
Rescheduling Your Flight
You can move your booking to another date at no charge with at least 24 hours' notice. Call (818) 330-1318 — we are open 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week, and an instructor or the owner answers. Life happens, and a flight moved a week is far better for everyone than a flight flown by somebody who would rather be elsewhere.
Inside 24 hours, call us anyway. We would much rather have the conversation than have you not turn up, and if we can fill the slot we will do what we can.
When We Cancel
If we stand a flight down for weather, aircraft maintenance, airspace restrictions or any other safety consideration, we contact you as early as we can, move you to a new slot at no cost, and your purchase stays valid. You do not pay for a flight we canceled.
The pilot in command has final authority over whether a flight is safe to conduct and over the route flown once airborne. That decision is not negotiable and it is not something we will be talked out of, including by ourselves. A cancellation for safety is us delivering the service properly rather than failing to deliver it, and every flight school and operator worth flying with works the same way.
What Counts As A Weather Cancellation
- Ceilings too low for the flight. A marine layer sitting on the field, or a cloud base that would not allow the maneuvering a lesson requires. Why a ceiling matters at all is a function of the rules you are flying under — see the difference between VFR and IFR.
- Visibility below what the flight needs. Haze, smoke or fog.
- Wind, particularly crosswind. A strong crosswind on the runway is a straightforward reason to move a first flight to another day.
- Turbulence. On a hot Valley afternoon or in a Santa Ana event, the air can be rough enough that a first flight would be unpleasant rather than instructive.
- Thunderstorms or a front moving through. Rare in Los Angeles, decisive when it happens.
We would rather move a flight than fly a bad one. A first hour spent gripping the seat in turbulence tells you nothing useful about whether you like flying.
Arriving Late, And Not Arriving
Please arrive about fifteen minutes before your slot. The briefing, the walk-around and the flight are scheduled as a block, and the aircraft and the instructor are booked behind you.
If you are running behind, call (818) 330-1318 from the road. Depending on what is on the schedule after you we can often shorten the ground time, start the briefing when you arrive, or move you to a later slot the same day. What does not work is arriving very late with no warning, because by then the airplane has usually gone to the next person.
A no-show — not arriving and not calling — is treated as a flight taken. That is not a penalty for its own sake: when you book, an aircraft and a certificated instructor are taken out of service and held for you, and that capacity cannot be resold once the slot has passed.
Weight Limits And Eligibility On The Day
These are aircraft certification limits set by the manufacturer, not house preferences, and we cannot fly outside them for anyone.
| Aircraft | Maximum Per Person | Maximum Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Piper Warrior | 180 lb | 360 lb |
| Cirrus SR22 (SR series reference) | 200 lb | 400 lb |
| Full-motion simulator | No limit | No limit |
One quick check before you book, then. If you are close to a limit, or you are not sure, call us on (818) 330-1318 first and we will help you choose the flight that works — the Cirrus SR22 carries more, and the simulator carries anyone. We would far rather have that conversation on the phone than turn somebody away at the door, which is the worst possible way for this to go for both of us.
Two other things to bring: government photo identification, and a parent or legal guardian if the person flying is under 18. Non-US visitors should bring a passport.
If the weather says no, you do not pay — that is the whole policy. Book the slot you want; a canceled flight is rebooked or refunded, never charged.
We May Decline A Flight
We will not fly anyone who is intoxicated or impaired, and this is federal regulation rather than a house rule. If you have a party booked around a flight, fly first and celebrate afterwards. We may also decline a flight where a person's conduct is unsafe or abusive, or where the pilot in command judges someone unfit to fly on the day.
Los Angeles Weather, Month By Month
Southern California is one of the most reliable places in the country to plan a flight, and Van Nuys sits about fifteen miles inland with a mountain ridge between it and the ocean — which is worth more to your booking than any other single fact about the field. For the conditions right now, see Van Nuys Airport weather today.
The Marine Layer: Late Spring And Early Summer
Low coastal stratus pushes into the LA basin overnight from roughly May through July and burns off through the morning. Coastal airports can sit under it until midday. Van Nuys, on the far side of the Santa Monica Mountains, usually clears hours earlier and on many days never goes into it at all. That single fact is why a lot of west-side students drive inland rather than book at the coast; the pages for Santa Monica and for Brentwood and Pacific Palisades set the June mornings on each side of the ridge against the drive, and the Santa Monica Airport closure is pushing the same decision on people who trained there.
Booking advice: in June, take an afternoon slot. It is the single easiest way to avoid a weather move.
Summer Heat And Afternoon Turbulence
From July through September the Valley floor heats up and the air over it gets bumpy in the afternoon. Nothing about that is dangerous, but it is less comfortable for a first flight.
Booking advice: take an early morning slot for the smoothest air, or an evening one near sunset once the ground has given its heat back.
Santa Ana Winds: Autumn
Dry offshore winds that come down through the passes, usually in autumn and occasionally into winter. They bring extraordinary visibility and rough air in the same package. A strong Santa Ana event is the most likely reason for a weather move in October or November.
Booking advice: these are forecast days in advance, so we will usually know before you do and will call you.
Winter: The Best Flying Season In Los Angeles
Cool dense air improves aircraft performance, visibility behind a front is exceptional, and the marine layer is largely absent. The occasional Pacific storm system moves through and is worth an easy reschedule. For most of December, January and February, the air over Los Angeles is as good as it gets.
Spring
Clear, mild and generally excellent, with the marine layer beginning to appear in the mornings toward the end of the season. Mornings are smooth; afternoons can be breezy.
| Season | Main Consideration | Best Slot To Book |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | Occasional Pacific front; otherwise superb | Any time of day |
| Spring | Marine layer starting in the mornings | Late morning or afternoon |
| Early summer | Marine layer in the mornings | Afternoon |
| Late summer | Afternoon heat and turbulence | Early morning or near sunset |
| Autumn | Santa Ana winds on some days | Morning, and watch the forecast |
The Flight That Never Cancels
If your date is fixed — a birthday, a visiting relative, one afternoon in Los Angeles and no second chance — the Full-Motion Flight Simulator Experience is the answer. It is indoors on the field, it runs regardless of the weather, it can be paused mid-maneuver so you can ask a question properly, and it has no weight limit at all. $189 for the hour with an instructor beside you.
Gift Cards
A You Fly LA gift card sidesteps the weather question entirely, because the recipient picks their own date rather than being handed one that may not suit them or the sky. Available in thirteen amounts from $189 to $1,049, which covers every flight we sell.
If Something Goes Wrong, Tell Us First
We answer the phone. If you have a concern about a booking, a charge or how a flight went, call (818) 330-1318 between 9 AM and 9 PM any day of the week and give us the chance to put it right. Most things are a misunderstanding and most misunderstandings take one conversation. We would genuinely rather fix a problem than argue about one.
Book With Confidence
Free rescheduling up to 24 hours before · if the weather says no, you do not pay. Discovery flights over Los Angeles from Van Nuys Airport, from $229.
Book A Discovery Flight →Related: What To Expect On Your Discovery Flight · Flying Out Of Van Nuys Airport · Discovery Flight FAQ · Contact You Fly LA. Flights depart from 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406 .