Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight (60 Minutes)

The same hour over Los Angeles, flown in a Cirrus SR22 — a glass-panel, leather-seated, side-yoke airplane with a parachute built into the airframe. You fly it, with an FAA-certificated instructor in the right seat, departing Van Nuys Airport: $499 for one flyer. Want to share it? Switch on Bring A Passenger for $100 more and your guest rides along on a headset, hearing everything.

People book this for two reasons. The occasion — an anniversary, a proposal, a birthday that deserves more than dinner. And the airplane. The SR22 is a modern high-performance single that feels closer to a well-made car than to a trainer: big glass displays instead of round dials, a side yoke, and a smoother ride at speed.

None of which changes what it is: a real flying lesson with the controls in your hands, not a chauffeured tour. No experience needed, no medical certificate required.

The Route Of Flight

You depart Van Nuys over the Sepulveda Basin, climbing toward the Mulholland ridge. Cross it and the city arrives all at once: the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, then the LA River east past Dodger Stadium and on to the downtown towers at 2,500 to 3,500 feet. Then back over the hills to Van Nuys.

Air traffic control and the weather shape the exact track on the day, and your instructor briefs the plan before you get in. Sunset slots are the ones people ask for; mention it when you call and we will tell you what is available.

What The Number Buys

$499 covers you, the airplane, the fuel and the instructor. A passenger is $100 more ($599 for the two of you). Nothing is added at the desk.

• The Airplane — A Cirrus SR22: full glass panel, leather interior, side yoke, and a whole-airframe parachute system. This is what the flight is normally flown in rather than a guarantee of a specific airframe on a specific day.
• Room For A Passenger — Add one for $100: they ride along on the intercom, hearing the instruction and the radio calls. Instructor plus two is our maximum.
• The Pre-Flight Briefing — Around five minutes on the ground, including a proper introduction to the panel. A passenger sits in on it too.
• The Walk-Around — The full pre-flight inspection, done alongside your instructor.
• Sixty Minutes Of Flight Time — Flight time, not time at the airport. Allow about two hours start to finish.
• An FAA-Certificated Instructor — In the right seat for the whole flight, teaching and handling the radios.
• The Controls — Yours once you are established in the climb: heading, altitude, turns, power.
• A Signed Logbook Entry — Dated, with the airplane and the time, signed by the instructor.
• Time Toward A Private Pilot License — This hour counts toward the flight time the FAA requires.

If you want the technical detail on the Cirrus airframe and how it flies, our Cirrus specifications and performance reference covers the family, the panel and the parachute system.

One Quick Check Before You Book

Free rescheduling up to 24 hours before, and if the weather says no, you do not pay. See our weather and cancellation policy for the detail.

Cleared For Departure

Book online, or call and we will find a slot with you — including a sunset one if that is what the day is for. We fly seven days a week, 10 AM to 7 PM, from Van Nuys Airport. Your confirmation carries the address, the parking and who to ask for. Dress comfortably, bring sunglasses and bring a phone.

Planning something around the flight? Tell us when you book — groups, proposals and events explains what we can help with. Also worth reading: what to expect, our discovery flight FAQ, and flying out of Van Nuys Airport.

The Other Flights

• Discovery Flight For Two Over Downtown Los Angeles — the same route in a Piper Warrior, $299.
• Discovery Flight In Los Angeles — sixty minutes, one seat, $229.
• Malibu Coast Discovery Flight For Two — ninety minutes to Point Dume and back, $399.
• Full-Motion Flight Simulator Experience — indoors, no weight limit, never weather-canceled, $189.