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The Hollywood Sign sits about 10 miles southeast of Van Nuys Airport on Mount Lee, and from a small airplane you see it the way few people ever do: at eye level with the Hollywood Hills, with Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood and the downtown skyline in the same view. Here is what the flight looks like from the cockpit, how pilots handle the busy airspace around it and how you can see it on a discovery flight.
The sign is roughly 10 miles from Van Nuys Airport, across the eastern San Fernando Valley and the Hollywood Hills.
It was built in 1923 reading "HOLLYWOODLAND" and shortened to "HOLLYWOOD" in 1949. Today's letters date from 1978.
Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. all sit within a few miles.
Flights here work closely with air traffic control because Hollywood Burbank Airport and the LAX Class B airspace are nearby.
Over congested areas, 14 CFR 91.119 requires at least 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
Discovery flights start at $229. Tell us when you book that you would love to see the sign.
From the ground, most people see the Hollywood Sign from far below, squinting up at white letters on a brown hillside. From the left seat of a training airplane, the scale finally makes sense. The sign stretches about 450 feet across the southern face of Mount Lee in Griffith Park, at an elevation of about 1,578 feet, and the letters themselves are roughly 45 feet tall. Above it, the summit of Mount Lee carries a cluster of communications towers, which pilots treat as a key obstacle in the area.
The sign was erected in 1923 to advertise a real estate development called Hollywoodland. It was only meant to last about a year and a half. In 1949, the "LAND" was removed during repairs, and in 1978 the deteriorating original letters were replaced with the steel letters you see today. The sign is owned by the City of Los Angeles and maintained by the nonprofit Hollywood Sign Trust, and the hillside around it is fenced off to keep people from reaching the letters. Seeing it from the air is one of the best ways to appreciate it up close.
The letters face south toward Hollywood, so the classic straight-on view comes from south of the hills, with the sign framed by the ridge above and Lake Hollywood below.
Every flight begins at Van Nuys Airport, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, with two parallel runways and an active control tower. After a departure clearance from the tower, a typical sightseeing route heads southeast across the San Fernando Valley. Below, the neighborhoods of Sherman Oaks and Studio City give way to the Ventura Freeway and the green ribbon of the Los Angeles River channel.
Ahead, the Santa Monica Mountains rise into the Hollywood Hills. To the left, you will see Hollywood Burbank Airport and the studio lots of Burbank, including the Warner Bros. lot. Straight ahead, the hillside sets and theme park of Universal Studios Hollywood sit at the north end of Cahuenga Pass, where the Hollywood Freeway cuts through the hills toward Hollywood.
The exact route always depends on the day's weather, air traffic and instructions from air traffic control, and the instructor makes the final decision. That flexibility is part of what makes each flight different.
The sign is the headliner, but the view around it is just as memorable. On a clear day, pilots and passengers can pick out:
On exceptionally clear days, often after rain or when dry offshore winds have pushed the haze out to sea, the view can extend to the Pacific Ocean in the west and the San Gabriel Mountains to the north and east.
Flying near the sign is a great lesson in real-world aviation, because this is some of the busiest airspace in the country. Here is what the pilot is managing while you enjoy the view:
For a student pilot, a flight like this packs a lot of training into a short trip: radio calls, airspace planning, terrain awareness and traffic scanning. Our Los Angeles airspace guide explains each class of airspace in detail, and students working toward a private pilot license learn to plan routes like this themselves.
Southern California weather is a big part of the experience. In late spring and early summer, the marine layer can cover the basin with low clouds in the morning, often burning off by late morning or afternoon. Winter brings some of the clearest air of the year, especially after storms. Our school is open 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week, which leaves room for afternoon and evening flights.
For photographs, a few simple habits make a big difference:
A two-person Piper Warrior flight is ideal for photos, because the second person is free to shoot. If you want the panoramic view through a big windshield and a glass cockpit, the Turbo Cirrus SR22T is our luxury option.
Every discovery flight is a hands-on lesson, and the instructor plans the route on the day. Let us know you would love to see Hollywood when you book.
If you enroll within 24 hours of your discovery flight, 100% of the fee is credited toward training. Already a pilot? Our aircraft rental page has the details, and a flight review with one of our instructors is a great way to get comfortable with the local airspace before you fly the Hollywood Hills on your own. You can also see our full fleet.
Book a discovery flight from Van Nuys Airport and take the controls over Los Angeles. Call us any day from 9 AM to 9 PM.
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The fastest way to know if the left seat is for you is to stand on the flight line. Book a free consultation — or reach us whichever way you like.
Tour the school, meet your instructors, sit in the cockpit, and leave with a personal training plan and exact pricing. Your Discovery Flight fee is credited toward training when you enroll within 24 hours.
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