(818) 290-8249 · Open 9 AM–9 PM, 7 Days a Week · ★★★★★ 4.9 · 500+ Reviews · Van Nuys Airport
A discovery flight is your chance to fly the airplane and interview the flight school at the same time. The best questions cover your goal, the total cost, scheduling, the aircraft, the instructors and the medical. Bring this list, ask freely, and you will leave knowing exactly whether and how to start training.
You will handle the controls with an instructor, and that time can be logged as training under 14 CFR 61.51(h).
Hourly rates matter less than a realistic estimate to your goal.
Your instructor relationship shapes your whole training. Notice how they teach.
Consistent flying is the biggest factor in progress. Make sure the school's hours fit yours.
Ask what medical certificate you need before you fly solo.
Ask questions on the ground; in the air, fly and have fun.
A discovery flight is an introductory lesson. You meet an instructor, walk around the airplane during the preflight inspection, and then fly. Once you are safely airborne, the instructor will hand you the controls so you can feel climbs, turns and descents yourself. Because you are receiving training from an authorized instructor, the flight can be logged as training time under 14 CFR 61.51(h), so it is a genuine first step.
At our school, you choose the experience that fits you:
If you enroll within 24 hours, 100% of your discovery flight fee is credited toward training. That makes the questions below even more important: by the end of the day, you should have everything you need to decide.
Use the flight itself to learn, too. Out of Van Nuys you will typically fly over the San Fernando Valley with the Santa Monica Mountains to the south and the San Gabriel Mountains to the northeast. Ask your instructor to point out the practice area, how they navigate by landmarks, and what the controllers are saying on the radio. Ask what the gauges or screens are telling you, and how the airplane responds when you move the controls gently. Curiosity in the cockpit is a great sign, and your instructor will enjoy explaining.
Start by explaining why you are there. Flying for fun, traveling with family and pursuing an airline career all lead to different programs.
Hourly rates are easy to compare and easy to misread. The better question is how much it will cost to reach your goal, given how often you can fly.
For reference, the FAA minimum for a private pilot certificate is 40 hours of flight time under 14 CFR 61.109, but most students need more. Our pricing page and our guide on how much a pilot license costs explain the details. We offer financing through Stratus Financial, with terms of up to 15 years, and in-house plans.
Progress comes from consistency. Two or three lessons a week usually beats one lesson every week or two, because you spend less time relearning. Ask:
Pay attention to how your instructor explains things during the flight. Do they brief before takeoff, stay calm, and debrief afterward? Do you feel comfortable asking questions? A great instructor makes complex ideas simple. We are open 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week, which makes scheduling easier for working adults and students.
Ask to see the aircraft you would train in, and ask why the school uses them.
Our fleet includes the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, Piper PA-28 Warrior, Diamond DA20, the complex Piper Arrow, the twin-engine Piper Seminole, and the Cirrus SR22 Turbo with a glass cockpit and CAPS parachute system. We also train in a Redbird MCX full-motion FAA-approved simulator. Van Nuys Airport has a control tower, so you will learn real radio communication from the start.
Ask what you need before your first solo. Student pilots need an FAA medical certificate, typically a third-class medical for private pilot training, before flying solo. Career students should consider a first-class exam early to confirm they can meet airline standards. Our FAA medical certificate guide explains the classes.
After you land, ask for a short debrief. What did you do well? What would your first few lessons focus on? What would a realistic weekly schedule look like for you? Write the answers down, because they are the start of your personal training plan, and they make it easy to compare schools fairly.
Finally, ask yourself one question after you land: did I love it? If the answer is yes, the rest is planning.
Call us to book your discovery flight or ask anything first. We will help you pick the right airplane and plan your next step.
Real students, real first flights, real ratings — straight from Google and Yelp.
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.
One minute, a few details, fast answers from a real person on our team.
