Discovery Flights For Two Over Los Angeles
A discovery flight for two is an introductory flying lesson with a second seat. Both of you go up in the airplane from Van Nuys Airport, one of you sits in the pilot's seat and actually flies it with a certified instructor alongside, and the other rides along, watches the whole thing and takes the photographs. It is a flying lesson and a shared experience at the same time, which is why it is the version most people buy as a gift, a birthday present, an anniversary, or the setting for a proposal. Three flights carry two people, from $299, and all of them include the instructor.
| Flight | Price | Duration | Airplane | Weight Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Flight For Two Over Downtown Los Angeles | $299 | 60 min | Piper Warrior | 180 lb each / 360 lb | The affordable flight for two — the Hollywood Sign, Griffith and downtown |
| Malibu Coast Discovery Flight For Two | $399 | 90 min | Piper Warrior | 180 lb each / 360 lb | The occasion flight — over the mountains and out along the coast |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight For Two | $399 | 60 min | Cirrus SR22 | 200 lb each / 400 lb | The premium airplane — glass cockpit, leather seats, higher weight limits |
Who Flies And Who Rides
One of you is the student for the day. You sit in the left seat with a full set of controls, do the preflight inspection with the instructor, and fly the airplane once you are established in the climb: turns, climbs, descents, holding a heading and an altitude. The instructor is in the right seat with an identical set of controls, teaching as you go and handling the radio and the takeoff and landing. Your logbook entry is signed at the end and the hour counts toward a private pilot certificate.
The other person rides in the back seat of the Warrior, or the right rear seat of the Cirrus, on a headset that carries the instruction and the tower. They hear every word, they get the same views, and they are the one holding the camera. Decide before you book who is flying, because weight and balance is calculated on the ground and seats cannot be swapped in the air. If you both want time at the controls, book two flights, or take the 120-minute version of any flight for two, which has comfortably enough time for a mid-flight handover on the ground at a second airport when the schedule allows.
Downtown Or Malibu Coast?
If this is a first try at flying and you want the most flight for the money, take the $299 Downtown flight. Sixty minutes is plenty for a first lesson, and the route over the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, the LA River and the downtown towers is the one people picture when they imagine flying over the city. Late afternoon slots get the best light on the skyline.
If the flight is the occasion — an anniversary, a milestone birthday, or a proposal — take the 90-minute Malibu Coast flight. The extra half hour is what buys the crossing of the Santa Monica Mountains and the run along the shoreline past Malibu to Point Dume, and it gives you unhurried time over the water rather than a there-and-back loop. Golden hour over the coast is the most requested slot of the year, so book it early.
If the airplane matters more than the route, or if either of you is over 180 lb, take the Cirrus SR22. It is a modern, faster airplane with a glass cockpit, leather seats, air conditioning and a whole-airframe parachute, and its weight limits are 200 lb per person and 400 lb combined. It flies the downtown route in 60 minutes and covers more of it than the Warrior does in the same time.
Proposals, Anniversaries And Birthdays
A flight for two makes an unusually good present because both people get to come, and because it is an experience rather than an object. If you know the date, book the flight directly. If you do not know their schedule — which is usually the case for a surprise — buy a gift card instead and let them choose the day, so the present is never wasted on a date that does not work.
If you are planning a proposal, tell us when you book. We will plan the route and the timing around the moment, and brief your instructor so nothing is left to chance. The best-timed proposals usually happen on the ramp right after landing, with the airplane you have just flown a few feet away and no headsets in the way. Details on our Groups, Proposals And Events page, or call and talk it through.
Weight And Seating For Two
The limits in the table are weight-and-balance limits that keep the airplane inside its certified envelope with full fuel, an instructor and two people aboard, so they are not negotiable: 180 lb per person and 360 lb combined in the Piper Warrior, 200 lb per person and 400 lb combined in the Cirrus SR22. Both numbers have to be met at the same time. If either of you is close to a limit, call (818) 330-1318 before you book and we will run the calculation with you; the Cirrus carries more, and the full-motion flight simulator at $189 has no weight limit at all and is never canceled by weather.
No experience is needed and no FAA medical certificate is required, because your instructor is the pilot in command. Both of you should bring government-issued photo ID. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign. Wear comfortable clothes and flat closed shoes, and bring sunglasses. Allow around two hours at the airport for a 60-minute flight and about two and a half for the 90-minute Malibu flight. Free rescheduling up to 24 hours before, and if the weather says no, you do not pay.
Read more on discovery flights in Los Angeles, what to expect on the day, and our full FAQ. To book by phone or ask a question first, call (818) 330-1318 — 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week.
