The best cross-country destinations from Van Nuys are Santa Barbara at about 68 nautical miles west, Big Bear at about 81 nautical miles east, Catalina at about 48 nautical miles south, and Camarillo at about 30 nautical miles west for a short hop. Each teaches something different, and only some of them count as cross-country time toward a certificate, which is the detail most lists leave out.
Distances below are straight-line from Van Nuys Airport, and every elevation and runway figure is taken from current published airport data. If you are flying these as part of a course, read our sibling page on private pilot cross-country requirements first, because the regulation is specific about what counts. For the structure you cross on the way out, see the Los Angeles airspace guide.
The 50-Mile Rule, Because It Decides Half This List
Under 14 CFR 61.1(b), cross-country time for a private pilot certificate with an airplane rating means time acquired during a flight conducted in an appropriate aircraft, that includes a point of landing at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure, and that involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.
Read that carefully and the consequence for Los Angeles pilots is immediate. Camarillo at about 30 nautical miles and Santa Paula at about 30 nautical miles are excellent flights and lovely lunches, and neither one gives you cross-country time toward your private pilot certificate. Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Big Bear, Palm Springs, Paso Robles and Catalina all clear the 50-mile threshold comfortably.
The List, With Real Numbers
Times below assume a 110-knot groundspeed, which is a reasonable planning figure for a Piper Warrior or a Cessna 162 with no wind. Real times depend on wind, routing around airspace and terrain, and how long you spend talking to SoCal.
| Destination | Distance | About | Elevation | Longest Runway | Tower | Counts As XC? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camarillo, KCMA | 30 nm west | 16 min | 77 ft | 8/26, 6,013 x 150 ft | Yes, 0700 to 2100 | No |
| Santa Paula, KSZP | 30 nm west-north-west | 16 min | 250 ft | 4/22, 2,665 x 60 ft | No | No |
| Catalina, KAVX | 48 nm south | 26 min | 1,602 ft | 4/22, 3,000 x 75 ft | No | Yes |
| Santa Barbara, KSBA | 68 nm west | 37 min | 14 ft | 7/25, 6,052 x 150 ft | Yes, Class C | Yes |
| Bakersfield Meadows, KBFL | 79 nm north-north-west | 43 min | 510 ft | 12L/30R, 10,849 x 150 ft | Yes, Class C | Yes |
| Big Bear City, L35 | 81 nm east | 44 min | 6,752 ft | 8/26, 5,850 x 75 ft | No | Yes |
| Palm Springs, KPSP | 101 nm east-south-east | 55 min | 477 ft | 13R/31L, 10,000 x 150 ft | Yes, Class C | Yes |
| Paso Robles, KPRB | 137 nm north-west | 75 min | 839 ft | 1/19, 6,008 x 150 ft | No | Yes |
Camarillo, KCMA: The One Everybody Flies First
Thirty nautical miles west, a towered field at 77 feet with a 6,013-foot runway, and reachable entirely outside the Class B by going up the San Fernando Valley or over the Santa Monica Mountains and along the coast. It is the standard first away-landing for a Van Nuys student: long enough to need planning, short enough that the fuel and the nerves both hold.
The tower operates from 0700 to 2100, which means an early-morning or late-evening arrival is a non-towered arrival and needs the self-announce procedure rather than a clearance. Students find that transition genuinely instructive. We compare the two fields in detail on Van Nuys vs Camarillo flight training.
Santa Paula, KSZP: The Short One
About 30 nautical miles west-north-west, a non-towered field at 250 feet with a 2,665 by 60-foot runway in the Santa Clara River valley. It is the shortest and narrowest runway on this list by a wide margin, which makes it the best short-field practice anywhere near Los Angeles, and its non-towered operation with terrain on both sides teaches a careful pattern.
Fly it with an instructor the first time. A 2,665-foot runway is not tight in a Warrior flown on speed, and it is unforgiving of an approach flown fast and high.
Catalina, KAVX: The Island
Forty-eight nautical miles south, non-towered, at 1,602 feet on a plateau in the middle of the island with a single 3,000-foot runway. It is the most memorable short trip available from Van Nuys and it is a real exercise in two disciplines: precise short-field approach speeds, and an over-water leg where part of the route is beyond gliding range of a beach.
Fly it higher than you think you need to, brief the ditching plan even though you will not need it, and go in the morning before the wind gets up. Our dedicated page on flying to Catalina Island from Van Nuys covers the trip and the landing fees, and the mountain flying checkout treats it as the natural first destination before Big Bear.
Santa Barbara, KSBA: The Best Hour In Southern California
Sixty-eight nautical miles west, a Class C field at 14 feet with a 6,052-foot main runway and two shorter crossing runways. The route runs along the coast past Malibu, Point Mugu and the Ventura county line, and it is, by common consent, the finest hour of scenery within reach of Van Nuys.
It is also the best first Class C arrival a student can make. The workload is real — approach control, sequencing, a big airport with airline traffic — but it is calmer than the Los Angeles basin and controllers there are used to light aircraft. Comfortably over the 50-mile threshold, so it counts toward the certificate, and close enough to be a morning trip.
Big Bear City, L35: The One That Teaches Density Altitude
Eighty-one nautical miles east, non-towered, and at 6,752 feet the highest field most Los Angeles pilots ever use. The runway is 5,850 by 75 feet, which sounds generous until you work the density altitude on a summer afternoon and discover it can exceed 10,000 feet.
Go early, go light, and work the performance charts for the airplane at the weight you will actually be at. Arriving is rarely the problem; departing into thin air is. This is the flight that turns density altitude from a written-exam topic into something you have felt, and it is the reason we build a whole mountain flying checkout around it.
Bakersfield Meadows Field, KBFL: The Big Airport
Seventy-nine nautical miles north-north-west through the mountains, a Class C field at 510 feet with a 10,849-foot main runway and a 7,700-foot parallel. Two things make it worth the trip: the route, which crosses the Tehachapi and Tejon terrain and teaches genuine terrain planning, and the arrival, which puts a light trainer on a runway wide and long enough for anything.
Summer heat in the San Joaquin Valley is a real planning factor. Density altitude at a 510-foot airport on a 40-degree Celsius day is not trivial, and neither is the cabin temperature before you get airborne.
Palm Springs, KPSP: The Desert Run
A hundred and one nautical miles east-south-east, Class C, at 477 feet with a 10,000-foot main runway and a 4,953-foot parallel, tower operating 0600 to 2300. The route crosses the San Gorgonio Pass between two of Southern California's highest ranges, which is spectacular and which generates some of the strongest and most reliable winds in the state.
Fly it in winter or early morning. Summer afternoons in the Coachella Valley produce extreme density altitude and the pass produces turbulence and mechanical rotor that will make your passengers wish they had stayed home.
Paso Robles, KPRB: The Long One
A hundred and thirty-seven nautical miles north-west, non-towered, at 839 feet with a 6,008-foot main runway and a 4,701-foot crosswind runway. This is the trip that turns a newly certificated pilot into a traveler: far enough to need real fuel planning, alternates and a weather decision, over the Santa Ynez and Santa Lucia ranges and the coastal valleys.
It is also the first destination on this list where the return leg deserves its own briefing rather than being assumed.
About The $100 Hamburger
We have deliberately not listed restaurants by name. On-field cafes open, close, change hands and change their days off, and the worst outcome of a good cross-country is flying 68 nautical miles to a locked door. Check the airport's own website, the Chart Supplement entry and, best of all, telephone the FBO on the morning you intend to go.
Budget honestly, too. A round trip to Santa Barbara in a Warrior is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours of airplane time depending on wind and how long the Class C arrival takes. At our retail rate of $269 an hour wet, that is a lunch with an expensive side order, which is exactly why the phrase exists. At the $179 package rate, it is considerably more sensible.
Planning Any Of These From Van Nuys
- Check TFRs every time. Wildfire, stadium and VIP restrictions appear at short notice across Southern California and they are not visible from the cockpit.
- Decide your airspace plan on the ground. Which routes stay outside the Class B, and where you would ask for a clearance if you needed one.
- Work density altitude for the destination, not just for home. Big Bear, Palm Springs and Bakersfield all bite in summer.
- Confirm fuel availability and hours. Self-serve pumps, card acceptance and after-hours access vary widely.
- Check tower hours. Camarillo and Palm Springs both become non-towered fields outside published hours.
- Have an alternate you would genuinely be happy at, not one you wrote on the form.
Related Reading
- Private pilot cross-country requirements — exactly what the regulations demand of your solo and dual cross-countries.
- Fly to Catalina Island from Van Nuys — the island trip in full.
- Mountain flying checkout — Big Bear, Mammoth and the density altitude arithmetic.
- Flying in Los Angeles airspace — Class B, the corridors and getting out of the basin.
- Van Nuys vs Camarillo — the nearest alternative field, compared.
- The airplanes you'll fly — rates, range and weight limits for every aircraft.
- Flight training for Santa Barbara pilots — 90 miles works better as an accelerated block.
Cross-Country From Van Nuys FAQ
What Counts As A Cross-Country Flight?
For a private pilot certificate with an airplane rating, 14 CFR 61.1(b) requires a flight in an appropriate aircraft that includes a point of landing at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure, navigated by dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids or other navigation systems.
Does Camarillo Count As A Cross-Country From Van Nuys?
No. Camarillo is about 30 nautical miles from Van Nuys, inside the more-than-50-nautical-mile threshold in 61.1(b). It is an excellent training flight and a good lunch, but it does not give you cross-country time toward the private pilot certificate.
What Is The Best First Cross-Country From Van Nuys?
Santa Barbara at about 68 nautical miles. It clears the 50-mile threshold, the coastal route is straightforward to navigate, and the Class C arrival is the friendliest introduction to a busy airport that a Los Angeles student will get.
How Long Does It Take To Fly To Santa Barbara From Van Nuys?
About 37 minutes at a 110-knot groundspeed with no wind, which is a reasonable planning figure for a Warrior or a Skycatcher. Add time for the airspace routing and the Class C arrival, and budget closer to 45 to 50 minutes each way in practice.
Can I Fly To Catalina As A Student Pilot?
With your instructor's authorization and the right preparation, yes, though most schools want a dual flight there first. The short 3,000-foot runway, the plateau setting and the over-water leg beyond gliding range all argue for flying it with an instructor before you fly it alone.
Which Destinations Are Non-Towered?
Santa Paula, Catalina, Big Bear City and Paso Robles have no control tower. Camarillo and Palm Springs have towers with published hours and become non-towered outside them. Santa Barbara and Bakersfield are Class C fields.
Are There Restaurants At These Airports?
On-field dining changes constantly, so we do not list any by name. Check the airport's website and the Chart Supplement, and telephone the FBO on the morning you plan to go rather than assuming.
What Does A Cross-Country Cost From Van Nuys?
A round trip to Santa Barbara is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours of airplane time. Our Warriors and Skycatchers are $269 per hour wet retail and $179 inside a course package, instruction is $110 per hour, and fuel is included in the aircraft rate.
Fly Your First One With Us
If you already hold a certificate and want a local-area checkout before you head down the coast, instruction is $110 per hour plus the aircraft at its published rate. If you have not started yet, a discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes, you fly it from the left seat, and it is credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. Call (818) 330-1318 or book a free consultation. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, on Van Nuys Airport, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days.