A discovery flight from Santa Monica is $229 for 60 minutes flown out of Van Nuys Airport, about twenty miles inland, and the coastline you look at every day is the part of the flight you will remember. You fly the aeroplane; a certificated flight instructor teaches from the right seat. You Fly LA is at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406.
Your Own Coastline, Seen Properly
Santa Monica residents come to this with an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that you already know what the coast looks like and therefore notice, immediately, how different it is from three thousand feet. The disadvantage is the drive inland.
The Malibu Coast route is the obvious booking from here. Leaving Van Nuys the aeroplane crosses the Santa Monica Mountains — the same ridge that ends at the ocean above you — and comes out over the water. From there the coastline runs both ways: Point Dume, Zuma and the Malibu Pier to the north-west; Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica Pier with its wheel, the bluffs at Palisades Park, and the long curve down toward Palos Verdes to the south-east.
What changes from the air is the scale of the mountains behind the beach. From PCH the Santa Monica Mountains are a wall you drive along; from above they are a narrow range with canyons — Topanga, Malibu, Las Flores — cutting all the way through, and the relationship between your own street and the Valley on the other side becomes a single obvious picture.
Getting From Santa Monica To 7900 Balboa Blvd
The standard route is the 10 east to the 405 north, over the Sepulveda Pass, off at Roscoe Blvd and west to Balboa. Twenty miles. Thirty minutes when the 405 is clear and fifty to seventy-five when it is not, which is most weekday afternoons.
The surface fallback is Sepulveda Blvd, which runs parallel to the freeway through the pass and is worth taking when the 405 is solid — not fast, but it moves. Mid-morning is the sensible booking window from the Westside: the 405 has cleared, the marine layer has usually lifted, and the air over the mountains is smoother than it will be at three in the afternoon.
| From | Route | Mid-Morning | Weekday Afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Santa Monica (90401) | 10 east, 405 north, Roscoe Blvd west | 30–36 min | 50–75 min |
| Montana Ave / north of Wilshire | San Vicente to the 405 north | 28–34 min | 48–70 min |
| Ocean Park / Sunset Park | 10 east, 405 north | 32–38 min | 52–75 min |
| Any of the above, 405 gridlocked | Sepulveda Blvd north through the pass | — | 45–60 min |
A fair number of Westside enquiries start with a question about the city's own airfield. The short answer is that Van Nuys is where the training fleet and the instructors are; the longer answer, including what the change at Santa Monica means for people learning to fly, is on our page about Santa Monica Airport and flight training.
What Happens Between Arrival And Debrief
Arrive, show photo ID, and sit down with your instructor for a briefing: the route, the aeroplane, what the controls do, what you will be doing with them. Then you walk out and preflight the aeroplane together — fuel, oil, tyres, control surfaces, a full walk-round — which is a proper part of the lesson rather than a formality.
You take the left seat. The instructor starts the engine with you, talks you through the taxi and flies the takeoff. After that it is your aeroplane for most of the hour, with the instructor on the controls and the radio and teaching throughout. They land it, you taxi back, and you finish with a debrief. Two hours at the airport for a 60-minute flight, two and a half for 90. The sequence in full is on our page on first flying lessons.
The hour is logged as dual instruction received and counts toward the 40-hour Part 61 minimum for a private pilot certificate — the same as any lesson that follows it.
The Malibu Coast Route
For two people the coast flight is $299 for 60 minutes, $399 for 90 and $499 for 120. For one person the standard discovery flight is $229, $299 and $399, and it can fly the same ground. The Luxury Cirrus SR22 For Two — side-yoke, glass panel, whole-airframe parachute — is $399, $549 and $699.
From Santa Monica specifically, ninety minutes is the length that pays. Sixty gets you over the ridge, out to the water and back; ninety lets you fly the coast in both directions, which is the thing you actually came for. The alternative Downtown Los Angeles route at the same prices goes the other way, over the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory toward the skyline, and is the better choice if you would rather see the city than the sea.
Aircraft, Weight And Who Can Fly
The standard aeroplane is a Piper Warrior PA-28-161, a low-wing four-seat trainer, with weight limits of 180 lb per person and 360 lb combined. The Cirrus SR22 allows 200 lb per person and 400 lb combined.
No experience, no FAA medical certificate — your instructor is the pilot in command — and no minimum age, though anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign. Bring sunglasses; the light over the bay is bright even in winter.
The airport itself is worth a minute of reading before you drive out. Van Nuys is Class D — tower-controlled, with parallel runways, under the Los Angeles Class B shelves — which is a busier and more instructive place to start than a quiet field, and a large part of why Westside students make the trip. See more on Van Nuys Airport.
Prices And Totals
| Flight | 60 Min | 90 Min | 120 Min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Flight, one person | $229 | $299 | $399 |
| For Two — Malibu Coast | $299 | $399 | $499 |
| For Two — Downtown Los Angeles | $299 | $399 | $499 |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 For Two | $399 | $549 | $699 |
| Full-Motion Simulator | $189 | — | — |
Nothing is added to these. Our booking products are not taxable and carry no booking fee, so $229 is the total. The comparison across lengths and aircraft is on the cost breakdown, and the certificate path from the Westside is on the Santa Monica flight school page.
Marine Layer Is A Santa Monica Problem You Already Know
You live with the thing that causes most of our rescheduling. The May and June marine layer forms over the bay and pushes inland overnight, and when it is deep enough to cross the Santa Monica Mountains it sits on the Valley into the late morning. Your own sky is not a reliable guide in either direction: a grey morning in Ocean Park frequently coincides with a clear one at Van Nuys, and occasionally the reverse.
The rest of the year the coast is the reason to book. Winter afternoons after a storm give the clearest air of the year over the bay, and you can often see from Point Dume round to Palos Verdes in one look. You pay nothing if weather cancels your flight, and rescheduling is free for any reason up to 24 hours ahead — see the cancellation policy.
Santa Monica Questions
How Far Is Van Nuys Airport From Santa Monica?
Twenty miles. Thirty minutes when the 405 is clear and fifty to seventy-five when it is not, which is most weekday afternoons.
What Is The Alternative To The 405?
The surface fallback is Sepulveda Blvd, which runs parallel to the freeway through the pass and is worth taking when the 405 is solid — not fast, but it moves.
Will The Flight Go Over The Coast?
Leaving Van Nuys the aeroplane crosses the Santa Monica Mountains — the same ridge that ends at the ocean above you — and comes out over the water.
How Long Should I Book?
From Santa Monica specifically, ninety minutes is the length that pays. Sixty gets you over the ridge, out to the water and back; ninety lets you fly the coast in both directions, which is the thing you actually came for.
Is The Price The Total?
Our booking products are not taxable and carry no booking fee, so $229 is the total.
It Is Foggy Here — Will My Flight Fly?
Your own sky is not a reliable guide in either direction: a grey morning in Ocean Park frequently coincides with a clear one at Van Nuys, and occasionally the reverse.
Does The Hour Count Toward A Pilot Certificate?
The hour is logged as dual instruction received and counts toward the 40-hour Part 61 minimum for a private pilot certificate — the same as any lesson that follows it.
Nearby Pages
- Beverly Hills discovery flights — the same pass, a few miles east.
- Encino first flights — the Valley end of the 405.
- Discovery flights across Los Angeles — routes, lengths and aircraft.
Book Your Santa Monica Discovery Flight
Twenty miles inland to reach an aeroplane, and then eight minutes back out to a coastline you have never actually seen. 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day.
Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Book A Free Consultation Call (818) 330-1318