West Hills is nine miles west of Van Nuys Airport and about nineteen minutes on surface streets — no freeway at any point. A discovery flight from here is $229 for 60 minutes, and you spend most of that hour flying the aeroplane yourself with a certificated flight instructor teaching beside you. You Fly LA is at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406.
Nine Miles Of Surface Street, East
Sherman Way east from Valley Circle Blvd to Balboa is the straightest version: nine miles, eighteen to twenty-four minutes, then a short jog to number 7900. Roscoe Blvd and Vanowen St run parallel and do the same job. Victory Blvd works too and is the pick if you are coming from the south end of the 91307.
There is no freeway in any of it, which is the point. West Hills sits at the western edge of the City of Los Angeles — Valley Circle Blvd is effectively the county line, with Ventura County and gated Bell Canyon immediately beyond it — and the 101 is four miles south of you, running the wrong way for this trip. The 118 is north and is only useful from the Chatsworth end. For a booking at six on a weekday evening, that absence of freeway is worth more than a couple of miles of distance.
| From | Route | Distance | Typical Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Circle Blvd & Sherman Way | Sherman Way east to Balboa | ~9 mi | 18–24 min |
| Platt Ave & Victory Blvd | Victory Blvd east to Balboa, north | ~9 mi | 19–25 min |
| Fallbrook Ave & Roscoe Blvd | Roscoe Blvd east to Balboa | ~8 mi | 16–21 min |
| Bell Canyon (Ventura County) | Valley Circle north, Sherman Way east | ~11 mi | 22–28 min |
Open Country Is The West Hills Advantage
Almost everywhere else in this city set, the interesting ground is a built environment. West Hills is the exception: the thing worth seeing from your side of the Valley is how quickly the city stops.
Immediately west of Valley Circle, the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve — the old Ahmanson Ranch land — is thousands of acres of rolling grassland with no buildings on it, and from two thousand feet the boundary between grid and open country is a hard line you could draw with a ruler. Beyond it the Simi Hills roll west toward Simi Valley, and Bell Canyon sits in its own fold with one road in.
North of that, the Chatsworth Reservoir basin is a large empty bowl in the middle of the west Valley that most residents have never been inside, and the Santa Susana Pass is the notch through the rock where the old road and the railway climb out toward Simi. The sandstone formations at Stoney Point stand at the bottom of it. Turn south instead and the Santa Monica Mountains are ten minutes away, with the Malibu coastline directly behind them — which is why the two-person Malibu Coast route at $299 for 60 minutes works well from the west Valley.
What You Will Actually Do
You will fly. That is the difference between a discovery flight and a sightseeing ride, and it is worth being blunt about it: you sit in the left seat, your hands are on the yoke, your feet are on the rudder pedals, and after the takeoff the aeroplane goes where you point it.
Your instructor handles the takeoff and the landing, stays on the controls the whole time and teaches continuously. Before the flight there is a table briefing and a preflight inspection you do together; afterwards there is a debrief. Allow two hours at the airport for a 60-minute flight. There is a longer account at what the hour involves.
The time is logged as dual instruction received and counts toward the 40-hour Part 61 minimum for a private pilot certificate. If that becomes interesting, the West Hills flight school page covers the programmes and what they cost.
Picking A Length And A Route
Sixty minutes at $229 covers the west Valley, the open space, the Simi Hills and a look at either the mountains or the north end. Ninety at $299 adds the coast properly. A hundred and twenty at $399 is a full first lesson with time to practise rather than tour.
The named two-person flights — Malibu Coast or Downtown Los Angeles — are $299, $399 and $499, and the Luxury Cirrus SR22 For Two is $399, $549 and $699. From West Hills the coast route is the shorter hop and the more natural fit.
The Airplane, The Weight Limits, The Paperwork
The Piper Warrior PA-28-161 is the standard aeroplane: low wing, four seats, straightforward to fly and forgiving to learn in. Limits 180 lb per person, 360 lb combined. The Cirrus SR22 allows 200 lb per person, 400 lb combined and adds a side-yoke, a large glass panel and a whole-airframe parachute.
Bring photo ID. You do not need an FAA medical certificate, because your instructor is the pilot in command, and you do not need any prior experience. There is no minimum age; a parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18. The full-motion simulator hour at $189 has no weight limit and is a reasonable alternative if flying makes you uneasy.
Prices
| 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 | — | — |
No tax is charged on these and there is no booking fee, so $229 is the total. The reasoning is laid out on our page on discovery flight cost, and the airport itself is described on Van Nuys Airport (KVNY).
Weather And Rescheduling
The west end of the Valley holds the May and June marine layer longer than the east end does, because the cloud comes over the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills and settles in the open ground west of you. Morning flights in that window are the ones most likely to move.
In July and August the west Valley is hot, and heat raises density altitude — slower climbs, rougher air over the hills after lunch. Early and late slots are smoother and cooler. Weather cancellations cost nothing and free rescheduling applies up to 24 hours before your flight for any reason at all: see what we do on a weather day.
West Hills Questions
How Far Is Van Nuys Airport From West Hills?
Sherman Way east from Valley Circle Blvd to Balboa is the straightest version: nine miles, eighteen to twenty-four minutes, then a short jog to number 7900.
Do I Need To Use A Freeway?
There is no freeway in any of it, which is the point.
What Is Worth Seeing From The Air Out Here?
Immediately west of Valley Circle, the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve — the old Ahmanson Ranch land — is thousands of acres of rolling grassland with no buildings on it, and from two thousand feet the boundary between grid and open country is a hard line you could draw with a ruler.
Do I Really Fly The Airplane?
You sit in the left seat, your hands are on the yoke, your feet are on the rudder pedals, and after the takeoff the aeroplane goes where you point it.
What Are The Weight Limits?
Limits 180 lb per person, 360 lb combined. The Cirrus SR22 allows 200 lb per person, 400 lb combined and adds a side-yoke, a large glass panel and a whole-airframe parachute.
Is Anything Added To The Price?
No tax is charged on these and there is no booking fee, so $229 is the total.
When Does Fog Cause Problems?
The west end of the Valley holds the May and June marine layer longer than the east end does, because the cloud comes over the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills and settles in the open ground west of you.
Nearby Pages
- Woodland Hills discovery flights — three miles east along Victory.
- Northridge first flights — the same streets, further east.
- Calabasas discovery flights — south over the hills.
- How discovery flights work in LA — the full picture.
Book Your West Hills Discovery Flight
Nine miles of Sherman Way, and then a look at the county line from the side nobody sees it from. 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week.
Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Book A Free Consultation Call (818) 330-1318