Burbank residents who want to learn to fly train at Van Nuys Airport, roughly eleven miles west, because Hollywood Burbank Airport (KBUR) is a Class C commercial field with airline and charter traffic and no light-training fleet of its own. You Fly LA operates at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406 — we have no premises in Burbank, and none of the following implies otherwise.
For the wider metro picture and how the region's fields stack up, see our guide to flight schools in Los Angeles.
Getting From Burbank To The Ramp
The Burbank drive is longer than most of the Valley's, and the freeway is not automatically the answer.
Surface streets — usually the winner. From the Hollywood Way area, drop south to Victory Blvd and drive it straight west. Victory runs continuously through North Hollywood and Van Nuys, ducks under the 405, crosses the southern edge of the Sepulveda Basin and meets Balboa Blvd. Turn right on Balboa and go north about a mile and a half. It is about eleven miles of arterial: 25 to 32 minutes off-peak, 35 to 45 at 5:30 pm. Vanowen Blvd one block north is the same idea and is sometimes cleaner.
The freeway route. Take the 134 west, let it merge into the 101 north near Universal City, follow the 101 through Studio City and Sherman Oaks to the 405 north, then exit Roscoe Blvd and go west a mile to Balboa. It is a longer path in miles because it swings south around the hills, but at 10 am on a Sunday it is quick — 22 to 28 minutes. In weekday peak it is genuinely bad, because you inherit both the 101 through Sherman Oaks and the 405 north: budget 40 to 55 minutes.
If you are coming from the Rancho or Magnolia Park side of Burbank, Victory Blvd wins on almost every trip. If you are up near the 5 in north Burbank, Roscoe Blvd runs west from the 5 all the way to the airport's north boundary and avoids the 405 entirely.
Two Airports, Two Kinds Of Airspace
This is the part that matters most to a Burbank student, and it is the reason the eleven-mile drive is worth it.
Hollywood Burbank sits inside Class C airspace. Class C exists around airports with radar service and a lot of scheduled airline traffic; entering it requires two-way radio communication with approach control and a transponder, and controllers sequence you between jets. Van Nuys is Class D — a tower-controlled field, busy in its own right, but without the layered radar shelf and without the airline sequencing.
You want to learn in Class D and you want to visit Class C. Class D gives you a tower, a real traffic pattern and radio discipline from day one, without a controller having to fit a student pilot doing 90 knots into a stream of regional jets. Then, once your radio work is solid, Burbank is about eight nautical miles east — one of the most useful short training flights available to a Van Nuys student. You call approach, you get a squawk code, you get sequenced, and you land at a Class C field. Most Burbank students want to do exactly that, and most of them do it well before their checkride.
Both fields also live under the same LAX Class B shelf, so the vertical structure you learn at Van Nuys is the structure you will use over Burbank. It is the same lesson, taught at the easier of the two airports.
Burbank From The Air
A departure from Van Nuys that turns east gives Burbank residents an unusually good look at their own city.
The Verdugo Mountains dominate. From the ground they are a backdrop; from 2,500 feet they are clearly a discrete range sitting between Burbank and Glendale, with the San Gabriels stacked up behind them and La Tuna Canyon cutting through. South of that, Griffith Park reads as a single enormous green mass — larger than most people expect — with the Observatory on its southern rim and the Cahuenga Pass separating it from the Hollywood Hills.
The studio lots are the surprise. Warner Bros. and Disney in Burbank, and Universal just over the hill, are unmistakable from above: rows of windowless soundstages, backlot street sets that look like film sets precisely because you can see they have no backs, and enormous parking structures. You will also see Hollywood Burbank's runways from a distance, which is a good moment to have your instructor point out exactly where the Class C boundary sits relative to what you are looking at.
Why Burbank People Train At Van Nuys
Three reasons come up over and over. The first is availability: a Class C airport built around scheduled service is not where light training aircraft get cheap ramp space or unrestricted pattern work. The second is cost — every extra minute waiting for a gap in airline traffic is billed hobbs time, and Van Nuys' pattern simply moves faster for a training aircraft. The third is fleet: Van Nuys has the concentration of trainers, instructors and maintenance that makes it possible to book two lessons in a week rather than waiting on one aircraft.
The trade is the drive. Eleven miles across the Valley is real, and it is why we recommend Burbank students book slightly longer blocks and fly less often but for longer, rather than squeezing in a 45-minute lesson.
What It Costs
| Program | Typical Length | From |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Flight (60 / 90 / 120 min) | one session | $229 / $299 / $399 |
| Sport Pilot | — | $8,400 |
| Private Pilot — Standard | — | $10,400 |
| Private Pilot — Comprehensive | — | $15,400 |
| Instrument Rating | — | $11,700 |
| Commercial Pilot | — | $15,400 |
| Airline Career Program | ~9 months | $84,000 |
| Aircraft / instructor, per hour | — | $179 / $110 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Learn To Fly At Hollywood Burbank Airport?
Not practically. KBUR is a Class C airport built around scheduled airline and charter operations, and it does not host a light-aircraft training fleet. Van Nuys, eleven miles west, is where Burbank residents train.
What Is The Difference Between Van Nuys And Burbank Airspace?
Van Nuys is Class D — tower-controlled, no radar shelf. Burbank is Class C, which requires two-way radio contact with approach control and a transponder, and sequences you with airline traffic. You train at the Class D field and fly into the Class C one.
Will I Get To Land At Burbank During Training?
Many of our students do. It is about eight nautical miles east of Van Nuys and makes an excellent lesson in radio work and controlled-airport procedure once your basics are solid.
How Long Is The Drive From Burbank To Van Nuys Airport?
Victory Blvd west is about eleven miles: 25 to 32 minutes off-peak, 35 to 45 in the evening peak. The 134-to-101-to-405 freeway route is faster on weekends and slower on weekdays.
Can I See The Studios From The Airplane?
Yes. The Warner Bros. and Disney lots in Burbank and the Universal backlot over the hill are all clearly identifiable from the air, along with Griffith Park and the Verdugo Mountains.
Do You Have A Location In Burbank?
No. We operate solely from Van Nuys Airport at 7900 Balboa Blvd. We serve Burbank residents; we are not based there.
Related Pages
- Flight School In Los Angeles — how the metro's training airports compare.
- Flight Training At Van Nuys Airport — the field, its Class D airspace and the pattern.
- Learn To Fly In Los Angeles — the full path from first lesson to certificate.
- Book A Discovery Flight — an hour at the controls with an instructor.
- Private Pilot License In Los Angeles — requirements, hours and the checkride.
Book Your First Flight
If you have spent years watching aircraft turn base over the Verdugos on their way into Burbank, the fastest way to change your relationship with that view is to fly one yourself. Book a discovery flight or call (818) 330-1318. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week.