Kayla is a flight instructor at You Fly LA at Van Nuys Airport, and she is the instructor most often requested for flights over the Malibu coast in the last hour of daylight. She teaches primary training patiently and encouragingly, which in practice means she will let you fly more of the airplane, earlier, than you expect on a first flight.
This page explains what she teaches and the flights she is known for. The full team and how we pair students with instructors is on our flight instructors roster, and the coastal route itself is described on our discovery flights pillar page.
What Kayla Teaches
Primary flight training, and a great many discovery flights. Under 14 CFR 61.193 a flight instructor gives ground and flight training and issues the endorsements toward a student pilot certificate, a pilot certificate and a practical test. Kayla works at the beginning of that path: first flights, the airwork that follows, radio work, and the long run of pattern practice before a solo.
Her strength is the thing that is hardest to describe on a website and most obvious in the airplane: she keeps the workload at a level where you can still learn. Overload a new student and they stop absorbing anything after twenty minutes. Kayla hands over the controls early, gives one thing to hold at a time, and takes the airplane back before you stop enjoying it. That is a deliberate teaching method, not a personality quirk.
The Coast Route, And Why Sunset Is Different
From Van Nuys the coast is close. A flight west over the Santa Monica Mountains puts you over the water in minutes, and from there the route runs down past Point Dume, Zuma and the length of Santa Monica Bay. Late in the day the sun is ahead of you over the water rather than above you, the air over the land has stopped rising, and the ride settles.
Two honest caveats. First, the coast makes its own weather: a marine layer can sit over the shoreline while the Valley is clear, and that is a normal Southern California pattern rather than a rare event. If it is in, we will fly the Valley side or reschedule, and you do not pay for a flight the weather cancels. Second, a sunset slot has a hard edge. Book the last flight of the day and a twenty-minute delay is not a twenty-minute delay, it is the light gone. We build in margin, and we would rather move you than fly you into a disappointment.
| Flight | 60 Minutes | 90 Minutes | 120 Minutes | Weight Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery flight, you fly | $229 | $299 | $399 | 180 lb |
| Malibu coast for two | $299 | $399 | $499 | 360 lb combined |
| Downtown Los Angeles for two | $299 | $399 | $499 | 360 lb combined |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight | $499 | $649 | $799 | 200 lb |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 Discovery Flight, With A Passenger | $599 | $849 | $1,049 | 200 lb each, 400 lb combined |
Every one of those is an instructional flight, not a sightseeing tour: you sit in the left seat and you fly it, with an instructor beside you and the controls available to her at all times. If you enroll in a course within 24 hours, the whole cost is credited toward your training.
What Ninety Minutes Buys You Over Sixty
On a 60-minute flight, the coast is a visit. You get out over the water, you turn along the shoreline, and you come back. On 90 minutes you can run the coast properly and still have time in the training area for airwork, which is where you actually learn to fly rather than to steer. On 120 you can do both without watching the clock. If the flight is a gift or a one-off occasion, 90 minutes is the length most people wish they had booked.
Who Should Ask For Kayla
- First-timers who want to fly, not ride. If the appeal is doing it yourself, she will hand you the controls early.
- Anyone booking a flight as an occasion. Birthdays, anniversaries and proposals need an instructor who manages the day, not just the airplane.
- Students who learn better without pressure. Encouragement is a teaching tool and some people need more of it than others.
- People who want the coast specifically. Say so when you book, because the route changes the time you should fly.
How To Request Kayla
Call (818) 330-1318 and ask for her by name, or note it when you book a free consultation. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM seven days a week. For a sunset coastal flight, book at least a week ahead and tell us the date matters; those slots go first and they cannot be stretched.
Related Reading
- Our flight instructors — the full roster and how matching works.
- Discovery flights over Los Angeles — every route, length and price.
- What to expect — how a first flight runs from arrival to landing.
- Weather and cancellation policy — what happens when the marine layer wins.
- Joseph — another instructor who flies the late-afternoon slots.
Kayla: Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Kayla Teach?
Primary flight training toward sport and private pilot certificates, plus discovery flights, with a focus on first-timers and coastal routes from Van Nuys.
Can I Book A Sunset Flight Over Malibu?
Yes. A Malibu coast flight for two is $299 for 60 minutes, $399 for 90 and $499 for 120. Tell us when you book that you want the late light, and book about a week ahead.
Do I Actually Fly The Airplane?
Yes. These are instructional flights, so you fly from the left seat with an instructor beside you. Kayla will normally hand over the controls in the first few minutes of the flight.
What Happens If The Marine Layer Is In?
We fly the Valley side instead or move your booking. You do not pay for a flight the weather cancels, and rescheduling is free.
What Is The Weight Limit?
180 pounds per person on a single-seat-flown discovery flight in the Warrior, 180 pounds per person and 360 pounds combined for a flight for two, and 200 pounds per person and 400 pounds combined in the Cirrus SR22.
Should I Book 60 Or 90 Minutes?
Ninety, if the coast is the point. Sixty gets you to the water and back; ninety lets you fly the shoreline and still do real airwork on the way home.
Is A Discovery Flight Credited If I Sign Up For Training?
Yes, in full, if you enroll within 24 hours of the flight. It is also logged as dual instruction, so the time counts toward your certificate.
Book A Flight With Kayla
A 60-minute discovery flight is $229 and a Malibu coast flight for two starts at $299. Both are flown from the left seat, both are logged, and both are credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. If you would rather ask questions first, book a free consultation. Call (818) 330-1318 between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM, any day of the week.
