Logan is a flight instructor at You Fly LA at Van Nuys Airport who is known for two things: answering every question a student asks, however basic it sounds, and flying the routes that show people what Los Angeles looks like from three thousand feet. He teaches primary training and discovery flights, and he would rather spend ten minutes of a briefing on the question you are embarrassed to ask than have you carry it for fifty hours.
This page explains what he teaches and the flights he is asked for. The rest of the team is on our flight instructors roster, and the routes themselves are covered on our discovery flights page.
What Logan Teaches
Primary flight training toward sport and private pilot certificates, and discovery flights over the city and the coast. A flight instructor's authority under 14 CFR 61.193 covers ground training as well as flight training, and Logan uses more of the ground half than most. A question answered properly on the ramp costs nothing; the same question half-answered in the air costs an hour of Hobbs time to fix.
The questions he gets asked most, in roughly this order, are: what happens if the engine stops, who is actually flying the airplane, how much of this is me and how much is the instructor, will I be sick, and am I too old to start. All five have real answers. The engine question is answered by the fact that every training flight includes practice of an engine-out glide to a chosen field, and that a single-engine airplane glides rather than drops. The control question is answered by the dual controls in front of you both. Motion sickness is real and usually manageable by flying in the morning, eating beforehand and keeping your eyes outside. And there is no upper age limit on a pilot certificate at all.
What You Can Actually See From Van Nuys
Van Nuys sits in the San Fernando Valley, inside Class D airspace, under the Los Angeles Class B shelf. That geography decides what a flight of a given length can reach. Everything below is subject to weather, airspace and air traffic control on the day, and none of it is a fixed route we can guarantee.
| Landmark | Direction From Van Nuys | Comfortable Flight Length |
|---|---|---|
| The Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory | Southeast, over the Santa Monica Mountains | 60 minutes |
| Downtown Los Angeles skyline | Southeast | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Santa Monica Bay and the pier | South | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Malibu, Zuma and Point Dume | Southwest, over the mountains to the coast | 90 minutes |
| Catalina Island | South, across the bay | 120 minutes |
| The Valley and the mountains north of it | North and west | 60 minutes |
A 60-minute discovery flight is $229, 90 minutes is $299 and 120 minutes is $399, each flown from the left seat with an instructor beside you. Flights for two over Downtown or the Malibu coast are $299, $399 and $499 for the same three lengths.
Why We Call These Flights, Not Tours
It matters legally and it matters to what you get. A sightseeing air tour is a commercial operation flown under rules including 14 CFR 91.147, with you as a passenger. What we sell is instructional: you sit in the left seat, you fly the airplane under the supervision of a certificated flight instructor, and the time is logged as dual instruction in a logbook you keep. If you later enroll in a course within 24 hours, the whole cost of the flight is credited toward it. Logan will point out the landmarks, but he is teaching you the whole time.
Who Should Ask For Logan
- People with a long list of questions. Bring them written down; he prefers that to nodding along.
- Visitors with one afternoon in Los Angeles. The city from the left seat is a better use of two hours than the same two hours in traffic.
- Students who want context. Knowing what is under the wing makes the navigation lessons stick later.
- Anyone who has been talked at by an instructor before. A briefing is a conversation, not a lecture.
How To Request Logan
Call (818) 330-1318 and ask for him by name, or add the request when you book a free consultation. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day. If you want a particular landmark, say so at the time of booking rather than at the airplane, because it changes the flight length we recommend and the fuel we plan for.
Related Reading
- Our flight instructors — the full roster and how matching works.
- Discovery flights over Los Angeles — routes, lengths and prices.
- Best views over Los Angeles — what is worth asking to see.
- Airspace classes explained — why the Class B shelf shapes every route.
- Noah — another instructor who takes the scenic way home.
Logan: Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Logan Teach?
Primary flight training toward sport and private pilot certificates, plus discovery flights over Los Angeles and the coast from Van Nuys Airport.
Can I Ask For A Specific Route?
Ask when you book. We will tell you honestly what fits in the flight length you have chosen, and the final route is always subject to weather, airspace and air traffic control on the day.
Is This An Air Tour?
No. These are instructional flights: you fly from the left seat with a certificated flight instructor beside you, and the time is logged as dual instruction. We do not sell sightseeing air tours.
What Happens If The Engine Stops?
A single-engine airplane glides. Every student practices engine-failure procedures and a glide to a chosen landing area, and instructors rehearse them regularly. It is a trained procedure rather than an emergency without a plan.
Am I Too Old To Learn To Fly?
There is no upper age limit on a pilot certificate. The limiting factor is the medical certificate under 14 CFR 61.23, and plenty of people start in their fifties and sixties.
What If I Get Motion Sick?
Fly in the morning when the air is smoothest, eat something beforehand, and keep your eyes outside rather than on the panel. Tell your instructor early rather than late.
Can I Bring A Camera?
A phone is fine. Anything larger is awkward in a two-seat trainer and has to be secured, so check with your instructor before the flight rather than at the airplane.
Book A Flight With Logan
A 60-minute discovery flight is $229, flown from the left seat, logged as dual instruction, and credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. If you have a list of questions first, that is exactly what a free consultation is for. Call (818) 330-1318, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week.