A multi-engine discovery flight is $499 for two people over 60 minutes in our Piper Seminole, with one of you flying from the left seat and the other riding along. A third passenger is $100 more. It is the only booking on our list that puts a person with no certificate at the controls of a twin-engine airplane, and outside professional flight training almost nobody ever gets to do it.
This page is about the flight. If you want the rating rather than the experience, our multi-engine rating course in Los Angeles is the seven-day accelerated program at $5,100, and the Piper Seminole page has the full aircraft specifications. For every other ride we fly, see airplane rides in Los Angeles.
What The Flight Is
It is a discovery flight, which means flight instruction rather than a sightseeing tour. A certificated multi-engine instructor is pilot in command in the right seat with a full second set of controls. You sit in the left seat and fly the aircraft for most of the hour. The instructor handles the takeoff and normally the landing, and the time is logged as multi-engine dual instruction received.
The structure is the same as our single-engine flights: a briefing of twenty to thirty minutes at the table, the preflight walkaround done with you and a checklist, sixty minutes of aircraft time, then a debrief. The briefing on a twin is longer and more interesting, because there is more to cover: two engines, two fuel systems, two sets of instruments, and the reason a twin has a set of speeds a single does not.
What A Twin Feels Like That A Single Does Not
People book this expecting it to be a nicer version of the same thing. It is not; it is a different airplane, and the differences start before you are moving.
The start sequence takes twice as long, because you do it twice, and you watch two sets of gauges come alive. This sounds trivial and it is the first moment the flight stops feeling like a lesson in a trainer.
The takeoff roll is a genuine shove. Three hundred and sixty horsepower in a four-seat airframe accelerates in a way a 160-horsepower single does not, and the noise on the runway is significantly larger. Passengers who have flown in a Warrior notice this immediately.
The controls feel heavier and more stable. A Seminole is not a nimble airplane and it is not trying to be. It tracks straight, holds altitude and does what you ask a beat later than a light single would. That stability is exactly why it is the training twin of choice, and for a first-time flyer it makes the airplane easier to hold, not harder.
You cover ground. At 162 knots you are moving nearly thirty per cent faster than a Warrior, so an hour reaches further. The coast and the city in one flight is comfortable rather than a rush.
The engines turn opposite ways. The Seminole's propellers are counter-rotating, which means there is no critical engine. That sounds like trivia in a briefing and it is the reason this particular twin is forgiving enough to be the standard trainer across the United States.
The Piper Seminole In Brief
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Piper PA-44-180 Seminole |
| Tail number | N311EF |
| Engines | Two Lycoming four-cylinder engines, 180 hp each, counter-rotating propellers |
| Cruise | 162 kt |
| Seats | 4 |
| Weight limit for discovery flights | 200 lb per passenger, 550 lb combined |
| Avionics | Garmin 430 |
| Vmc | 56 KIAS |
| Vno, maximum structural cruising speed | 169 KIAS |
| Vne, never exceed | 202 KIAS |
| Retail rental rate, wet | $649 per hour |
| Package rate inside a course | $449 per hour |
| Used for | Multi-engine rating, MEI, multi-engine time building, multi-engine discovery flights |
The hourly rates are there for context rather than for this booking. A multi-engine discovery flight is a fixed $499 for two people, which includes the aircraft, the instructor, the fuel and everything else.
Who Flies, Who Rides And The Third Seat
The booking is built for two people. One sits in the left seat and flies; the other sits behind on a headset with the same view and the same intercom. On a 60-minute booking there is normally only time for one person to fly properly, so decide in advance who is taking the left seat. If you both want a turn, call us and ask about a longer slot.
A third passenger is $100 more, which is the option to select when you book. The Seminole has four seats and the fourth belongs to the instructor, so three passengers is the maximum. The limit is 200 lb per passenger and 550 lb combined across everyone on board. Weight and balance in a four-seat twin is a real calculation rather than a formality, so tell us everyone's weight when you book and not on the day. If the numbers do not work, we would much rather move someone to a second flight than have that conversation on the ramp.
What It Costs
| Booking | People | Duration | Price | Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Engine Discovery Flight For Two | 2 | 60 min | $499 | $249.50 |
| Multi-Engine Discovery Flight, extra passenger | 3 | 60 min | $599 | $199.67 |
| Luxury Cirrus SR22 For Two | 2 | 60 min | $399 | $199.50 |
| Discovery Flight For Two, Piper Warrior | 2 | 60 min | $299 | $149.50 |
| Discovery Flight, one person flying | 1 | 60 min | $229 | $229 |
| Multi-Engine Rating course | — | Seven days | $5,100 | — |
No tax, no fuel surcharge and no booking fee. Three passengers is the cheapest way to fly the twin per head, at just under $200 each.
Where You Will Go
The routes are the same ones we fly in the singles, but you cover more of them. Out of Van Nuys, east along the Santa Monica Mountains to the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory and downtown; or west over the ridge and down the Malibu coast past Zuma and Point Dume. At 162 knots an hour comfortably takes in both, which is not true in a Warrior.
Tell your instructor at the briefing which landmarks matter and they will build the route around them. Our Hollywood Sign flight page and Malibu coast flight page set out both routes landmark by landmark.
Does It Count Toward A Multi-Engine Rating
Yes, and this is the part worth understanding properly.
A multi-engine rating is a class rating added to a certificate you already hold, and it is governed by 14 CFR 61.63. There is no minimum flight-hour requirement written into the regulation for the airplane multi-engine land class rating. What is required is training from an authorized instructor, a logbook endorsement, and a passed practical test. There is no separate written exam.
So the hour you fly on a multi-engine discovery flight is logged as multi-engine dual instruction received and is genuinely part of that training, not a token. For someone already holding a private or commercial certificate and thinking about the rating, this is the cheapest possible way to find out whether you want to spend $5,100 on the course.
Our course is a seven-day accelerated program: eight hours in the Seminole, two hours in the full-motion simulator, ten hours of dual and two hours of ground, with classes starting on Mondays and the checkride the same weekend. Enroll within 24 hours of your discovery flight and we credit the full cost of the flight toward it. The detail is on multi-engine rating in Los Angeles, and if you are looking further ahead, multi-engine time building at Van Nuys covers what comes after the rating.
Who This Flight Is For
Pilots weighing up the rating. An hour in the airplane before committing $5,100 is a sensible purchase, and the hour counts.
People who have already done a discovery flight in a single and want the next thing rather than a repeat of the same thing.
Aviation enthusiasts and gift buyers looking for something that is not on anybody else's list. A twin-engine flight is a materially rarer present than a sightseeing tour.
Three people who want to fly together, because at $599 for three this is the only aircraft on our list that carries that many passengers with an instructor.
Who it is not for: a nervous first-time flyer. A twin is louder, faster and busier than a Warrior, and none of that helps someone who is already anxious. Start with a standard discovery flight at $229, or read discovery flights for nervous flyers first.
Related Reading
- Airplane rides in Los Angeles — every ride and price in one table.
- The Piper Seminole PA-44-180 — full specifications, V-speeds and performance.
- Multi-engine rating in Los Angeles — the $5,100 seven-day course.
- Multi-engine rating requirements — what 14 CFR 61.63 actually asks for.
- Multi-engine time building at Van Nuys — hours after the rating.
- Unique things to do in Los Angeles from the air — where this sits among the alternatives.
Multi-Engine Discovery Flight FAQ
How Much Is A Multi-Engine Discovery Flight?
$499 for two people over 60 minutes in the Piper Seminole, with one person flying and one riding. A third passenger is $100 more, making it $599 for three. There is no tax, fuel surcharge or booking fee on top.
Do I Need A Pilot License To Fly A Twin-Engine Discovery Flight?
No. A certificated multi-engine instructor is pilot in command and you fly from the left seat with a full second set of controls beside you. You do not need a medical certificate, a student pilot certificate or any prior flying experience. Bring a government photo ID.
Does A Multi-Engine Discovery Flight Count Toward A Multi-Engine Rating?
Yes. The hour is logged as multi-engine dual instruction received. A multi-engine class rating under 14 CFR 61.63 has no minimum flight-hour requirement written into the regulation; it requires training, an instructor endorsement and a passed practical test, with no separate written exam.
What Aircraft Do You Fly For The Multi-Engine Discovery Flight?
A Piper Seminole PA-44-180, tail number N311EF. It is a four-seat twin with two 180-horsepower Lycoming engines turning counter-rotating propellers, a Garmin 430, and a cruise speed of 162 knots. It is the standard multi-engine trainer across the United States.
Can Three People Come?
Yes, for $599. The Seminole has four seats and the fourth belongs to the instructor, so three passengers is the maximum, inside 200 lb per passenger and 550 lb combined. Weight and balance decides seating in a four-seat twin, so give us everyone's weight when you book rather than on the day.
Is A Twin Harder To Fly Than A Single?
Not to hold. A Seminole is heavier and more stable than a light single, so it tracks straight and keeps its altitude, which makes it easier for a first-timer to fly steadily. It is more complex to operate, but the instructor handles the systems and you handle the airplane.
Fly The Twin
Book the multi-engine discovery flight for two at $499, or select the extra passenger option at $599 for three. If you are weighing this against the multi-engine rating course, or you want to check the weight and balance for your group before booking, book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318, any day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, on Van Nuys Airport.