N179LC is a Cessna 162 Skycatcher flown by You Fly LA from Van Nuys Airport at $269 per hour wet at retail or $179 per hour wet inside a course package. It is a two-seat, high-wing light sport airplane with a 100-horsepower Continental O-200-D, a Garmin G300 glass panel and a cruise of about 118 knots.
This page covers the airframe as an operating asset: rates, the flying it is used for, what renting it requires and how to book it. Every aircraft we run, with rates next to each other, is on the airplanes you will fly; the technical reference for the model, including V-speeds and handbook structure, is the Cessna 162 Skycatcher page.
N179LC At A Glance
| Item | N179LC |
|---|---|
| Registration | N179LC |
| Type | Cessna 162 Skycatcher |
| Seats | Two, side by side |
| Wing | High wing |
| Engine | 100 hp Continental O-200-D |
| Typical cruise | About 118 knots |
| Avionics | Garmin G300 glass |
| Fleet position | One of five Skycatchers at You Fly LA |
| Based at | Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd |
| Normally flown for | Sport Pilot and Private Pilot training |
| Retail rate | $269 per hour, wet |
| Package rate | $179 per hour, wet |
Read that as the specification for the type as we operate it. Individual airframes differ in empty weight, useful load and equipment fit, and those three numbers exist only in the weight and balance section of the handbook carried in the aircraft. Plan loads from that document; a type figure from anywhere else is a study aid.
What It Costs To Fly N179LC
| Item | Rate | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| N179LC, package rate | $179 per hour, wet | Hours flown inside a fixed-price course |
| N179LC, retail rate | $269 per hour, wet | Pay-as-you-go lessons and solo rental |
| Flight instructor | $110 per hour | Any dual flight, aircraft or simulator |
| Ground instruction | $110 per hour | Briefings and ground school outside a package |
| Redbird MCX full-motion simulator | $120 package, $200 retail | The two simulator hours inside the private course |
Fuel is included in both aircraft rates. Which rate you pay depends on how you buy the hour rather than on the airplane: $179 inside a fixed-price course, $269 when the hour stands alone as a lesson or a rental. Every figure we charge is collected on flight school rates at Van Nuys, and the hidden costs that are not hourly — examiner fee, written test, headset — are set out on the hidden costs of flight training.
What N179LC Is Flown For
Mostly private pilot training, with sport pilot work alongside it. The Skycatcher is a light sport aircraft, so a sport pilot may fly it under the privileges and limits of 14 CFR 61.315, and a private pilot flies the same airframe under 14 CFR 61.113. The economics are what put students in it: two seats and 100 horsepower produce the lowest hourly rate on our line, and a lower rate means more lessons in the same budget.
Earning A Private Pilot Certificate In A Two-Seat Airplane
Nothing in the regulations requires four seats. 14 CFR 61.109(a) asks for at least 40 hours of flight time, of which 20 hours are dual instruction and 10 hours are solo, with specific items inside those totals: 3 hours of cross-country training, 3 hours of night training including a cross-country over 100 nautical miles and 10 takeoffs and landings at an airport with an operating control tower, 3 hours of instrument training, 3 hours of test preparation in the preceding two calendar months, and a solo block that includes 5 hours of cross-country and one flight of at least 150 nautical miles with three full-stop landings, one of them at a towered field.
Every one of those items can be flown in N179LC. Our Private Pilot Standard course is built around 38 hours in the airplane plus 2 hours in the full-motion simulator, 30 hours of dual and 3 hours of ground instruction, at a fixed $10,400 with books and materials included. The realistic national average is nearer 60 to 70 hours than 40, which is a statement about how often people fly rather than about the airplane, and it is the reason a cheap airframe matters.
The two honest limitations are capacity and payload. You cannot take three friends flying after the checkride in a Skycatcher, and with two adults aboard you will usually depart on partial fuel. Both are solved by checking out in the Piper Warrior afterwards, which is four seats at the same hourly rate. The certificate itself is identical either way — see the private pilot license page for the whole route.
Checking Out To Rent N179LC
Solo rental requires a pilot certificate with the appropriate privileges, a current FAA medical certificate or, for sport pilots, a valid driver's license used under the conditions of 14 CFR 61.23, and a flight review completed since the beginning of the 24th calendar month before the month of the flight under 14 CFR 61.56. To carry a passenger you also need three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days in the same category, class and type under 14 CFR 61.57(a), made to a full stop at night between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise.
Our own checkout sits on top: ground instruction on the airplane's systems and limitations, a flight with one of our instructors, and a sign-off recorded in your file. High-wing time helps but it is not a substitute. The detail, including what we ask of pilots returning after a long gap, is on aircraft checkout requirements for renters.
How To Book N179LC
Ring (818) 330-1318 and ask for N179LC by registration. Scheduling is by airframe, so naming a tail number is normal here and the desk can answer availability on the call. Maintenance takes aircraft off the line at short notice, so the live schedule, not this page, is the authority on whether it is free.
If you have never handled the controls of a small airplane, a discovery flight is the right first booking: $229 for 60 minutes, you fly it from the left seat, and the fee is credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours.
Where The Registration Details Come From
This page carries the specification we operate to and the prices we charge. The registration record itself belongs to the FAA: registered make and model, registrant, airworthiness class, certificate issue and expiry dates. Check it in the FAA aircraft registry entry for N179LC, or search any N-number at registry.faa.gov. The registry is the source of record and takes precedence over anything written here.
Related Reading
- The airplanes you will fly shows the whole fleet with package and retail rates.
- Cessna 162 Skycatcher is the type reference with performance and handbook detail.
- Private pilot license covers the certificate this airplane is usually flown toward.
- N3034Q is the four-seat Warrior most Skycatcher students check out in next.
- The hidden costs of flight training covers what the hourly rate does not include.
- Aircraft checkout requirements for renters lists what solo rental needs.
N179LC FAQ
What Kind Of Airplane Is N179LC?
A Cessna 162 Skycatcher: a two-seat, high-wing light sport airplane with a 100-horsepower Continental O-200-D, a Garmin G300 glass panel and a cruise of about 118 knots. It is one of five Skycatchers at You Fly LA.
Can I Get A Private Pilot Certificate In This Airplane?
Yes. 14 CFR 61.109(a) sets no requirement for more than two seats, and all 40 hours of the minimum — dual, solo, cross-country, night and instrument training — can be flown in a Skycatcher.
How Much Does N179LC Cost Per Hour?
$179 per hour wet inside a course package and $269 per hour wet at retail, with an instructor at $110 per hour on top for dual flights. Wet means fuel is included with no surcharge afterwards.
What Are The Real Limits Of Training In A Two-Seater?
Capacity and payload rather than legality. You cannot carry more than one passenger after your checkride, and with two adults aboard you will often depart on partial fuel. Checking out in the four-seat Piper Warrior afterwards solves both at the same hourly rate.
How Many Hours Does A Private Pilot Certificate Really Take?
The legal minimum is 40 hours. The realistic figure for most students is nearer 60 to 70, and it depends mainly on how often you fly. Flying two or three times a week rather than once every two weeks is what keeps the total down.
Can I Request N179LC By Tail Number?
Yes. Call (818) 330-1318 and ask for it by registration. We schedule by airframe, and if it is unavailable the desk will offer one of the other four Skycatchers at the same rate.
What Does A Checkout In This Airplane Involve?
Ground instruction on the systems and limitations, a flight with one of our instructors and a sign-off in your file, on top of the certificate, medical, flight review and currency the regulations require.
Fly N179LC From Van Nuys
The quickest way to find out whether a two-seat trainer suits you is to fly one. A discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes with you at the controls, credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. If you want the numbers first, book a free consultation and we will map the hours and the total cost before you spend anything. Call (818) 330-1318. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9 AM to 9 PM seven days a week.