N306EF is one of the two Diamond DA20-C1s You Fly LA operates at Van Nuys Airport, and it flies at $329 per hour wet at retail or $229 per hour wet inside a course package. It is a two-seat, low-wing composite trainer with a 125-horsepower Continental IO-240, a Garmin 430, a control stick rather than a yoke, and a bubble canopy.
This page is the record for that airframe — what it costs, what it is flown for, what renting it requires and how to book it. The rest of the fleet with rates alongside is on the airplanes you will fly, and the type reference with performance figures and handbook detail is the Diamond DA20-C1 page.
N306EF At A Glance
| Item | N306EF |
|---|---|
| Registration | N306EF |
| Type | Diamond DA20-C1 |
| Seats | Two, side by side |
| Wing | Low wing |
| Engine | 125 hp Continental IO-240 |
| Controls | Control stick |
| Canopy | Bubble canopy |
| Avionics | Garmin 430 |
| Category | Utility, approved for spins |
| Fleet position | One of two DA20-C1s at You Fly LA |
| Based at | Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd |
| Retail rate | $329 per hour, wet |
| Package rate | $229 per hour, wet |
Everything above is type-level. Empty weight, useful load and the installed equipment list belong to the individual airframe and are recorded only in the weight and balance section of the handbook carried in the aircraft. Read that document before you plan a load, and read the limitations section before you plan a maneuver.
What It Costs To Fly N306EF
| Item | Rate | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| N306EF, package rate | $229 per hour, wet | Hours flown inside a fixed-price course |
| N306EF, retail rate | $329 per hour, wet | Pay-as-you-go lessons and solo rental |
| Upgrade from the Warrior or Skycatcher | $50 per hour inside a package | Choosing the Diamond instead of a $179 airplane |
| Flight instructor | $110 per hour | Any dual flight, aircraft or simulator |
| Ground instruction | $110 per hour | Briefings and ground school outside a package |
Both aircraft rates include fuel. The $50 upgrade line is the honest way to think about this airplane inside a course: the package rate on our Warriors and Skycatchers is $179, so choosing the Diamond costs an extra $50 for every hour you fly in it. Every rate we charge is on flight school rates at Van Nuys.
What N306EF Is Flown For
Private pilot training for students who want the handling, commercial work where precise maneuvering matters, and spin training, because the type is certificated in the utility category and approved for intentional spins. Two seats and a stick make it a poor choice for carrying family and a good choice for learning to fly accurately.
Flying A Stick And A Bubble Canopy
The DA20 does not feel like a Cherokee or a Cessna, and pilots notice within the first five minutes. The control stick sits between your knees rather than in front of your chest, so roll inputs come from the wrist instead of the shoulders, and the airplane responds to smaller movements than a yoke-equipped trainer tolerates. Students who arrive with a heavy hand get lighter fast, because the airplane rewards it immediately.
The canopy changes the other half of the experience. A one-piece bubble over a low wing gives you the sky and the ground at the same time, which makes clearing turns genuinely effective, ground reference maneuvers easier to fly accurately and the traffic pattern at a busy Class D field far easier to manage visually. It also makes the cockpit hot on a Valley afternoon, which is why most DA20 lessons here are booked early.
Aerodynamically it is a composite airframe with a long, slender wing and low drag, which means it glides well and does not want to slow down. Approach speed control is the skill the airplane demands most, and it is the skill that transfers upward best. Pilots moving on to the Piper Arrow or the Cirrus SR22 Turbo find that the habit of flying an exact number on final was learned here. For the model's full performance picture, see the DA20-C1 type page, and for where it sits in a commercial course, the commercial pilot license page.
Checking Out To Rent N306EF
Renting this airplane solo requires a pilot certificate with the appropriate privileges, a current FAA medical certificate or BasicMed qualification, 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 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 under 61.57(b).
The type checkout matters more here than on our other single-engine airplanes. A stick, a canopy, a composite airframe that does not decelerate like a Cherokee and a Garmin 430 add up to a genuinely different cockpit, and our instructors will want a proper session on the ground and in the air before signing you off. What we ask for is set out on aircraft checkout requirements for renters.
How To Book N306EF
Call (818) 330-1318 and ask for N306EF by registration. We schedule by airframe, so a request for one of the two Diamonds is normal. Morning slots go first in summer because of the canopy, and maintenance can take an airplane off the line at short notice, so treat the live schedule as the real answer.
If you have never flown a light airplane, our standard discovery flight at $229 for 60 minutes is flown in the Piper Warrior rather than the Diamond, and it is credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours.
Where The Registration Details Come From
This page carries our operating specification and our rates. The registration record itself — registered make and model, registrant, airworthiness class and certificate dates — belongs to the FAA and is public. Check the FAA aircraft registry entry for N306EF, or search any N-number at registry.faa.gov. Where the registry and this page disagree, the registry is right.
Related Reading
- The airplanes you will fly lists every aircraft with package and retail rates.
- Diamond DA20-C1 is the type reference with performance and handbook detail.
- N308EF is the sister Diamond, used for spin training.
- Commercial pilot license covers the course this airplane is often flown in.
- Commercial pilot maneuvers explains the precision flying the DA20 suits.
- Aircraft checkout requirements for renters lists what solo rental needs.
N306EF FAQ
What Kind Of Airplane Is N306EF?
A Diamond DA20-C1: a two-seat, low-wing composite trainer with a 125-horsepower Continental IO-240, a Garmin 430, a control stick and a bubble canopy. It is one of two DA20-C1s at You Fly LA.
How Much Does N306EF Cost Per Hour?
$229 per hour wet inside a course package and $329 per hour wet at retail, with an instructor at $110 per hour on top for dual flights. Inside a package that is $50 an hour more than a Warrior or a Skycatcher.
What Is It Like To Fly With A Stick?
Lighter and more precise than a yoke-equipped trainer. Roll inputs come from the wrist, and the airplane responds to smaller movements, so students with a heavy hand tend to smooth out quickly.
Why Do Pilots Choose The Diamond Over A Cheaper Airplane?
Handling and visibility. The stick, the bubble canopy and a clean composite airframe make it a better airplane for accurate flying, which is why it is used for commercial maneuver work as well as private training.
Is The DA20 Approved For Spins?
The type is certificated in the utility category and approved for intentional spins, which is why we use a DA20 for spin training. The limitations section of the handbook for the individual aircraft is the authority on what that airframe may do.
Can I Do A Discovery Flight In N306EF?
Our standard $229 discovery flight is flown in the four-seat Piper Warrior. If you specifically want time in the Diamond, call (818) 330-1318 and we will tell you what is possible and what it would cost.
Does A Checkout Take Longer In This Type?
Usually. The stick, the canopy, the composite airframe's reluctance to slow down and the Garmin 430 mean a proper ground session and a flight before the sign-off, rather than a quick circuit.
Fly N306EF From Van Nuys
If you want an airplane that teaches precision, this is the one on our ramp that does it. Book a free consultation and we will work out whether the Diamond belongs in your course or whether the extra $50 an hour is better spent elsewhere. If you have never flown at all, start with a discovery flight at $229 for 60 minutes from the left seat, credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. Call (818) 330-1318. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open 9 AM to 9 PM seven days a week.