Pilot Training · Van Nuys Airport · KVNY

Pilot License Near Me: Start Your Training In Los Angeles

Questions about the path, the hours or the cost? A free consultation with a You Fly LA instructor at Van Nuys Airport answers them before you spend a dollar.

Book A Free Consultation Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Call (818) 330-1318
Part 61Train On Your Schedule
$10,400Private Pilot, From
FreeConsultation
100%Discovery Credit If You Enroll In 24 Hrs
Student pilot in a headset reading the preflight checklist in a Cessna 162 cockpit

If you live anywhere in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley or the Westside, your nearest place to earn a pilot license may be Van Nuys Airport. You Fly LA is the largest flight school there, with 20 airplanes we own, our own maintenance shop, and zero accidents or incidents since 2008. The course, schedule and price for a private pilot license in Los Angeles are on one page, starting at $10,400 for the Standard package.

Where We Are

  • Address: 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406
  • Hours: 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week
  • Phone: (818) 330-1318. Directions and parking: Contact Us

From the 405, take Sherman Way west about a mile and a half to Balboa. From the 101, exit at Balboa Blvd and drive north. From the 118, come south on Balboa along the west side of the field.

How To Get Your Pilot License, Step By Step

  1. Take a discovery flight ($229) to fly the airplane yourself with an instructor.
  2. Get an FAA medical certificate from an aviation medical examiner.
  3. Apply for your student pilot certificate. Your instructor helps you file it.
  4. Train in the airplane, in ground school and in our full-motion simulator.
  5. Solo, then fly solo cross-countries.
  6. Pass the FAA knowledge test and the checkride with an examiner.

The FAA requires at least 40 flight hours for a private pilot license under Part 61. Most people need more. Flying two or three times a week is the fastest and cheapest way through.

Why Students Choose Van Nuys

  • A real tower from day one. You'll be comfortable with busy airspace by your first solo.
  • Airplanes when you need them. 20 owned airplanes and our own maintenance shop mean fewer cancellations.
  • Easy booking. Book online and track your hours, lessons and checklists in the You Fly LA app.
  • 5-star reviews on Google and Yelp.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take To Get A Pilot License?

Flying twice a week, most students finish a private pilot license in about five to six months.

Is There A Minimum Age To Start?

There's no minimum age for lessons. You need to be 16 to solo and 17 for a private pilot certificate.

Do I Need A Medical Before My First Lesson?

No. You need one before you solo. Get it early so there are no surprises.
Fly Before You Commit

Start With A Flight Or A Lesson

Fly once before you sign up for anything. The $229 discovery flight is credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours, and the two-hour first lesson is $349.

Piper Warrior N3034Q, front quarter, beside an open hangar at Van Nuys Airport
PIPER WARRIOR · 160 HP · LOW WING
The Classic 60–120 Min

Discovery Flight For One

Credited in full toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours.

One seat, one instructor, no audience. You take the controls once we are clear of the Van Nuys pattern, and your instructor signs the time into your logbook if you bring one.

  • Hands-on stick time
  • Pre-flight briefing and walk-around
  • Hollywood Sign and downtown
  • One-on-one with an FAA-certified instructor
  • Bring your logbook, we sign it

Flight Length

$229all-in · one flyer · 60 minutes

Book For One

Weight limit 180 lb for the person flying.

Or gift it →
Piper Warrior N6312C, a four-seat low-wing trainer, parked on a sunny ramp
PIPER WARRIOR · FOUR SEATS
★ Most Popular 60–120 Min

Discovery Flight For Two Over Downtown

Logged as dual instruction toward the 40-hour minimum for a private license.

One of you flies while the other rides on the intercom and ends up as the photographer. The route runs past the Hollywood Sign and around the downtown towers.

  • Two seats in the Piper Warrior
  • Headsets for both of you
  • Hollywood Sign and the downtown towers
  • Hands-on flying for one of you
  • Pre-flight briefing and walk-around

Flight Length

$299all-in · two seats · 60 minutes

Book For Two

Weight limit 360 lb combined.

Or gift it →
Cessna 162 Skycatcher trainer seen nose first on the Van Nuys ramp at sunset
CESSNA 162 · OR PIPER WARRIOR
Day One 2 Hours

Two-Hour Beginner Flying Lesson

Credited in full toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours.

Half an hour on the ground learning what the yoke, the pedals and the throttle do, then about seventy minutes in the air over Simi Valley with your instructor beside you.

  • 30-minute ground lesson first
  • About 70 minutes at the controls
  • Simi Valley and the Santa Susana Mountains
  • Cessna 162 or Piper Warrior
  • Debrief and a signed logbook entry

Lesson Length

$349all-in · one student · 2 hours

Book The Lesson

Weight limit 180 lb for the person flying.

Or gift it →
Diamond DA20 with its bubble canopy raised, showing the side-by-side cockpit
DIAMOND DA20-C1 · 125 HP · STICK
The Stick 2 Hours

Two-Hour Beginner Flying Lesson In The Diamond DA20

A stick instead of a yoke, and a canopy you can see straight out of.

Lighter on the controls than the Cessna, and quicker to show you when your feet are lazy on the rudder. A good first lesson if you already think you want the certificate.

  • Diamond DA20-C1, two seats
  • Stick and bubble canopy
  • 125 hp Continental IO-240
  • 30-minute ground lesson first
  • About 70 minutes at the controls

Lesson Length

$549all-in · one student · 2 hours

Book The DA20

Weight limit 200 lb for the person flying.

Or gift it →
Pick A Rating

Every Hour And Every Dollar, Course By Course

Each leg is a course, priced all-in, with the aircraft, simulator, instruction and ground hours listed.

Plan Your Training With An Instructor

A free consultation covers the hours, the cost and the order of the ratings for your goal. If you would rather fly first, the discovery flight is $229 and the two-hour first lesson is $349.

Book A Free Consultation Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Book A First Lesson — $349Call (818) 330-1318
Flight Training At Van Nuys Airport

See Yourself In The Left Seat.

Our fleet, our instructors and the view over Los Angeles — every discovery flight and every course starts right here on the ramp.

Book A Discovery Flight