(818) 290-8249 · Open 9 AM–9 PM, 7 Days a Week · ★★★★★ 4.9 · 500+ Reviews · Van Nuys Airport
Never flown before? Perfect. A Discovery Flight is the easiest way to find out what flying feels like — you sit up front, take the controls with a certified instructor beside you, and see Los Angeles from the air. No experience, no studying, no pressure.
A Discovery Flight is a short, hands-on introductory lesson built for people who have never touched an aircraft. It is not a sightseeing ride where you sit in the back and watch. You sit in the pilot's seat, with your hands on the controls, flying the airplane yourself while an FAA-certificated instructor guides you every second of the way.
It usually lasts around an hour from briefing to landing, and most of that is you actually flying. You will take off, level out over the Los Angeles skyline, make gentle turns, and feel exactly what it is like to be in command of an airplane. Many of our students booked a Discovery Flight on a whim and walked away ready to chase a Private Pilot License — but plenty of people simply check a lifelong dream off their list and leave grinning.
Knowing what to expect takes away the nerves. Here is exactly how your first flight at Van Nuys (KVNY) unfolds from the moment you arrive.
You meet your instructor, get a friendly walkthrough of how the airplane works, and learn what you will be doing in the air. Questions are encouraged.
Together you inspect the aircraft — fuel, control surfaces, tires, and more. It is a great look behind the scenes at how pilots keep flying safe.
You climb into the pilot's seat, your instructor handles the radios, and before long you are rolling down the runway and lifting off over Los Angeles.
Hands on the controls, you make turns, climbs, and descents yourself. Your instructor is right there to help and take over any time you like.
Your instructor brings you back in for the landing while you follow along on the controls, feeling how it all comes together.
Back on the ground you talk through how it went, ask anything, and if you are hooked, learn how to start training.
You do not need any special gear — but a little planning makes your first flight more comfortable. Keep it simple:
We provide the headset, the aircraft, and everything else. Just show up a few minutes early at our home base at Van Nuys (KVNY) and your instructor takes care of the rest. We fly seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, so it is easy to pick a time that works for you.
It is completely natural to wonder about safety before your first flight. Every Discovery Flight is conducted under FAA Part 61 standards with a certificated flight instructor who has trained for exactly this. Our aircraft are maintained to strict FAA inspection schedules, and every flight begins with a thorough pre-flight inspection you get to be part of.
With 15+ years of teaching people to fly in Los Angeles and 500+ five-star reviews, safety is woven into everything we do. Your instructor stays in control of the situation at all times — you fly as much or as little as you are comfortable with, and they can take over instantly. Take a look at our well-kept training fleet to see the aircraft you will be flying.
Here is the best part for anyone thinking about learning to fly: if you decide to enroll, 100% of your Discovery Flight cost is credited toward your flight training when you enroll within 24 hours of your flight. In other words, your first flight is both an unforgettable experience and a head start on your Private Pilot License.
And if cost is on your mind, you have options. We offer flexible financing to spread the investment over time, and you can review full program costs on our pricing page. A Discovery Flight is a low-risk, all-reward way to test the waters before committing to anything.
Book your Discovery Flight over Los Angeles and find out what flying really feels like — credited toward training if you enroll within 24 hours.
Real students, real first flights, real ratings — straight from Google and Yelp.
The fastest way to know if the left seat is for you is to stand on the flight line. Book a free consultation — or reach us whichever way you like.
Tour the school, meet your instructors, sit in the cockpit, and leave with a personal training plan and exact pricing. Your Discovery Flight fee is credited toward training when you enroll within 24 hours.
One minute, a few details, fast answers from a real person on our team.
