(818) 290-8249 · Open 9 AM–9 PM, 7 Days a Week · ★★★★★ 4.9 · 500+ Reviews · Van Nuys Airport
Become a flight instructor in Los Angeles and get paid to fly while you build hours toward the airlines. Earn your CFI, CFII, and MEI with Flight School LA at Van Nuys Airport.
Becoming a flight instructor in Los Angeles is the most proven way to turn your commercial certificate into a paid flying job and a fast track to the airlines. As a CFI you build flight time every day while earning income, and the hours you log count toward the experience requirements for an airline career. Flight School LA has trained instructors at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) for more than 15 years, and many of our own instructors came up through this exact path.
Teaching also makes you a sharper pilot. Explaining maneuvers, anticipating student mistakes, and managing the cockpit from the right seat deepen your knowledge in a way nothing else does. It is the reason airlines value instructor time so highly.
Earn an income doing what you love while you build the hours your career requires.
Instructing is the fastest, most reliable way for most pilots to reach airline minimums.
Teaching from the right seat makes you a more precise, knowledgeable pilot.
There are three instructor certificates, and earning all three makes you maximally employable. We offer them as a package or individually depending on your goals.
Certified Flight Instructor. Lets you teach students working toward their private and commercial certificates and most maneuvers.
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument. Lets you train students for the Instrument Rating, a high-demand skill set.
Multi-Engine Instructor. Lets you teach in twins, build valuable multi-engine time, and command higher pay.
Instructor certificates build on your commercial training. The FAA sets the prerequisites under Part 61, and we make sure you meet each one before your checkride.
Instructor training is as much about teaching as it is about flying. You will learn the Fundamentals of Instructing, develop lesson plans, and practice delivering effective instruction from the right seat, then prove it on a demanding checkride.
The learning process, teaching methods, and how to evaluate and develop students.
Fly and teach maneuvers from the instructor seat, a new and essential skill set.
Build and deliver complete lesson plans and ground briefings to FAA standards.
Intensive mock checkrides and oral review for one of aviation's most thorough practical tests.
As an instructor you teach in the same airplanes your students will fly, so you will train and instruct across our modern, well-maintained Van Nuys fleet — from primary trainers to glass-panel singles.
The airplane many of your future private students will learn in — master teaching its handling from the right seat.
The most-taught training airplane in the world — stable, predictable, and ideal for honing your instructing technique.
Teach advanced avionics and high-performance operations, the skill set commercial and instrument students seek out.
Learn to deliver effective instrument and scenario instruction in the sim — an instructor's most efficient tool.
Sharpen your skills on the ground in our FAA-approved Redbird full-motion simulator — practice procedures, instrument work, and emergencies in any weather, then carry that confidence straight into the cockpit on your Flight Instructor training.
One fixed price for all three instructor ratings — CFI, CFII, and MEI — with every hour spelled out, and $500 off this summer. Financing is available so you can invest in your career on your schedule.
Financing: Available — flexible monthly payment plans
Enroll Now →Here is what sets our instructor program apart. Flight School LA hires our own graduates as instructors. When you earn your certificates with us and demonstrate the right skills and professionalism, you can step straight into a paid instructing role on our Van Nuys flight line. That means a direct path from training to a paycheck and a steady stream of students so you build hours quickly.
Strong graduates are invited to join our instructor team and start earning right away.
An active, busy school means consistent flying and faster hour-building.
Build the time you need with us and move on toward your airline goals.
"Took the controls over Van Nuys and the whole city opened up below us. Unreal first flight — booking again."
"Kayla is a great instructor — calm, organized, and a real pleasure to fly with. Made my first flight so comfortable."
"Ralph is knowledgeable, patient, and professional. Explained every principle of flight in a way I could follow."
"The owner, Alex, immediately put me at ease. Best intro flight in LA — calm, safe, and let me actually fly the plane."
"Anthony explains everything in a way that actually makes sense. Super chill and a great way to get comfortable in the sky."
"Joseph was patient and a really great teacher. Professional with great energy, and the Diamond was a blast to fly."
"Started with a discovery flight, now working on my private. Welcoming team and genuinely flexible scheduling."
"Gifted the flight for two and we both loved every second. Incredible views of the coastline — worth every dollar."
Earn your CFI, CFII, and MEI with the Los Angeles team pilots have trusted for 15+ years, and you could instruct with us. Book a discovery flight or a free consultation today.
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.
