Flight Training
Frequently Asked Questions

To rent an aircraft, you need a valid pilot certificate, a current FAA medical (or BasicMed where applicable), and standard FAA currency including a flight review within the last 24 calendar months. You will also complete an aircraft-specific checkout flight with one of our instructors before flying solo. See our full aircraft rental requirements and checkout guide for the complete breakdown.

Yes. Our aircraft rental program requires a checkout flight for each aircraft type you plan to rent, covering normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures, so every renter is comfortable and current in that specific airplane before flying solo.

Yes. Rated pilots who are not actively enrolled in a training program can rent from our aircraft rental fleet after completing the standard checkout and currency requirements.

Rates depend on the aircraft. Our Piper Warrior fleet rents on a wet-rate basis (fuel included), and multi-engine renters can access our Piper Twin Comanche. Request current pricing through our contact form for exact hourly rates by aircraft type.

Block time aircraft rental means paying in advance to lock in a discounted hourly rate. With an initial block payment of $3,000, renters unlock $10 off the hourly aircraft rental rate, as long as the account keeps a positive balance above $500.

Block time rewards renters who pay in advance with a lower hourly rate. Pay as you go requires no advance payment. A valid card stays on file and you are charged after each completed flight for the instruction and aircraft time actually used. Compare both in our block time vs. pay as you go pricing guide.

Our entire aircraft rental fleet is based at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, with quick access to the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Studio City, and the greater Los Angeles area.

Our aircraft rental fleet is built around standardized Piper Warriors (PA-28) equipped with modern Garmin avionics, plus a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche for multi-engine renters. Every aircraft is maintained to the same safety and equipment standard.

Once your checkout and currency requirements are complete, aircraft are booked through Flight Schedule Pro, our online scheduling system. Reach out through our contact form to get set up with an account and start your checkout process.

CFI training is where you stop proving you can fly and start proving you can teach. A commercial pilot can perform a maneuver; a certified flight instructor must explain it, demonstrate it, catch the student's error, and keep the cockpit safe while doing it. Our CFI training in Los Angeles centers on the Fundamentals of Instructing, lesson plans, and right-seat teaching, not just more flying.

The initial CFI certificate lets you teach pilots working toward certificates and ratings like the private and commercial. CFII adds instrument instructor privileges so you can teach instrument students scan, procedures, weather judgment, and missed approaches. Most career-track pilots earn the CFI first and then add CFII to broaden the students they can teach.

The Certified Flight Instructor program is a 30-day academy that includes 104 hours of classroom instruction on the Fundamentals of Instructing and lesson plans, 10 hours of one-on-one ground instruction, 14 hours of flight time, and 6 hours of dual simulator time. See the full CFI program page for details.

ActivePILOT lists the Certified Flight Instructor investment at $7,759 to $9,480. We use a pay-as-you-go model, so you are not forced into a large upfront deposit before your lessons are flown. Financing may be available through partners including Stratus Financial, AOPA Financing, and Columbia Bank.

The program is structured as a 30-day accelerated academy for prepared students who can train consistently. Your real timeline depends on readiness, schedule, weather, aircraft availability, and checkride timing. Read our 2026 CFI timeline guide for a week-by-week look.

Before starting the CFI course you should be at least 18 years old, hold a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, hold a valid FAA 3rd Class Medical Certificate or higher, and have logged at least 250 hours of flight time. You must also be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.

Flight instructing is one of the most common ways commercial pilots build time because you earn while you log experience instead of paying for every hour. The 1,500-hour mark is the planning target many career-track pilots use toward the ATP, though exact eligibility involves more than total time and some pilots follow restricted-ATP paths. Our Zero to 1500 program maps that path.

It is demanding because the examiner is evaluating whether you can teach safely and clearly, not just whether you can fly the maneuver. The right preparation focuses on lesson delivery, correcting student errors, and cockpit management from the instructor seat. Our CFI checkride guide breaks down how to prepare.

Our training base is at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 204, Van Nuys, CA 91406. Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, so you learn to teach in complex, real-world airspace. We serve students from across the San Fernando Valley and the greater Los Angeles area.

No. A CFI job depends on your qualifications, school standards, staffing needs, student demand, and fit. What we can say is that training inside a busy, career-focused school with a steady flow of students gives qualified graduates a more practical path to teaching conversations than finishing a course in isolation. Learn more on our CFI training page.

A discovery flight is a short, hands-on introductory flight lesson for people who have never flown a small aircraft before. You sit in the left seat, take the controls, and actually fly the airplane with a certified flight instructor beside you. Learn exactly how it works on our Los Angeles discovery flight page.

Yes. A discovery flight is genuinely hands-on. Your instructor handles the takeoff, radio calls, and landing, and once you reach a safe altitude they hand you the controls to practice climbs, descents, and turns yourself.

No prior experience is required. You do not need a medical certificate, ground school, or any flight time to book. The discovery flight is designed to be your very first step into aviation, and your instructor guides you through every moment.

Our discovery flight includes 45 minutes of flight time, plus a 15-minute pre-brief and a 15-minute post-brief with your instructor, for about 75 minutes of total experience from the ground up.

The complete ActivePILOT discovery flight costs a flat $249, which includes 45 minutes of flight time, a 15-minute pre-brief, and a 15-minute post-brief. There are no hidden fuel surcharges or membership fees. See the full breakdown on our discovery flight page.

Discovery flight prices depend on the aircraft type, how much actual flight time is included, and whether a certified instructor is part of the price. Some cheaper intro flights only include 20 minutes in the air. Our $249 discovery flight buys a genuine 45-minute lesson in a Piper Warrior with a CFI.

Yes. The 45 minutes of flight time you log during your discovery flight is recognized by the FAA and counts toward the flight hours required for your Private Pilot License, so your $249 is an investment in your training, not just a one-time ride.

ActivePILOT discovery flights depart from Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), with easy access from Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Northridge, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Studio City, North Hollywood, Santa Clarita, and Simi Valley.

Weather and airspace permitting, your flight path typically offers views of the Los Angeles skyline, the Pacific coastline, the San Gabriel Mountains, and landmarks such as the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, and Dodgers Stadium.

Yes. Discovery flights are available Monday through Sunday, including weekends, subject to aircraft, instructor, and weather availability. Book a preferred day and time on our discovery flight page or call (818) 650-3318.

A scenic air tour is a sightseeing ride where you stay a passenger. A discovery flight is a real flight lesson where you take the controls, learn basic maneuvers, and log flight time that counts toward a pilot license. If you are deciding whether to become a pilot, the discovery flight is the better first step.

Your instructor will debrief the flight and map out next steps, which typically include a medical certificate, a Student Pilot Certificate, and enrolling in our Private Pilot License program. There is no pressure to decide on the day of your flight. Reach out through our contact form whenever you are ready.

Most students start with a Discovery Flight, then move into regular flying lessons in Van Nuys built around the Private Pilot syllabus. You will handle the controls from your very first lesson while an instructor coaches you through takeoff, basic maneuvers, and landing. Learn how the full path works on our Van Nuys flight school page, or see exactly what your first month of flight training looks like.

No experience is required. You do not need a medical certificate or any aviation background to take a Discovery Flight or start training. You only need to be able to read, speak, write, and understand English, and you will work with your instructor and an FAA-authorized medical examiner as you progress toward solo flight.

You can begin flight training at almost any age, but you must be at least 16 to solo an airplane and 17 to earn a Private Pilot License. There is no upper age limit, and we regularly train students well into their careers who are chasing a lifelong goal of flying.

Your total cost depends on the program and how often you fly. ActivePILOT publishes clear program estimates and uses a pay-as-you-go model with no large upfront deposit, so you pay for lessons and aircraft time as you use them. See current program ranges on our pilot license pricing page.

Yes. Financing is available through partners such as Stratus Financial, AOPA Financing, and Columbia Bank for students who want to spread the cost of training. Combined with pay-as-you-go pricing, this helps you start flying lessons in Van Nuys without a large upfront commitment. Explore options on our financing page.

Our training base is at the historic Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 204, Van Nuys, CA 91406. It is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, with quick freeway access from Burbank, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Studio City, and the greater Los Angeles area.

Yes. As a Los Angeles flight school, we regularly train students commuting from across the San Fernando Valley and greater LA. Van Nuys is centrally located, so students from Burbank, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, and beyond can fit training around work and school.

A quieter airport can feel easier at first, but training at Van Nuys puts you in real Los Angeles airspace with active radio work and mixed traffic from day one. Those busy-airport habits transfer directly to real-world flying, so you build confidence early instead of relearning them later. See why on our flight school in Van Nuys page.

ActivePILOT was co-founded and is led by active airline captains, bringing airline-level checklists, standardization, and safety culture to general aviation. Active students also get free simulator access to drill flows between lessons, and we operate the largest standardized Piper Warrior fleet at Van Nuys. For a step-by-step way to compare schools, read our guide on how to choose a flight school in Los Angeles.

ActivePILOT offers Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, an accelerated Multi-Engine add-on, Certified Flight Instructor, EASA-to-FAA conversion, and a Zero to 1500 airline pathway. You can start as a complete beginner and continue all the way to a professional career at one Van Nuys flight school.

Timelines depend on how often you fly and your goal. Many students earn a Private Pilot License in about 3 to 6 months of consistent training, while a full zero-to-commercial career path typically runs 12 to 15 months before time building. Flying more frequently and using the free simulator between lessons keeps your progress steady.

You will train in our standardized Piper Warrior (PA-28) fleet, equipped with Garmin glass avionics and Technologically Advanced Aircraft configurations, plus a Piper Twin Comanche for multi-engine training. A standardized fleet means you build repeatable habits instead of adjusting to a different cockpit every lesson.

Two to three flights a week is the cadence that keeps students moving. At that pace each lesson builds on the last one instead of opening with review. Once a week works if it is genuinely consistent, but once or twice a month is where training stalls and the total bill quietly grows. See the full breakdown on our flight training in Los Angeles page.

Yes, and a large share of our students do. Our Part 61 structure is designed around it. What separates the students who finish from the ones who drift is treating one or two weekly slots as fixed commitments, then using free simulator access and ground study to fill the gaps between flights.

Rates across Los Angeles airports are closer than most students assume, and the more useful comparison is cost per unit of progress. Van Nuys gives you high aircraft availability, a standardized fleet, and busy-airspace experience from lesson one, which means fewer wasted hours. Current program estimates are on our pricing page.

No. We use pay-as-you-go billing, so you pay for lessons and aircraft time as you use them. There is no large deposit standing between you and your first lesson, and if life changes you are not locked into a prepaid block you cannot use.

Your total depends on which certificate you are working toward and how often you fly. We publish current program estimates on our pilot license pricing page and bill pay-as-you-go, so you are paying for lessons and aircraft time as you use them instead of fronting a large deposit. The students who spend the least are almost always the ones who fly the most consistently.

Hourly rates in major metro areas do tend to run higher than at rural airports. What that comparison misses is how much training you get per hour. At a towered field like Van Nuys you are building radio and sequencing skills on every flight, which is experience a quieter airport defers rather than removes. Compare schools on total cost to certificate, not headline hourly rate, and make sure both quotes use the same assumptions.

A Private Pilot License typically takes 3 to 6 months when you fly two to three times a week. Drop to once a week or less and it commonly stretches past a year, and it usually costs more overall, because skills fade between lessons and you spend billable time reviewing instead of advancing.

The FAA minimum under Part 61 is 40 hours, including specific dual instruction, solo, and cross-country requirements. Treat that as a regulatory floor rather than a budget. The FAA notes the U.S. average for private pilot completion is closer to 75 hours, and lesson frequency is the single biggest factor in where you land between those two numbers.

Yes, and many of our students do exactly that. Our Part 61 structure is built for it. The pattern that works is a fixed one or two flights a week that live on your calendar like any other commitment, with ground school and simulator work filling the gaps between them.

Two to three times a week is the sweet spot for most students. At that cadence each lesson builds on the last one instead of starting with review. Once a week is workable if it is consistent. Once or twice a month is where training tends to stall and budgets tend to slip.

Not to begin. You can take a discovery flight and start lessons without one. You will need at least a third-class FAA medical certificate before you fly solo, so schedule that appointment with an FAA-authorized Aviation Medical Examiner early. It is one of the most common reasons a student's first solo gets delayed.

There is no minimum age to start taking lessons. You must be at least 16 to solo an airplane and 17 to earn a Private Pilot License. There is no upper limit, and we regularly train students who came to flying later in their careers.

You train in standardized Piper Warrior (PA-28) aircraft equipped with Garmin glass avionics. Standardization matters more than most students expect. Flying the same cockpit layout every lesson means you build repeatable habits instead of spending the first ten minutes of each flight relearning a different panel.

A discovery flight is a single introductory lesson designed to help you decide whether this is for you. Flight training is the structured syllabus that follows. The discovery flight is not a throwaway either. It is flown with an FAA-certified instructor and logged toward your certificate.

All of our training operates out of Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Suite 204, Van Nuys, CA 91406. We regularly train students commuting from Burbank, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Studio City, and across greater Los Angeles. See our Van Nuys flight school page for what training at KVNY is actually like.

It has real advantages. Southern California weather is generally favorable for training, though no school can promise an uninterrupted schedule. More importantly, Van Nuys is a towered airport, so you work with ATC and handle live radio calls from your first lessons instead of leaving radio confidence as a problem to solve later.

We work with Stratus Financial, AOPA Financing, and Columbia Bank, and financing options may be available to qualified applicants. Approval, rates, and terms are set by the lender, not by us. Between financing and our pay-as-you-go billing, most students find a structure that works without a lump-sum commitment up front. See our financing page for details.

Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine, Certified Flight Instructor, EASA to FAA conversion, and our Zero to 1500 career track. You can start with a discovery flight and continue all the way to the hours airlines expect without changing schools. Browse the full list on our training programs page.

Active students get free simulator access to drill VFR and IFR flows between lessons. It is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your budget. Every procedure you nail on the ground is a procedure you are not paying aircraft time to relearn in the air.