Discovery
Flight
Starting at $199. 45 minutes in the left seat with a CFI. The cheapest, fastest, most honest way to find out if flight training is for you.
An FAA-recognized introductory flight lesson. Counts as your first hour of dual instruction toward your Private Pilot Certificate if you continue.
You sit in the left seat (where the pilot sits). A CFI sits in the right seat with full controls. They handle taxi, takeoff communication, and landing on your first flight. You handle the airplane in cruise: turns, climbs, descents, the basics of straight-and-level flight.
Not a sightseeing tour. A working pilot lesson scaled to a beginner.
Before you arrive
Book online or by phone. We will send a short pre-flight brief: what to wear (closed-toe shoes, layers, no scarves), what to bring (ID, sunglasses, motion-sickness pills if needed).
When you arrive · 30 minutes pre-flight
Meet your CFI. They will walk you through the airplane on the ramp: how the controls work, how the engine works, how the basics of flight work. The preflight inspection, the same one every pilot does before every flight.
In the airplane · 45 to 60 minutes
The CFI handles taxi and takeoff. At cruise altitude (3,000 to 5,500 feet MSL), they hand you the controls. Gentle turns, climbs, descents. They will point out landmarks, show you the panel, answer questions.
Most first-time fliers are stable, calm, and grinning by minute 10.
CFI handles the landing, with you on the controls for the approach so you can feel how the airplane decelerates and descends.
After landing · 15 minutes
Debrief. They will log your time if you want a logbook. They will answer the question every discovery flight student asks: "So what now?"
Pricing
| FLIGHT TYPE | DURATION | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Flight LOCAL · 30 MIN AIR TIME | 60 MIN | $199 |
| Extended Discovery 1 HR AIR · HOLLYWOOD / MTN | 90 MIN | $279 |
| Catalina Island Discovery KAVX · ISLAND CROSSING | 2–2.5 HR | $479 |
PER FLIGHT · NOT PER PERSON · 2 ADULTS + CFI IN C-172 (SUBJECT TO W&B)
Destinations Students Pick Most
Catalina Island
26 miles over open water to the "Airport in the Sky" at 1,602 ft MSL on a hilltop runway. Harbor, Avalon, the Pacific. Most popular from Riverside.
Hollywood Sign / Griffith Park
VFR transition through LA airspace. 45-minute round trip from KRAL. The photo every new pilot wants.
Disneyland Airspace Boundary
The Class D shelf at John Wayne (KSNA), park from 2,500 ft AGL. Best at sunset.
Dana Point + Pacific Coastline
South to the coast, up the shoreline. Calm air, dramatic views.
San Bernardino Mtns / Big Bear Lake
From Redlands, 25 minutes into mountain terrain. Best morning or evening.
March Air Reserve Base Flyby
C-17s, KC-135s, refuelers from above. Class C transition with ATC.
- Anyone considering flight training · best way to find out
- Birthday and gift purchases · gift cards available
- Aviation enthusiasts wanting a left-seat experience
- Returning pilots considering whether to restart training
If you want to continue, your CFI walks you through next steps that day: medical certificate, ground school, training plan, financing. No pressure.
About 65 to 75% of our discovery flight students become full training students. The ones who do not typically know it within the first 20 minutes.