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Discovery Flight · first light at KLGB

Your Discovery Flight. You fly the plane.

A real first lesson, not a sightseeing tour. An introduction on how an airplane flies, then the controls are yours — you will do 90% of the flying, with a FREE in-flight video to take home.

Departures · KLGB Now booking
Flight
Discovery
Aircraft
Cessna 172S
Your seat
Left · pilot
Duration
About 1½ hrs · 30 or 60 min flying
Fare
$269
Video
FREE in-flight
Passenger
No extra charge
A white Cessna 172 on a runway under an overcast sky, its propeller turning PAFS · on the ramp
Your first takeoff

Takeoff is done entirely by you.

  1. SafetyA series of safety inspections as we begin your very first lesson.
  2. TaxiTaxiing the airplane.
  3. TakeoffYes! You do it all!
  4. In the airBasic maneuvers — you’re at the controls 90% of the time.
  5. LandingAn assisted landing, and a FREE video of your flight.

The left seat is the pilot’s seat. It’s yours.

Everyone’s nervous.

The first-timer in the parking lot right now is nervous. The airline captain was nervous on her first lesson too.

From the very beginning you will feel at ease with our professional flight instructors — safety stays the priority.

Nervous means you’re paying attention. Good. Pilots pay attention.

Before you fly

The pre‑takeoff checklist.

All you need is the drive and excitement to try something so unique.

Discovery Flight · all items checked

  • Experience You do not need any previous experience!
  • Time About 1½ hours — 30 or 60 minutes in the airplane.
  • Passenger Bring someone along for the ride at no extra charge.
  • Video A FREE in-flight video of your flight.
  • Gift Gift Certificates by phone or in the Online Store.
Options & Pricing

Purchase your demo over the phone or online!

A demo/scenic flight is the best and least expensive way to try your hand at flying. You do not need any previous experience! Less than 1% of the population have their pilot’s license, and if you want to be amongst a unique group of individuals — such as Amelia Earhart, Morgan Freeman, Charles Lindbergh, Clint Eastwood, Neil Armstrong, Angelina Jolie, Harrison Ford, Bruce Dickinson, John Travolta, and many more — then the first step would be to take a demo flight!

Full Lesson Demo

10% off - Was $277!

  • 1 full-hour of actual flying!
  • FREE in-flight video!
  • Newer well-maintained C172S airplanes!
  • Full introduction to the control systems!
  • Takeoff is done entirely by you!
  • You're at the controls the entire flight!
  • Downtown Los Angeles Tour (optional)

2-in-1 Demo

10% off - Was $385!

  • 30 minutes of flying for EACH OF YOU!
  • FREE in-flight video!
  • Newer well-maintained C172S airplanes!
  • Full introduction of the control systems!
  • Takeoff is done entirely by you!
  • You're at the controls the entire flight!

Extended Demo

10% off - Was $555!

  • 90 minutes of actual flying!
  • FREE in-flight video!
  • Modern and well-maintained C172 airplanes!
  • Full introduction to the control systems!
  • Takeoff, taxiing, maneuvering, and landing is done entirely by you!

Every demo can be upgraded to a G1000 airplane online (+$30). *NOTE: Gift Certificates may be purchased over the phone, or by scheduling to meet with one of our instructors. All gift certificates and scheduling instructions will be emailed to the purchaser (in the form of a PDF file). Visit Our Online Store · 866-600-9595

Watch

The Demo Flight Experience

“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”

— Leonardo da Vinci
What to expect

Your Discovery Flight, step by step

  1. 01

    Before you fly

    An introduction on how an airplane flies and how to control it. Prior to the demo flight, we will go through a series of safety inspections as we begin your very first lesson.

  2. 02

    In the air

    Taxiing the airplane, takeoff (Yes! You do it all!), basic maneuvers in the air and an assisted landing. Throughout the flight you are at the controls 90% of the time — and a friend or family member is invited to come along in the back seat.

  3. 03

    Back on the ramp

    You take home a FREE in-flight video of your flight. Finally, we will have a question & answer session to answer any further questions you may have. Once you’ve completed your Demo Flight, you may opt to sign up for the Private Pilot course and get your training started right away.

View from a high-wing light airplane, past its wing strut, over green coastal hills, a highway and the ocean shoreline at sunrise Back on the ramp · Long Beach Airport

Pacific Air Flight School · Discovery Flight

$269

No experience needed · you take the controls

Good to know

A real introduction, not a joyride

A Discovery Flight is designed to help you experience the aircraft, the instructor, and the training environment before committing to a larger plan. If you decide flying is for you, it’s also how you judge us: the airplane, the instructor, and whether our approach fits how you want to learn.

Aerial view of a rocky coastline, a sandy beach and clear blue-green oceanPAFS · over Long Beach and the Southern California coast
Questions

Discovery Flight questions

Still unsure? Call 866-600-9595.

Do I need any previous experience to start?

No. Everyone’s flying journey begins with a first lesson, and ours start from zero flight time. Your instructor teaches you everything one-on-one, from the preflight walk-around to your first takeoff.

What is a Discovery Flight?

The best and least expensive way to try your hand at flying — no previous experience needed. The Full Lesson Demo is $269 for 1 full hour of actual flying; the 2-in-1 Demo is $349 (30 minutes each for two people) and the Extended Demo is $449 (90 minutes of flying). You do 90% of the flying, get a FREE in-flight video, and can bring someone along at no extra charge.

Is it safe?

Yes. You train in the Cessna 172 — quite possibly the most-used training aircraft in history — kept clean and professionally maintained, with an instructor at a second set of controls on every lesson. From the very beginning until the very end of your training, you will be trained in a safe environment.

How do I get started?

Call 866-600-9595 or send us your details, and we’ll help you plan your first steps. Most students begin with a Discovery Flight — a $269 first lesson with you on the controls.

PAFS · Long Beach Airport at golden hour
Discovery Flight · $269

Your first flight is one call away.

Book online or call 866-600-9595. One flight, one instructor — nothing to commit to.

Serving Lakewood · Signal Hill · Torrance · Huntington Beach

Get My Flight Plan Book — $269