If you're searching for a Long Beach sightseeing air tour, here's a hands-on alternative: Accelerated Flight School offers discovery flight lessons from Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) where you actually take the controls and fly.
You'll sit up front, fly with a Certified Flight Instructor, and take the controls with guidance. Depending on the route, your flight may include broad Los Angeles basin and coastal scenery — and at its heart it's a real flying lesson, which makes it far more rewarding than a passive ride.
And it's a blast. Lifting off and climbing out is thrilling and joyful, and with your instructor you can even feel the light, floating sensation of a gentle zero-G maneuver. It's fun, exciting, and unforgettable.
A Hands-On Alternative for Long Beach Tour Seekers
People hunting for a Long Beach sightseeing tour usually want big-water and big-city views from the air. We give you those views and the controls. This discovery flight launches from Van Nuys (KVNY) in the San Fernando Valley aboard N9172Y, our Cherokee Warrior II, with a Certified Flight Instructor beside you the whole way. You fly real portions of the trip instead of watching from a back seat.
From the valley you climb out toward the wide LA basin, and depending on conditions and ATC the route can open up sweeping views across the city toward the coast. Your instructor handles the busy airspace and shows you how to hold altitude and heading so the experience stays a genuine lesson, not a passive ride.
We depart from Van Nuys rather than Long Beach, and the introductory flight is $230 for one person or $270 for two. To talk through routing on the day you want to fly, call or text 323-332-0585.
What You Will See From the Air
Exact scenery and routing vary with each flight depending on conditions on the day.
Why a Discovery Flight Beats a Passive Air Tour
A sightseeing charter puts you in the back as a passenger. A discovery flight puts you in the front, with your hands on the controls.
You Fly the Plane
Sit up front and take the controls with your instructor's guidance — this isn't a passive ride in the back.
Fly With a CFI
Every flight is with a Certified Flight Instructor in our 1985 Piper PA-28 Cherokee Warrior II (N9172Y).
Scenic & Educational
Take in Southern California from the air while learning how an airplane actually flies.
A Real First Step
No experience required — and your flight time may count toward Private Pilot training if you continue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore More
All LA Sightseeing Flights
Browse all scenic discovery flight routes departing from Van Nuys Airport.
Discovery Flight — $230
Our main 1.5-hour introductory flight. Price, what's included, aircraft details, and how to book.
Continue to Private Pilot
Your discovery flight hours count toward your Private Pilot logbook. See what training looks like.