Aero Club Van Nuys

This business appears to be closed. The website domain is for sale and the phone number is disconnected.

I believe this may no longer be in business. I have tried the number and the website and another number I had for this business, and none of them work.

DAN WILLOUGHBY — INSTRUCTOR — WHAT A GREAT GUY!
We booked a flying lesson as a present for our daughter’s birthday with Dan at the Aero Club at Van Nuys airport, in a Cessna for 45mins.
Dan was very easy to work with via phone to make the booking, and he was easier to communicate with in person. He is a very mellow laid back man with a good sense of humour, exactly what you need when you are nervous and up in the air :)
Our daughter had a brilliant experience thanks to Dan.
If you are looking for an introduction to flying, or thinking of getting your license, Dan would be an excellent choice for your instructor.
Many thanks Dan.

Really cool place. The building is pretty old, but the planes are in OK condition, and so far so good with my flights there! Sometimes I hang out and move around planes.

The Quick Review:
A no frills flight school with great Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) at one of the cheapest rates available.
The Longer Review:
Steve, the owner, is one of the nicest pilots you’ll ever meet. If you pay for plane hours in advanced, he’ll give you a better hourly rate on the aircraft. However, the CFIs rates usually remain the same. The facility is located on the backside of the Van Nuys airport and has seen better days. It looks like a women hasn’t set foot in their since the 80’s!
However, since you’re going there to learn how to fly, and not become a janitor, the condition of the facility isn’t important. They have several Cessna 172s, a Grumman Tiger and several other aircraft. I trained there for five months and never had a major problem with one of the aircraft. There was one incident, where the one of the magnetos wasn’t working properly during the run-​up, but we decided not to take-​off and returned to base. I wasn’t charged for the time used on the plane and the magneto was fixed within a few days.
The CFI I trained with was professional and offered a sense of humor while flying. He was a competent pilot and I never felt scared while he was in the co-pilot’s seat. Unfortunately, his professionalism didn’t spill into his personal side. I won’t go into the details because every CFI there is different.
I’d definitely recommend this flight school for someone looking to learn how to fly on a budget. If the sky’s the limit for you financially, there are facilities with newer aircraft. However, you’re not going to meet a nicer and more knowledgeable owner/​pilot than Steve.