Choosing A Flight School

You have finally made your decision to learn to fly and wonder where you go from here. You should do a little research and find a school that you feel would teach you all you need and want to learn. In this case DO NOT look for the cheapest school you can find. The old adage about getting what you pay for is definitely true in this case. Learning to fly is a big expense so you should be absolutely positive this is what you want.

Some schools will give you the basics and nothing more. You should ask yourself if you would really feel safe flying only knowing the basics of flying and nothing about preparation, troubleshooting, emergency procedures and how to read your instrument panel. One option to this is accelerated training. Accelerated training completely immerses the students in learning to fly and nothing else. They are literally taken out of their normal routine for the duration of the accelerated training course. This style of course allows you to concentrate specifically on the matter at hand for a short period of time so that you retain more information from your training.

Shop around and check out all of your options before choosing your flight school. Visit several local flight schools and take notes of what you know about each school. Here are a few things you should look for while you are shopping flight schools:

1. The model of aircraft that students use, whether they meet or exceed FAA standards and how well they are maintained.
2. Is there a structured training course in both ground and flight that is FAA approved?
3. Make sure the flight instructors are experienced and supervised by an experience Chief Flight Instructor.
4. Make sure the instructors follow the training program.
5. Choose a flight school that has knowledgeable flight instructors about the avionics in the training craft.
6. Get estimates for everything you will need for reaching your goals.
7. Does the school require full payment up front? This could be a sign that you are being taken for your money if they do.
8. The school should have a flight simulator that is a level III and FAA approved.
9. Does the school return you phone calls or ignore your communications?
10. Stay away from flight schools that offer your written FAA Knowledge Exam on the premises.
11. Is the school able to work around your schedule?

Once you have your lists, compare them and then choose the one that is going to be the most beneficial to you. This will be the school that answers all your questions right and actually cares about the quality of pilot they put out. Others will not care and this is when accidents occur. Schools that are more interested in the money than the skill of flying are dangerous to not only their students but to the general public as well. Choose your school wisely and with knowledge because it is a big investment you are making.