As a new student pilot, it can be difficult to know if you are getting “the ole bait and switch” tactics used by many flight schools. Aviation is, after all, expensive; and in this day in age, it can seem like schools will do and say anything to get to your money. That makes being a smart shopper when it comes to choosing a flight school super important! Here are some qualities to look for–typically found at the very best flight training organizations:
# 1 The school uses a training syllabus
Too many times, flight schools fail to provide a structured training environment for their students. This is the single biggest indicator that a school does not take providing flight training seriously. Having a syllabus keeps students on track, clearly identifies learning objectives, and ensures students are well-prepared for each lesson. Schools which do not utilize this basic tool often waste, both, the students time and training budget. At FlightCerts, it is not uncommon for us to see individuals who will come to us from other schools after a negative training experience. In one particular case, a student had logged over 100 flight hours towards their private pilot license and had yet to complete many of the training requirements! That is double the FAA licensing requirements! Situations like this happen far too often and can easily be avoided by choosing a school which uses a training course outline.
#2 Instructors provide adequate ground instruction
Flying is fun, but the most important part of flight training, is the actual training itself. A significant portion of this takes place during ground school. Many flight instructors will push students to fly more but fail to provide this essential element of the training. They will instead focus more on in-flight activities. This hugely disadvantages students and presents a missed learning opportunity which can adversely affect overall understanding of material. That said, many instructors will have their students complete online learning course in lieu of providing this instruction. While online courses can be great, they should never be used as a substitute for quality instruction. Be sure to choose a flight school, which allocates time for ground training activities. This is an essential part of flight education and ultimately shapes students into much safer and more knowledgeable pilots. It will also help to prepare the student for their FAA exams.
#3 Aircraft rental rates are reasonable
When it comes to learning to fly, choosing the best flight school can often be a compromise of training cost. Sure, many schools may offer new aircraft with high tech flight decks, but do not let that be the “end-all, be-all”. Flying in a fleet of brand-new aircraft typically incur expensive rental fees. This raises the total cost of training and may not offer much of an advantage over schools providing more affordable aircraft. This is especially true for students who need to time build for higher licenses and ratings. Regardless of the aircraft, flight time is flight time, save the G1000 and expensive high-tech flight decks for your IFR and advanced flight training. Do not spend more than you need to on aircraft rental!
#4 Easy to consistently schedule lessons
Nothing can derail learning to fly more than the inability to schedule lessons. Before selecting a school, query the instructor or recruiter about scheduling availability. Ideally, students should be able to reserve at least one flight lesson per week. If this presents a challenge, on either the aircraft rental or instructors’ availability, it may be best to hold off on starting training or find a different school entirely. Inconsistent lessons are the bane of learning progress. Be mindful that weather can play an important role here. Some seasons offer better flying weather than others. This can greatly affect scheduling availability.
#5 The school allows a pay-as-you-go option
Margins for the flight school business are, well, pretty slim. Many schools will attempt to assuage this financial pitfall by requiring students to pay up-front for their training (that or require a sizable down payment before starting lessons). This is a huge red flag! Avoid the schools that stick a loan application in front of you on the first day. This is a worst possible case for a student: forced to make a hefty financial commitment only to later have a negative training experience. Locked in with the school, students are often stuck in these types of poor training environments. Forget refunds, this is likely never an option. This means choosing a flight school with a pay-as-you-go approach is critical. In this case, the customer maintains much more decision-making authority over their overall training. If the flight school fails to up-hold their end of the bargain, changing to a new provider is much less complicated. It’s a much safer approach and safe guards the consumers financial well-being.
#6 The school does not require a membership
Similar to the schools that want a sizable deposit or full financing prior to the start of training, are the schools that require memberships. These are quite different from flying clubs—which often offer affordable rates and are excellent places to learn to fly. Conversely, schools with memberships are often attempting to cloak their business as one of these “flying clubs”. These organizations; however, offer none of the actual benefits of a true club. It is simply another way for the school to gauge customers. This ultimately wastes students valuable training dollars, typically requiring pricey deposits and expensive monthly fees to “access” lower rates for basic services. Do not waste your time or money on these types of institutions. Find a school that:
Advocates for your training progress
This is chiefly the instructors’ job; however, the school’s overall atmosphere and culture greatly impact this. Find a flight school which serves as an advocate for its instructors just as the instructor advocate for you, the student. When interviewing schools, ask the instructors questions like “what’s been your experience flying here”, “does management work to address your concerns?”. These are critical points to see if a school genuinely cares about its students. It will also give tremendous insight into how motivated the instructors are. A motivated instructor will work harder to advocate for his/her students. This will always be the biggest indicator of a school that really “walks the walk”.
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