If you have a dream of becoming an airline pilot, you will need a
flight training school that fits you. Choosing a flight training school is difficult because you are entrusting time, finances, and effort into a facility in hopes of pursuing your dream. During
flight training, you will learn the fundamentals of flying and acquire the skills to be a successful pilot.
You must take all variables into consideration before choosing a flight training school to commit to. Write down what the best situation would be for you for all of the following:
Location
Ask yourself several questions when choosing a location for your
flight training. How far away from home do you want to be? What kind of city or town is your school located in? What kind of weather conditions are typical for that area? What kind of potential connections can you make in that area? Be conscious of where you choose to complete your flight training, as they say- location, location, location!
Financing
Flight training is expensive. There is no hiding that fact.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association estimates that it costs anywhere from $5000 to $9000 just to get your single engine private pilot’s license. If you want more than that, make sure to inquire about payment plans and financing, or Federal Student Loans. Quality flight training schools have
Private Educational Loans available to those who qualify.
Facilities
Let’s face it. You want the most bang for your buck. So be sure to find a
flight training school that has facilities you can make the most of. Look for clean and professional facilities. What is the campus like? What is the housing like? Inquire about the number of planes in the fleet and the level of maintenance. You can even ask to view the maintenance logs. Does the facility have a flight training simulator? If so, are your flying hours logged in the simulator in addition to aircrafts? You want all of your flying hours to be in an actual aircraft.
Instructors
Ask about the instructors. Are they former airline pilots? Are they former students? Do they offer one-on-one instruction? How often do students have new instructors? Or do they keep the same instructor throughout the duration of their flight training? Ask to meet with an instructor and ask him or her all the questions you can. They’ve been through flight training before, they will have a better understanding of what you need as opposed to a brochure.
Training
The flight training school you choose should have a program designed specifically for you. Ask about the required flying hours and where they are logged, whether in a simulator or in an actual aircraft. Ask about the classroom education and the instructor-student ratio. Ask about the different types of flight training programs you can participate in.
Remember this is YOUR future. Find a flight training school that works for YOU.