If you are considering entering the world of aviation, then choosing a flight school is an important decision. There are big ones and small ones, good ones and not-so-good ones. Whether you are considering flying as a career or you have just always wanted to become a Private Pilot, you need to be educated in your choice of school. You want to maximize your money and your experience.
Professional, airline-style schools
All of the "big" flight schools will operate under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 141. This just means that the training is done under a very specific syllabus and completion standards. This is a good thing for serious-minded people because it maximizes training in the best possible manner in order to accomplish successful training.
These flight training centers are designed for fast-paced training in order to get the individual into the cockpit of an airline as quickly as possible. I instructed at a large school that applied airline-style training. Here, students came in with little or no flying experience. Its called "ab-initio," meaning a person trains to become an airline pilot from having no previous experience. They earn their Private Pilot certificate, then move on to earn an Instrument Rating, a Commercial Pilot certificate and finally a Multi-engine rating. After successfully completing the multi-engine course, the students receive 30-40 hours in a regional jet simulator. After the jet simulator, the students have the opportunity to interview for a First Officer (FO) position with certain airlines.
Are airline training schools worth while?
Do your research, of course. There are numerous schools throughout the country that offer fast- paced, airline-style training. Programs vary and you have to find the right school that sounds like it will be the best one for you. The catch is, they are very pricey. They will help you to quickly attain your goals, but you will spend anywhere from $70,000 - $95,000 for the complete training course. Also, you must be aware of a proposed bill from congress that may kill these "ab-initio" schools. The days of applying to the airlines with a "fresh" multiengine/instrument rating and only 250 or so flight hours may be nearing the end. HR 3371: Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, if passed, may require all first officer applicants to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate (ATP), which requires the applicant to have at least 1,500 total flight hours! If this bill passes, then you will have to build flight hours and experience through other avenues, most likely, by becoming a flight instructor.
So are there any other flight training options?
Of course there are! If I did it (and I'm not rich nor am I a rocket scientist), then you can do it. Like me, you can earn your wings at the local airport near your home and pay as you go. Most municipal airports offer flight training. These flight schools are generally known as an FBO or "Fixed Base Operator" and usually the training is conducted under FAR Part 61 rules. Ground schools are usually conducted right there in the FBO with the same instructor that you will fly with. This option is almost always cheaper than the "big", well-known flight schools. To earn your Private Pilot at the local airport may run between $5,000-$6,000. Compare this to the large, Part 141 school that I taught at; on average, students spent about $12,000-$14,000 to get their Private Pilot certificate! Some 141 schools will of course be a little cheaper, but you will generally save money when you go to your local airport. Either way, I strongly urge you to stay away from loans if possible. Sell a car or liquidate any other assets you have to pay cash for your training. I did it. Trust me on this one.
The lower training costs is the biggest plus to going to a "small" flight school near your home. Not to mention that you will save money on housing/living expenses if you train near your home. However, there could be a downside to training at these smaller schools. Since the training is usually conducted under Part 61, the FAA's control over the type of training is less than at a Part 141 school. All flight instructors (61 or 141) are FAA certified and go through the same examination by an FAA inspector, but how the Part 61 schools are operated is much less stringent than the FAA's involvement in a 141 school.
I know because I have the unique experience of flight instructing at both Part 61 and Part 141 schools. I've been a freelance instructor at a flying club (Part 61), a contract instructor at an FBO (Part 61), and the Assistant Chief Instructor for a large Part 141 school. When I moved from instructing at the Part 61 school to the airline-style school under Part 141, I was impressed at how strict the training syllabus was. The students were held to a much higher standard than I was accustomed to. As an instructor, I had to bring my expectations up a few notches at the 141 school.
This is not to say that you cannot receive quality training at a small flight school at your local airport. After all, I accomplished all of my pilot training at local FBOs and I now have a professional flying career. I also trained many students at small, Part 61 schools and I believe that I gave every student the best instruction possible. I know there are many other Part 61 instructors who care about their students' progress and are very skilled instructors. You just have to be aware of the not-so-good schools that are out there, Part 61 or Part 141. Here are some things to consider when you're looking at flight schools:
- Does the staff seem to genuinely care about you as a customer and a future pilot?
- Is there some kind of "checks and balances" set up? Sometimes they're called stage checks where you go up with another instructor from the school during certain intervals in your training. This other instructor can look at your progress objectively and agree (or disagree) with your instructor as to whether or not you are ready for the next phase of learning.
- Does the school seem to take pride in their equipment? I've seen schools where there was a type of high-strength duct tape holding small parts together on their trainer airplanes (I'm not kidding!). This doesn't say a whole lot (or maybe it does) about how the school feels about their students. I have refused to instruct in certain aircraft. Likewise, you should refuse to train in airplanes such as these.
- If you complete training all the way through getting your Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), is there a possibility of you being hired by the school as an instructor. This should not be a deal breaker, but one that you might want to consider. Most schools cannot guarantee you a job, but it is usually an option. Schools like to hire instructors that they have personally trained.
- Does the school have their own rules, known as Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in place? A good flight school will protect their students by having certain rules for safe operations. Usually, the more experience you have, the more freedom you have.
- NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give large sums of money up front. If a flight school requires this in order for you to train there, turn around and walk out of the door. I have personally talked to several students who were ripped off. They came to our school from some other school where they were required to lay down $10,000-$30,000 before beginning their training. One day they came in for a lesson and the school had closed its doors and were gone. There are a few exceptions to this rule. A few large, well-known schools nation-wide that have been around forever can probably be trusted. Schools like American Flyers, ATP, and Flight Safety International have the reputation behind them and upfront payment is the only way they operate, I believe. These schools are huge and probably won't close their doors on a whim. Still, it's my advise that you are very careful with your money.
Flight training is exciting. It can also be very challenging. You will be asked to do things that you only imagined yourself doing in your dreams. You will be required to know a heck of a lot of aviation knowledge. You'll study like you never thought you could study. Sometimes, training is exhausting. Can you do it? Absolutely. I don't think you'll regret it. I've never met a pilot who regretted their flight training, only those that regretted taking out a huge loan for it. In the end, the reward is something that less than a half of a percent of Americans get to experience. The joy of flying an airplane on your own. Fly safe!
