Top Flight Training Schools - Getting Your Pilot's License

There are things you should consider when choosing where you take your flight training in order to get your pilot's license.

You should first try to take your time to determine your end goal. What does your future as a pilot look like? Do you want a Private Pilot License or a Commercial Pilot License? Knowing your final goal is key to making the right decision.

Success Breads More Success

There is an overwhelming number of Flight Schools out there, but not all of them recognize that their success is completely related to how well their student pilots do at passing the necessary exams and obtaining their goals. Since the aviation industry has specific requirements in order to obtain a license, all student pilots need to have a proficient knowledge in four categories in order to successfully pass both a flight exam on paper and an actual flying exam to get their pilot license.

Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to flight training, it is the quality of the Flight Instructor course that has the biggest impact. A good Flight Instructor is able to adapt the learning process to each student in the way the student needs to learn, and not every student learns the same way. Since most Flight Instructors will be communicating verbally to the student pilot, communication skills are a very important. If you are looking for a flight school, be sure to meet and talk to the Flight Instructor who will be teaching you. You will want to be certain that you and your Flight Instructor have a clear line of communication. Like many industries that need instructors, there are good Flight Instructors and there are bad Flight Instructors. What works for one student may not work for someone else, but a good Flight Instructor will know how to adapt. The quality you receive means less quantity of lessons required. So the takeaway here: always meet your Flight Instructor.

Commercial Pilot Flight Training

In order to obtain your Commercial Pilot License, you will require several hours of flight time. If you already know what type of position you want in the aviation industry, you have a head start.

Many students don't know what type of job they wish to have when they begin their flight training, and that's okay. Don't feel pressured to make a decision before a decision is actually required. Many pilots getting their Commercial Pilot License are thrilled to do so because it means they have freedom to travel anywhere to pursue their career. You can get your flight training in the USA or Canada, and work in South Africa's gold mines, or you may find yourself in the Rocky Mountains as a bush pilot, or even in Europe as a jet pilot. Your options are only limited by your desires. Flying a plane can take you anywhere... and it usually does!

Top Qualities of the Best Flight Schools

So what are you really looking for when you are determining what flight school to attend? Once you have a location determined, find the flight schools in that area and go check them out. Contact the flight schools you are interested in and set up a tour of the facilities on your list.

First Impressions

One of things you'll notice first is how you are treated. The atmosphere at each flying club and flight school is specific to those people at that school. Generally, you will get a sense of the type of flight school by the people that hang around the place.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Another thing to look for is the general appearance: is it a tidy space or is cleanliness just an after-thought. After sitting on some couches at some flying clubs, you may quickly realize you have the distinct feeling of wanting to get home and have a shower. With some locations you may need even more drastic means of cleaning yourself. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its' cover but I say: If that books is too dirty and disgusting to even open... go ahead and judge that book. I wouldn't want to be taking my flight training lessons at any location where I feel a general concern for my own health.

Talk to People... And Then Talk Some More

Next, talk to the people, talk to the people, and then talk some more. Are they generally friendly? Do you get along with them? You're not looking to become best buddies with anyone, but if you are ignored by the entire staff and flight instructors, well, that says enough about the kind of communication you'll be getting while getting your flight lessons. The staff employed is a good indication of how that business is run and how the pilots will be treated: if you are given respect and a friendly welcome, you can be sure that all flight training pilots will most likely be treated the same way.

See the Planes You Will Be Flying

You should have a tour of the actual planes you'll be flying. If they don't let you see the planes, that should be a red flag: what are they hiding? If you called in advance to the flight school, why would they let you come if were no planes available? Don't let them give you an excuse, "Oh, for insurance purposes, blah, blah, blah... " or "in the shop maintenance." Those are bad excuses. Some flight schools use planes that may make you question your decision to want to learn to fly in the first place. I'm not sure about your level of anxiety, but I wouldn't train in any plane that looks like "the glory days are over." In order to learn properly, you need something that is relatively new, not brand new, but not something flown so long ago that you wonder if the Wright Brothers actually used this plane at Kitty Hawk. Just take a look around and see if there's more duct tape than actual plane parts.

Safety is Not An After Thought

Any flight school or flying club that doesn't take safety as a top priority is not a place where you'll feel comfortable learning to fly. If there are safety precautions in place and these systems are explained to you on your first tour, you can generally sense that there will be safety systems in place for all other matters. As an example, I remember a pilot talking about "pushing" his plane to the limit... stretching out the routine maintenance required, even talking about some "risky" manoeuvres; this should be your cue to stick out your hand and say "thanks, but no thanks" and you then turn and walk out the door happy to know you'll be alive. It seems that some pilots or Flight Instructors fight boredom by introducing risk. A risky pilot is only a pilot that hasn't crashed yet: don't join the bad behaviour, think safe and fly safe and you'll have many happy years in the sky.