Ask flight schools these questions and you will save yourself time, frustration and several thousand dollars!
How much do you rent your planes per hour, and is there a difference between credit card and cash? Is it cheaper if I give you money up front?
Never give money to a school up front or for a cheaper rate on airplanes. There are thousands of people in the last 3 years that the flight school went out of business and kept their money. If you decide to change schools, you won’t get a refund. Most companies will only give you credit towards their planes and products.
Do all of your instructors follow the same written curriculum?
Standardization is the way airlines train and fly. If you don’t have a curriculum to follow how will you know what to study for on the next lesson? If there isn’t a standard curriculum, and another instructor has to fill in, will they teach the same way? A written curriculum can save thousands of dollars in wasted training time.
How long have you been teaching?
Flight school near me requires at least two years’ experience as an instructor, before they can train new instructors. The FAA knows that experience counts. You want an instructor that has been teaching at least two years. Also it’s important to get someone who has had a lot of students, and a good pass rate. Our Chief Instructor has been teaching seven years
What experience have you had as a professional pilot?
If you want to be a career pilot, you should train with someone who has been a professional pilot. Do they have Turbine (Jet Engine) and Crew Resource Management Experience?
What do I have to buy as a student?
The three books from the FAA you can download for free from the internet. Maps and plotters are low cost items. Any flight school that wants you to buy their “kit” is selling you something at 40-50% above cost. All you need is a logbook and one map to start. A good flight school will loan you a headset for free at least until you solo.
Do you fly with all landing and taxi lights on?
The FAA several years ago, asked all flight training schools in the LA Basin to participate in a voluntary program called “LIGHTS ON”. Your chances of being hit on the road or in the air drop by up to 400% if you have your headlights on. If a flight school is more worried about the cost of a landing light than your safety run away.
Do you offer financing?
The biggest reason people quit flying is because they run out of money in the middle. A serious flight school interested in helping people finish fast will offer financing to help you get your pilot’s license for as little as $300 per month.
What type of curriculum they use for student to learn?
Now you’re ready to start narrowing down your options. Look into the curriculum and requirements for each of the schools you’re considering. It’s always a good idea to take a tour of any flight school you’re considering. Talk to current students to see what they think of the program and how any potential problems they’ve had have been handled. Consider reading online reviews for another perspective. Look into insurance requirements, instructor-to-student ratios, cost, and financial aid options. Ask the instructors any questions you have, particularly about their experience and their pass/fail rate. You may want to ask for an introductory flying lesson so you can get a feel for the instructor’s teaching style. You may also want to see if any classes are being offered by community colleges or independent ground schools in your area.
Difference between learning theory and practices?
Aside from enduring hours of learning different theories, a cirrus flight training student enrolled in a flight school program also needs to go through long hours of hands-on practice before he can become a certified pilot. Different flight schools use different methods when they’re training their students but among all of the methods used, flight simulator games are known to be one of the most effective. This is because flight simulator games offer their players the experience of flying a real airplane that’s as close to reality as possible. Through this, students get the chance to learn through the close-to-real experience of flying an airplane in a sense that they get the feeling of flying the real thing with real sceneries and real controls. This is the main secret behind the effectiveness of trainings done using flight simulators. Moreover, these games get rid of all the risks and dangers involved in flying a real aircraft. In this way, students don’t have to worry much about their lives when they commit errors during training.
What are the type of flight simulators for training?
Flight simulators come in different varieties ranging from those that allow a student to play a game using a computer to one that allows him to get inside a real cockpit equipped with all the controls that an actual plane has. Aside from the advantages that I have stated above, flight simulators also allow students to practice well without having to spend a lot of money. Moreover, these programs also allow students to fly different types of planes in a wide variety of weather conditions, climates, and sceneries. Lastly, they also allow trainees to fly in difficult situations; during different times of the day; and in different time zones when one is flying from one country to another.
Aside from being really useful in flight schools, flight simulation games can also be enjoyed by people who have a strong passion for flying; those who enjoy flying as a hobby; and those that enjoy flying games. Regardless of the reason for using flight simulators, one should make sure that the one he chooses to use is something that offers a flight experience that’s as close to real life as possible.
