Let’s face facts. Learning to fly, like just about everything else these days, is getting pretty
darn expensive.
The cost of airplanes, insurance, quality maintenance, and the avgas to keep them flying have all gone up dramatically. Having said that, the long-term sustained market for airline pilots has created a bull market for flight training providers.
For those pursuing an airline career, the costs can approach six figures for the flight training alone. For the rest of us who might just want to earn that private certificate and enjoy taking our friends for the mythical $100 hamburger, the choices are many, prices vary, and all of it can be a bit daunting.
So, what is an aspiring pilot to do?
My advice is to go shopping. Just like any major purchase—a new car, house, college education, or even that 85-inch, flat-screen TV you have had your eye on—shopping for the best flight training situation that meets your personal needs is a good place to start.
However, shopping for a flight school is a bit different. The aspiring aviator is looking to purchase a service that fits their needs, provides a safe environment while learning, and is flexible enough to adapt to their goals. The options range from a full-blown major university flight program or nationwide FBO-based flight school, to the local airport flight instructor, who runs a lean operation high on quality service and personal connection. These are great options depending on your goals, available time, and pocketbook.
So, let’s get started. What should we look for when we go shopping for those coveted pilot wings?
What are the Basics?
Just like any successful business, a flight school, large or small, should pass a few common-sense tests.
Are the facilities clean and well cared for? They don’t have to be fancy or new, but attention to detail is contagious in any organization. Is the staff cordial, attentive, and willing to answer all your questions? These are the same folks who will be scheduling your flights, fueling the airplanes, and generally making your life a bit easier, so first impressions mean a lot.
What do current or former students say about the school? No school is perfect, but generally positive comments from current or former students about the management, costs, and safety are a basic requirement.
Finally, is the chief pilot willing to sit down with you and share the actual flight hours and real costs involved for their students to complete the rating or certificate you are after? If most or all of this is true, it’s a good sign that you have found a home.
How About the Equipment?
Go take a walk on the ramp. Are the training airplanes well maintained and equipped? This is a major go-no-go item,
Take a look at several of the airplanes that you might find yourself flying. Does everything work as advertised or are “inoperative” stickers positioned randomly around the panel? If the school has several aircraft, is each equipped with a standard instrument panel and radio configuration? If you will fly several different aircraft tail numbers while earning your instrument rating, having three or four different panel arrangements can be confusing and counterproductive.
Are the flight school’s airplanes equipped with ADS-B Out or the more expensive ADS-B In option. Certainly, ADS-B Out meets the legal requirement. However, in today’s busy flight training traffic environment, a dedicated ADS-B In panel display to keep track of other traffic is a lifesaver.
Finally, who maintains the planes? Does the school take care of its own aircraft, or does it contract the work to a third party? A visit to the maintenance shop just might answer some of these questions and give the prospective student a feel for the school’s maintenance philosophy.
Big Airport or Little Airport?
The choice between a large flight school at a busy Class B or C airport and a smaller operation at an outlying Class D or uncontrolled field can be a significant one.
Generally, the larger schools located at the busier airports will have more airplanes, instructors, simulators, and all the other bells and whistles. Additionally, more instrument procedures will be available, and often multiple parallel runways will serve both the training and commercial traffic. The additional radar and tower services, as well as the rapid fire radio discipline required, are all good for training, especially for the more advanced ratings.
However, it is worthwhile to remember that we usually pay for flight training based on the Hobbs hour meter—and it runs whether you are taxiing, waiting to take off, or flying. This is where the smaller outlying airport school begins to shine.
I earned my private pilot certificate many years ago at a small uncontrolled field in western Virginia and have always thought that it was a great way to start a flying career. The pattern was never too full, the instruction was excellent, and the costs were low.
First solo arrived in under 10 hours, and the entire rating in less than 50. The key was easy access to the airplane, flight instructor, runway, and airspace. While I was a newbie to flying, the tasks were simpler, radios quieter, and Hobbs meter manageable.
Part 141 or Part 61?
Just for the record, whether you attend a CFR Part 141 or CFR Part 61 flight school, the private, instrument, and commercial certificates all read the same.
The training standards are the same and the student pilot in either program is required to pass a check ride for each rating in accordance with the Airman Certification Standards (ACS). However, a Part 61 commercial pilot is required to have logged 250 hours in their logbook before the final check ride. In a Part 141 school, this hour requirement can be reduced to as little as 190, of which 120 need to be accomplished under Part 141.
So, what’s the difference?
Part 141 flight instruction is conducted under a specific curriculum, developed by the flight school, approved by the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), and monitored by a FSDO representative commonly known as the principal operations inspector (POI). Part 141 also allows the flight school to apply for limited self-examining authority, which means that some of the flight evaluations might be conducted by flight school personnel.
This is no small issue based on the current shortage of Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) who are deputized by the FAA to administer flight check rides. Schools that operate under Part 141 are required to keep detailed records of the planned and actual time it takes students to earn specific flight ratings.
So this is a great question to ask: How long does it really take to earn my commercial certificate at your Part 141 flight school?
One option is to combine the two. Get that private pilot certificate at the local airport under Part 61, then follow up with the instrument and commercial certificates at a Part 141 school. This might just be the best of both worlds.
University Program vs. Private Flight School?
If you are headed down the path to that coveted airline pilot job, a major university program that combines a four-year degree with your multi-engine and commercial ratings might just be worth a look.
In addition to earning an aviation degree and your flight ratings, the hours required to obtain a restricted airline transport pilot (R-ATP) certificate, the entry fee to the right seat of an airliner, may be reduced from 1,500 hours to as little as 1,000. Most of the university programs have pipeline programs for their graduates to connect directly with the airlines.
Additionally, since these programs hire their graduates as flight instructors, they provide a safe place to earn the required additional flight hours. Like any other flight program, some good questions are what are the actual costs, actual flight completion times, and the school’s documented safety record?
Let’s say you already have a college degree. There are several well-established national and regional flight training providers that do a great job. Before taking the leap, ask the same questions. What are the actual costs, completion times, and safety record? If you don’t get a straight answer, consider moving on.
And one more thing—be wary of flight programs that ask the student to pay all the money for a certificate up front. Paying for your flight time by the flight hour ensures that if the school has financial issues, you are not left holding the bag.
Instructor-Student Relationships?
One side effect of the current airline hiring environment is the high turnover rate of young flight instructors. These young professionals do a great job, but you cannot blame them for leaving when their logbooks reach the magic number of hours, and the airlines come calling.
This can leave gaps in the flight instruction that may slow your progress. For many students, having several instructors is not an issue. But for some the reassuring presence of an experienced instructor through their entire certificate or rating is preferable. Once again, the choice between a smaller mom-and-pop flight school featuring career flight instructors, and a major chain, may be the answer.
Safety Culture?
Last but not least, what does the school’s safety culture look like?
Every organization has a culture, good or bad. Management sets the tone, especially where safety is concerned. If the staff, flight instructors, and even the students feel pressured to cut corners, fly less-than-airworthy equipment, or fly in marginal weather conditions, these are all red flags.
Does the flight school have a dedicated flight safety officer who oversees the program? Is the school on a firm financial footing or one step ahead of the creditors? And what do current and past students and instructors think of their experience at the flight school? My experience tells me that they will tell you the straight facts.
Time to Go Shopping
As with any major purchase, plan to shop around. Find out which school provides the best instruction, value, and safety based on your particular needs.
If you are starting from scratch, the small flight school at the local uncontrolled airport might just be the best value. If the airlines are in your future, a reputable, larger flight school or university program at a busy airport may have the resources and environment you need to succeed.
In either case, ask good questions, look out for online reviews, and be a critical customer before you make the decision. And if things don’t go well, keep your options open and be prepared to walk away if promises are not kept. It is too easy to throw good money after bad, and good flight instruction is no different than any other service we purchase.
Fly safe!
