FIVE Crucial Considerations When Choosing a Flight School

Ariticle written by Nicole Lund published for Globalair.com on August 15, 2022

Reposted with permission – Click here for link to original story. https://www.globalair.com/articles/5-crucial-considerations-when-choosing-a-flight-school?id=4880

Shopping around for the flight school that best fits your needs is a great idea prior to starting flight training. It is crucial to do research beforehand and not settling with the closest flight school or the first one that pops up on the internet. Choosing the right flight the first time can save money and time. The following considerations are important when choosing a flight training provider.

1. Checkride pass rate

When shopping for a flight school, call the chief or assistant chief flight instructor and ask for the school’s pass rate on checkrides. This will give a good idea of the quality of training at the school. An average pass rate of 80% or more is a great average for a flight school. Higher pass rates are typically seen by flight schools that provide thorough training. Checkride failures are pricey and can negatively affect future job applications. The retraining is an added expense and students typically must pay for another checkride, which can be upwards of $1,000.

2. Price

It is important to consider the cost of rental and instruction at the schools in consideration. However, the quality of instruction is worth the extra penny. Check to see which school gives you the best training at a given price point. There could be a flight school that has the same quality as another school but costs twice as much. In this instance, makes the most sense to go with the more budget-friendly school.

3. Fleet at the school

Newer aircraft can be almost twice as much in rental cost when compared to a 50-year-old aircraft. A Cessna 150 is slower and older but does the job at a fraction of the cost of an aircraft fresh from the factory. Cessna 172s and Piper Cherokees are two other popular flight training aircraft that rent for a reasonable price. These aircraft are also very common, making maintenance times quicker with the ease of finding parts and qualified mechanics.

4. Maintenance

Ask around in the local pilot community or check online reviews on the flight school’s maintenance. A well-maintained aircraft is worth paying more for. Since maintenance directly affects safety, this is an area you won’t want to overlook.

5. Availability of aircraft and instructors

When picking a flight school, you will want to ask the school about instructor and aircraft availability. It is important to fly a couple of times a week to stay on top of training. This can be limited by a highly saturated flight school. Ask your instructor how many students they have and if they can take on another student. A busy instructor could easily neglect your training and progression.

Choosing the right flight school the first time can save money and time on training. These considerations will help you find the best flight school that fits your needs. Quality and safety are the most important considerations when choosing the right flight school. Enjoy flight training, but also make sure you are not settling.