You've probably heard it a million times that learning to fly can be one of your most awesome adventures. The pleasure of moving freely in air is not just fun but can change the ways you think about the world.
But all this starts with finding the place where you can acquire solid aviation knowledge and training that will turn you into a safe and confident pilot in the air. First step is to decide what do you plan with your newly acquired skills (fun flying, professional carreer). The second, and most important step in this process is
finding the right flight school.
Being a newcomer in aviation with no experience on which to base your decision, selecting a good flight school can be a gamble. Aviation - as you will, unfortunately, only learn later - is procedes based and not going well with randomness. From tis very first moment you have to adapt the attitude of a pilot, of an aviator. It is always true that hurried decisions can have negative consequences. On the other hand there you have the checklists. These are an aviation standard that ensure all procedures are properly performed and analyzed, so the risks are taken down to minimums.
This same procedure can be applied to selecting a good flight school. Let's see how we can help you in this!
What plans do you have in aviation
Remember, that the first step is deciding whether you want to enjoy flying your family and friends around (with an LAPL or PPL*) or want to end up on the flightdeck of an airliner. The new EASA
approved training organization (ATO) structure distinguishes between non-complex and complex flight schools. The difference between the two lays in the scope of training. To put it simple: a non-complex organization will be able to teach you how to fly for fun. A complex organization will have all the certificates and means to turn you into a professional pilot. In case you decide you will build a carreer in aviation it is important to consider whether you’ll train full time or part time; this also makes a big difference in your flight school selection. Part time training can be done at schools offering modular schemes (basicly this is pay and proceed as your time allows). For full time candidates integrated courses are quicker, but more expensive ways of achieving their goals.
Start with a list and check on site
Once you’re past the initial phase and know what you want, start researching for possible flight schools. You should request all available information from each. Ask them to send you their course outlines, course start dates, airplane list, ATO certificates and whatever comes to your mind.
But do not base your decision on these things alone. Let this be a preselection process. Take your time and visit the schools you feel that would suit your needs. Once there ask them questions about anything. Request to see the airplane fleet, simulator, classrooms. Try to have a chat with instructors (probably one of the most important aspects here is to have a positive impression) and preferably students as well. Ask them to rate the training’s quality and explain what problems they’ve had, if any, and how they were dealt with.
But keep in mind: fairytales stink!
Promises that should ring a bell: very low price compared to the competitors in the area, very short deadlines, weather not an issue...
Don’t save on aviation ground school
Most non-pilots would think that learning to fly only requires you to obtain certain skills that will help you in moving the controls of the airplane in order to perform certain maneuvers. While this is the final goal there is another and major aspect in learning to fly, and that is the theoretical knowledge required to understand why, what, when. Thus the theory will preceed practice. And it all starts with the aviation ground school.
It may be actual ground course where an instructor is teaching a scheduled class or an individual. Or a self-paced, home-study program using provided teaching materials (books, computer based materials, videos, and so on), but these also include mandatory classroom consultation. Which is better depends on you and your availability. Ask the flight schools you visit on schedules, theory instructors, study material.
The training airplane
This will be the tool that you'll use for practicing what you’ve learned on the ground. Type, age, high wing or low, it doesn’t make much difference. It's more important how well the airplane is maintained, how many of them are available. Do they have more than one from the type you will start to train with. Certain schools will start to train you on one type, then sell it or ground it for whatever reason and continue to train you on a second type, and putting you on a third type. And will try to sell you this as an advantege. It definitely isn't. Your basic flight training should focus on teaching you how to safely fly an airplane and not on having you accomodate every 10-15 hours to a new aiplane.
Another consideration - on long term - is the training fleet’s mix of primary, advanced, and multiengine airplanes. For those of you considering a career in airlines it might be a smart move to do the advanced trainig in EFIS** equiped airplane.
Training aircraft are flown often and mostly quite hard the way a flight school maintains its training airplanes is important due both safety and scheduling. Don't forget to ask questions about maintenance.
The flight instructor
The good flight instructor is your safeguard, because your life will depend on what he or she is able to teach you. Ask questions about the training and experience of the flight instructors. You might ask what the average flight time is and what the pass/fail rate is among the instructors. As mentioned earlier talk to some of the other students at the school to ask about their experience with the flight instructors.
A good way to see how your flight instructor is to take an introductory flying lesson and not just a demonstration flight. During your lesson,this flight assess your instructor’s attitude. You'll have to work with him and you are the one that can determine what instructor personality best fits yours. Although, even if you are tempted to chose a forgiving, permissive instructor remember that you should go for one who expects perfection, who will work with you until it’s achieved.
And it all comes down to money matters
One thing is for sure: learning to fly and earning your pilot licence may be expensive. But keep in mind that as with most super deals, if it seems too good to be true, it usually isn't.
When comparing costs, make sure you’re comparing similar things. Most flight schools publish their prices on EASA minimum requirements, as the 120 hours gorund and 45 flight hours for a private licence. Some include books or other training materials, aviation ground school, airport taxes, authority written examination fees, flight testing. Some don’t. Ask to see how a contract looks like, read it, and ask questions. Most schools will require partial or full payment before training begins. If partial payments are accepted ask if this modifies the price.
Inquire about refunds! What happens with your money if you have to interrupt or stop training, there should be a clear policy on how much of your money will be refunded.
Final checklist
As we mentioned searching for a flight school should start with adopting an aviators attitude and developing a procedure that will lead to chosing the one best suiting your goals. Here is a brief checklist to recap the above advices and assist you in this:
- What are your aviation goals? Learning to fly for fun or planing a career?
- Make yourself a list of schools, request introductory materials from each one of them.
- Visit the ones that are convincing. Ask questions and talk with instructors, students of these schools. Ask specific questions and insist on specific answers. Talk to the flight instructors and preferably with students as well.
- If you’ve decided on a school, make sure that a written contract outlines not just training details but the payment procedures as well.
* LAPL: Light Aeropane Pilot Licence, requires less flight hours (30), thus is cheaper to obtain. Limits pilot rights to day and night VFR, airplane max takeoff weight of 2000 kg and 4 persons, single engine piston.
PPL: the good old Private Pilot Licence, 45 hours to obtain, can be upgraded with Multi Engine, Instrument Rating and so on.
**EFIS: an electronic flight instrument system is a flight deck instrument display system in which the display technology used is electronic rather than electromechanical. EFIS normally consists of a primary flight display (PFD), multi-function display (MFD) and in larger airplanes the engine indicating and crew alerting system (EICAS) display.
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Diamond Aircraft Hungary