Choosing The Best Flight School

            Finding a good flight school is hands down the most important decision you will make in your journey to becoming a pilot. But how do you make it? With such a large number of flight schools out there, in the world, how do you choose which one should you pick? I know I made some mistakes getting started, so with first hand experience I will arm you with the knowledge so you make the best decision of your career. Here’s my guide for Choosing the best flight school.

Let’s first start by understanding that everyone’s situation is unique. Everyone’s finances are unique. Everyone’s risk taking ability is unique. So the one size fits all philosophy cannot work in aviation. You will have to assess what suites you the best and decide from there. Therefore I cannot name or recommend any particular flight school to anyone neither am I in contact or affiliated with any particular flight school. So, with that in mind, read on to find out what are things you should look out for when searching for a flight school.

COUNSELLING SERVICES

              The biggest mistake I made was choosing a flight school on recommendation of an agent. They could also call themselves as consultants or names alike. We must understand that they are trying to make a living, and they have contracts signed with certain flight schools. The truth is that they will not have your best interest at heart. They want to sell you a particular flight school so that they can earn a commission. Most times that commission comes from a fee that you have paid to the flight school but it will not be clearly told to you and will be a hidden cost.

This is what happened with me. 8 months into my training is when I found out that a large sum of money was not reflecting in my schools account. Upon investigation I found out, that money was paid to the agent as a commission. This was never told to me by the agent.

They will also upsell you everything about the flight school such as accommodations and food choices, but when you get there the reality will be different. The flight school will take no responsibility for what the agent communicated with you and you’ll find yourself stuck.

             So here’s my recommendation – you call the flight school that you are interested in and get their details about cost, time, accommodations, etc directly from them. Ask for them to give you a virtual tour of their student accommodations. Ask them about food. If you will be served 3 meals or if you are expected to make your own arrangements. Ask them the same about laundry and transport to and from their campus.

Be very clear that you do not want any middle men and you will directly deal with the flight school in all matters. If that one flight school does not agree then no need to fret, there are plenty others to choose from. Keep in mind that you want the fight school accountable for any deviations between what was promised and what is actually delivered to you.

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MONEY

                 Let’s talk Money. There are many flight schools which are considered as cheap, but you have to think to yourself, how does this one school afford to pay for the flight instructor salary, fuel for the aircraft, insurances, etc while keeping their costs down?

In my experience this usually happens when the flight school is cutting corners somewhere. You just do not want them cutting corners in their maintenance practices.

This is not to say that you should find the most expensive fight school either. When you talk to a flight school, get a detailed spreadsheet specifying exactly what you are spending your money on. Ask for hidden costs, accommodation, food, laundry, examination costs, etc. You should not have any doubts on any item on the quotation they share and you must question it to your satisfaction.

               My recommendation is that you stretch your budget, just a little bit. By doing so you will have more options to choose from and do not have to compromise, especially when it comes to your safety. After all, aviation is all about safety. Always remember and be prepared that no matter what quotation you get, the actual cost will be 20% higher. This 20% will account for all the unforeseen expenses and hidden costs.

The easiest way to reduce your cost is by finishing your training as early as you can, since the amount of time you spend in training is directly related to the costs of your accommodation, meals, laundry, etc. while the flying and examination costs remain the same.

TIME

                Time. I would give my highest priority to the duration of flight training. How fast can you get your commercial pilot’s licence in your hand? There are plenty of flight schools that claim to finish your training in 12 months and the quotation you get will also be for these 12 months. When you talk to the flight school, please ask them the time frame assurance and what if they cannot deliver on it.

You have to ask them the number of aircrafts they have, flight instructors and how many students. Ask them how many hours a day their aircrafts are flying. This will give you an indication of the progression pace of their students.

You have to ask them if the time they are quoting in just for the flying part or if it includes the time taken for you to pass examinations, licenses and other documentation.

Civil Aviation Regulations allow you to fly a maximum of 100 hours a month and you need 200 hours to qualify for a CPL. So that would mean you technically need just 2 months to fly 200 hours. The rest of the time you will spend on ground school and exams. How soon you finish with these exams will depend upon you and no flight school will take responsibility for this.

I have known people who have finished with their training in just 7 months. But the flight school must support you and give you all opportunity to finish earlier than quoted to you.

                    So I would recommend that you find a school that promises to finish your training at the earliest. Assuming that you make all payments on time and pass all your exams in the first attempt, and any delay in your training is due to the actions of the flight school, then you should negotiate some compensation as this delay, past that of your quotation is going to be an extra expense out of your pocket. Always get everything in writing from the flight school as verbal commitments are almost never reliable or binding.

Keep in mind that the earlier you have your CPL in your hand, the earlier you are eligible for a job. The airline industry often has job opportunities that come in waves and you want to be ready to open the door when the opportunity comes knocking. It is better to be in a position where you have a CPL and there are no jobs, rather than to have a CPL but no jobs available.

LOCATION

                    Where is the flight school located ? Yes this makes a big difference for many reasons. For obvious reasons we want to go to a school that follows good safety and maintenance practices. A simple Google search will show you what are the safety records of every country in aviation. You can also search for recent crashes in that country or the flight school too.

Some countries take longer than others for training. Some countries have shorter and more simpler visa processes than others. These times also add towards your total time to get a CPL.

Next let’s consider the weather. If the local weather is such that it rains or snows for long periods of time, then it will be likely that there will be long periods of time where no flight training will take place.

Next the quality of training. This is not talked about enough. When you are flying a passenger jet with over 100 people, their lives depends upon your capability as a pilot. Maybe not on daily basis but just that one day when things start to go wrong, your training will save you. Europe, Canada, US, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are considered to have the best training standards around the world.

Some countries have the additional advantage of having a strong general aviation industry, like South Africa. This provides various job opportunities for fresh CPL holders, other than just the airline industry which requires prior experience or a type rating to get into.

                   Safety is paramount in aviation so I recommend you research the school and country’s safety history, incident reports and adherence to safety protocol. Then look into the quality of training as this will give you confidence in yourself that remains with you for all your life and will definitely give you something extra for all the interviews and exams you will give throughout your career.

If you choose to go abroad, then you will have to convert your license when you return to India. Click here to see how and plan for it in the best possible manner.

CAMPUS PLACEMENTS ?

                  Once you have completed your training and have your CPL in your hand what’s next? There are some flight schools that have a program where they could hire you as a flight instructor. Of course this will be an additional expense for you as it involves some additional ground and flight training. But this is an amazing way for you to start gaining experience, fill up that log book and most importantly start getting paid which helps in repaying that student loan. There are also some schools that have strong networking ties within the industry and airlines, that provide opportunity for job placements or mentorship programs.

Reiterating, countries with a strong general aviation industry can provide you an opportunity to be a pilot for sky diving, small charter company, bush pilot, pilot for mapping and survey companies amongst others. Again this is a great way to build experience and climb up the ladder towards being an airline pilot (if that is your ultimate goal).

                  I strongly recommend you look for a flight school that provides you with employment opportunities or a flight school in a country that has job opportunities once you complete with your CPL training. If you want to become an airline pilot, you either need prior experience or you need to have a type rating which is going to cost you more money.

                    Let’s assume you want an airline job immediately and you choose to do a type rating. That means you need to choose one particular aircraft type and you’ll be eligible for jobs only on that one aircraft. If there is a demand for pilots for that aircraft type then you get your job. What if there is no demand? Remember that jobs usually come in waves. Now you have spent money on a CPL and a type rating but you do not have a job. If you have taken a loan then those repayments need to be made. In such a case where the job market is down, you can look at those opportunities in the general aviation industry.

This is what I did. I gained over a thousand hours of experience as a flight instructor and a freelance pilot and then joined an airline, where the airline paid for my type rating.

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NETWORKING

                     The world is connected in a manner that we could never think about a decade ago. You must look for current and old students of flight schools you are interested in. Connect with them and find out what are the ground realities about that flight school. You could also take a step further and connect with the flight instructors and have their opinion on the flight school and it’s practices. Getting their honest reviews gives you an additional confidence in the decision you are making or it will save you from a lot of heart ache and despair.

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                    In conclusion, choosing the best flight school is a pivotal decision that sets the tone for your entire aviation career. Take the time and research to make an informed decision based on safety records, standard or training, duration of training, job opportunities upon completion and location of the flight school.

Make a list for yourself, with everything that you want or expect from a flight school and start making calls. Find a flight school that customizes training that suits you and checks all your boxes. I would strongly advocate for considering international flight training, not only for the opportunity to pilot aircraft in a foreign setting but also to immerse oneself in a distinct aviation culture. This experience promises a broadened horizon, leaving an unforgettable mark on one’s professional and personal development. Of course please consider visa requirements not just for a student but also for those job opportunities once you complete your training.

Remember, finding a flight school is not just about learning to fly, but it’s about setting the foundation for a successful and fulfilling career in the skies. So in the end it is not about choosing the best flight school, it’s about finding the right flight school you.

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_{These are of course just my opinions based on my experiences and gained knowledge. Differences in opinions are welcome.}

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