Un-Sexy Truths About Flight School - What I Wish I Had Known
I’m going to tell you some things that are very un-sexy about flight school and pilot training. These are things that other people might be afraid to tell you because it’s not the fun shiny side of flying.
I don’t tell you these things to discourage you (seriously, that’s not the point of anything I share). I’m telling you because the barrier to entry into the aviation industry can be really high, and I’m doing my very best to lower it for you. The more you know, the more you can take charge or your training, and if you choose to pursue it, your flying career.
1. There is no perfect flight school
Every school will show you their best side if you take a tour or browse their website because that’s showbiz, baby. Flight schools are businesses. The big ones have marketing and sales teams. That doesn’t mean they are bad or lying to you, but their job is to make the school look good to get you to attend, simple as that.
To get the full picture of what it’s really like to attend any school, your best bet is to talk to current and past students. Ask them what their experience was like and what they would change or improve, if anything. Decide what you can live with and what you can’t live without when it comes to your needs and goals (location, timeline, cost, etc.)
2. Flight school will likely cost more or take longer than you think
Things will not always go how you expect. Unless you’re one of a very lucky few, your flight training experience might take longer or cost more (or both) than you originally thought.
Whatever the bare minimum initial budget you come up with is, add 10-20% as a cushion. You might need to repeat some lessons, or you might hit training delays that require you to fly more to keep up your proficiency. Stay flexible and hold timelines and fixed costs loosely.
3. You are a customer, not just a student
Sometimes things or people fall through the cracks in any large system; flight schools are no different. There may come a time that something in your training gets messed up or forgotten. Maybe you’re left off the schedule longer than normal, maybe you get accidentally charged for a flight that didn’t actually happen. Keep good records and ask for what you need. You’re a high-value client; get your money’s worth.
Your new student checklist
If you’re new to flight school or thinking about starting it soon, this is for you! I put together a checklist for new student pilots and their instructors to use as a guide for the first steps of flight training.
