Getting your Private Pilot License is your gateway to the airline world. You will be flying in the same airspace, aviation regulations and air traffic control system as the big airliners. You will also discover firsthand if piloting an aircraft is something you really want to do and make a career.
Rarely does anyone continue with their pilot career if their Private Pilot training was not positive one. With that said, it’s so important to find a good flight instructor and flight school that is a good fit for you. There may be hundreds of flight instructors available in your area but not all of them will be right for you.
Finding the Right Flight Instructor for You
Start your initial search of local flight schools on the Internet and then visit them. Let them know you want to get your Private Pilot license, and you would like to interview several of their flight instructors. It’s important not to take any flight instructor assigned to you, which is usually the case. You want to find an instructor that matches your personality and learning style and someone who you will enjoy training with.
Many instructors are good pilots but not so good instructors. Not everyone has the gift of teaching so it’s important to read reviews, talk to instructors current or pass students, ask for recommendations from other pilots or flight schools. A good instructor who makes flying fun will keep you coming back for more. Despite the expense of flight training, you’ll be having so much fun that you won’t mind the expenditure.
However, just the opposite is true with a flight instructor that is not right for you. They will make training a miserable experience and you will not continue. Unfortunately, most new student pilots who show up to a flight school are eventually assigned an instructor of the school’s choice and this may not be the best choice for you. The mission of the flight school is to keep their instructors busy and earning money. So, it’s up to you to find the right instructor for you.
Visit each facility you researched and check out the training aircraft they use. Look for aircraft that are in good condition and available.
You are trying to assess a flight instructor that will be fun to fly with and at the same time, that is competent. Because becoming an FAA Certified Flight Instructor is extremely difficult, there is usually no problem with competency but if the instructor is not fun to fly with, you may not stick with the training.
Sample Checklist Questions you Need to Ask Each Instructor and compare answers:
• What frequency of flight training works best for your students?
Twice a week, Three times a week, Once a week?• How much per hour is instruction?
You may already know the instruction cost from talking to the front desk.• How will you plan my training?
• What is expected of me to prepare for my lessons?
• About how many hours of flight training are your students taking to get their Private Pilot Licens
• What is the policy for last minute cancellation?
Last minute cancellations drive instructors and flight schools crazy because schedule is usually fully booked and last-minute cancellation cost both the flight school and instructor money. So, there is usually some type of cancellation fee if the cancellation happens within 24 hours of the scheduled lesson.
Narrow Down Your Selection of Instructors
Meeting your instructor in person is extremely important. You want to know their mannerism and a short discussion with them over the previous questions will help you evaluate the best instructor for you. A simple 5 to 10 minute meeting is all you need. Ask them any questions you may have from the checklist questions. You can ask them about the training process and about how they will plan your first lesson.
Once you decide on a flight instructor, it is their duty to start the registration process before you begin training. You must be approved by TSA before you begin flight training, and your selected instructor or flight school must begin that process. So, another question may be how to proceed with training. At the end of your meeting, let the instructor know you really enjoyed the meeting and that you will be getting back to them with a decision on training start time and commitment.
Don’t commit to any instructor until you interview all your potential instructors and decide based on the in-person meeting and the answers to the checklist on the best instructor for you. The problem is that most students completely avoid this process of choosing an instructor and are stuck with whatever the flight school assigns. This may result in unfavorable training experience until the student eventually finds an instructor they like.
Independent flight instructors from flying clubs tend to be less structured and may not have an established training syllabus, but they also tend to be the most fun instructors. If you select an independent flight instructor, please verify they are using an established training syllabus. Ask to see their syllabus so that you will have an idea of what to expect from training.
Successful flight training for your private pilot is a delicate balance of fun, competence and encouraging instructor. That’s what it takes to complete all the rigorous FAA requirements. If your training isn’t fun, then it will be difficult to complete your training. If your instructor is not competent, you may need to find another instructor or take your FAA flight test multiple times before you pass. All of this equals more money to getting your license.
Choosing Part 61 School Usually Better Choice than Part 141 Schools for Private Pilot License
Part 141 professional flight schools are great for advanced ratings and training for the airline but not so much for new student pilots learning to fly. These schools have very rigid training syllabuses and inexperience flight instructors. I know this sounds like a contradiction for a professional flight school who specializes in airline training to have inexperience flight instructors but that’s usually the case. Most of their instructors are very young and just completed their Private Pilot License a few years ago. They completed a lot of intense training, so no problem with competence, but they lack flight training experience.
Younger, less experienced flight instructors can do a great job of training students for advanced pilot ratings, which is more about completing FAA requirements and passing a checkride. However, Private Pilot License and Instrument Rating requires more experienced instructors that can better impart insight and aeronautical knowledge to new student pilots.
So, the local flight school is usually better for your initial Private Pilot rating. These schools are also less expensive than the professional Part 141 schools and the instructor can better tailor their training to students’ needs. Part 141 school has very little flexibility and personalization of training, no matter what their ads may claim.
Also, consider the local flying clubs where you’ll find reasonable aircraft rental rates and very good flight instructors. Flying clubs tend to foster more of an aviation community that makes the aviation community enjoyable.
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