Define Your Goals
As you embark on your journey down the flight training path, it sure helps to have an idea of where you are going. Many pilots with whom I have talked wish they had done things differently when they were flight training. Not having a good plan usually results in wasted time and money. A common list of regrets includes the following…
• I wish I had researched this school a little more carefully and looked into all options available.
• I wish I had looked into other schools before deciding on this one and giving them a non-refundable lump sum of
money.
• I wish I had been more motivated and didn’t goof off and waste so much time.
• I had no idea the weather here was so unsuitable for flight training in the winter.
• I wish I had stayed closer to home and been with my family the whole time.
• I wish I had moved and brought my family with me.
• I wish I went to a school that would have hired me as an instructor when I finished.
• I wish the school had cheaper multi-engine time.
• I wish I went to a school that included more multi engine time in their program.
• I wish I would have gotten my instructor ratings.
• I wish this school had more airplanes.
• I wish this school had a lower student to instructor ratio. Some schools have 10 students per instructor.
• I wish this airport wasn’t so incredibly busy.
• I wish I didn’t have to fly 30 minutes away to find an instrument approach.
• I wish the school had interview agreements with XXX airline or charter company.
• I wish I had gotten a loan and finished in a shorter amount of time.
• I wish I hadn’t got a loan. I’ll be paying on this loan for 15 more years and I don’t have enough money left over to get
on with my life.
• I wish I had gone in with somebody and bought my own plane, got my ratings and time and then sold it.
• Etc. etc. etc. The list of regrets go on and on.
It is refreshing to meet somebody who chose the right school with the flight training program that perfectly (or nearly so) met their needs. My purpose here is to help you become one of the refreshing people who does everything right the first time. Here is a list of questions that hopefully will help you organize your thoughts and help you make decisions that will point you in the right direction.
1. Why do I want to fly? This is perhaps the first and most obvious question that should be answered. Once you have this answer in mind you can then move on to question number 2 and set your goals. There are a number of ratings that are available for you to earn, but only some of them are most likely suitable for your case, depending on your reason for wanting to fly.
2. What are my goals? To help you set your goals I will list the ratings available and explain what each one is suitable for. There are only four pilot licenses available for you to earn. They are the Sport Pilot License, the Private Pilot License, the Commercial Pilot License, and ATP License. Once the requisite training and experience are met for each license, you are required to take a check ride (an oral and flight evaluation) by an examiner. Once you successfully pass each check ride you are awarded the corresponding license, each of which comes with a short list of privileges. The sport pilot license has the least amount of privileges (ie. is most restrictive as far as what you can do with it) and the ATP has the most. To each of these licenses you can add ratings or instructor endorsements. The most common ratings and endorsements are these: The Instrument rating allows you to file an IFR flight plan and fly in the clouds; The multi-engine rating allows you to fly planes with more than one engine; A sea plane rating allows you to fly a plane on floats; A helicopter rating allows you to fly helicopters; An airship rating allows you to fly a blimp; A complex rating allows you to fly a complex airplane; A high performance endorsement allows you to fly a plane with an engine of more than two hundred horsepower; A tailwheel endorsement allows you to fly a tail dragger; A high altitude endorsement allows you to fly a plane at high altitudes; A type rating allows you to fly a specific airplane make and model that requires a type rating (ie. special training in a large airplane or turbojet).
• Sport Pilot License: Suitable for somebody who wants to fly once in a while and always stays close to their home airport.
• Private Pilot License: This license is a prerequisite first step towards any of the subsequent licenses. But if all you want to do is rent or own your own plane or helicopter and fly occasionally (or frequently) for pleasure or business, then this is probably as far as you need to go. To this license you can add the ratings and/or endorsements that meet your needs. For example, if the plane you typically fly is a tail dragger, then you will need to get a tail-wheel endorsement. If you fly for business and frequently go places where the visibility is bad and you can’t afford to wait till the sun shines through, then you can add an instrument rating.
• Commercial Pilot License: If you would like to be compensated (paid) for flying or carrying something in an airplane, then you need this license. Again, all the ratings that can be added to the private license can be added to the commercial as well. You can also add type ratings to your commercial license if the plane you want to fly requires a type rating. The interesting thing here is that though you only have a commercial license, you will held to ATP standards when you take your type rating check ride. Thus, if you meet the requirements for an ATP (…1500 total time, 500 cross country etc…), you might as well just fly the one additional instrument approach on your check ride and get the ATP at the same time.
• Airline Transport Pilot License: If you intend on flying for a living or want the challenge of earning the Phd. of pilot licenses, then you will eventually wind up getting an ATP. Of the four licenses, this is the only one that is actually an instrument rating. Most airlines and charter companies require that captains earn this license though it is not always necessary for co-pilots (they only need a commercial license). The majority of the check ride is done by reference to instruments (ie without looking out the window) and it is often completed in conjunction with a type rating on a specific make and model aircraft.
3. Do I want to be an instructor? If teaching people how to fly is your cup of tea then you will need an instructor license. Before you can get an instructor license you must first have a commercial license with the applicable ratings and an instrument rating. There are a handful of instructor licenses that can be earned. They are as follows…
• CFI: Certified Flight Instructor. With this license you can only give ground and flight instruction in single engine aircraft.
• CFII: Certified Flight Instructor Instrument. With this license you can give instrument ground and flight training.
• MEI: Multi Engine Instructor. With this license you can only give ground and flight instruction in a multi engine aircraft in which you are rated. So to give instruction in a Beech Duchess you need a commercial AMEL (Airplane Multi Engine Land) and an MEI. To give instrument training to a student in a Duchess you need a Commercial AMEL, an MEI, and a CFII. To give instruction in a Cessna 172 you need a Commercial ASEL (Airplane Single Engine Land) and a CFI. To give instrument instruction to a student in a C-172 you need a Commercial ASEL and both a CFI and a CFII. You get the picture? Basically, and this is sort of horse sense, you have to be licensed and rated in (ie. know how to fly) the aircraft in which you are giving instruction.
4. What is my motivation level? Is it high, medium or low? In general, students that are highly motivated to learn and complete their rating(s), finish in a shorter amount of time. What does this mean to you? The faster you complete your training, the less money you will spend.
5. What is my time frame? Do you only have two weeks vacation to complete your CFII license? Do you have 3 months to complete a pro pilot course. Do you only have weekends free? In general somebody who flies once a day will progress more quickly through a license or rating than somebody who flies once a week. But if you only have time or money for once a week, then that is the best you can do. Try to find a school that will work with you and your schedule. Another important point…Know your stuff before you climb into an airplane and fly. Studying your books at home is free. Flying a plane is not. Doing your homework will save you a bunch of time and money.
6. How will I fund this training? Are you flipping burgers or waiting tables and saving up for weekend flights? Do you have a rich uncle or does your wife have a big inheritance coming? Are you going to get a loan? As I’ve said before, the faster you finish, the less you’ll spend. But stay within your means. Don’t bankrupt yourself chasing your dream. By the time you get your ATP you’ll probably spend at least $50,000. Some will spend less and some more. A loan may be right for you. Click on Loan Calculator to see how much a loan will cost you.
7. How much am I willing to spend? This is something only you can answer. Again, check around and see how much each flight school charges. Some are substantially less than others. But remember that cost isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing a school. Click Things you need to know for a more in depth discussion on this subject. Although your flight training isn’t necessarily a replacement for a college degree, you can view it that way. What do people usually pay for a for year degree? Depends on the school, right? No matter where you go it will probably cost about the same amount for flight training as a four year degree. Some universities offer a flight training program and you get both at the same time.
8. How long will it take me to pay off the training? If it’s a loan that you’re wondering about, plug in the values to the Loan Calculator. Interest is brutal. But maybe suffering the effects of that brutality is necessary and worth it. If you are wondering about pay scales at airlines, then go to www.airlinepilotcentral.com. If you are wondering how much a school pays its instructors, ask them.
9. Am I willing to relocate? Often times, in order to get the best training or the deal that is best, you’ll need to pull up your stakes and go to where the school is. Who knows? Maybe the change of scenery will do you good. In order to expand your options, at least consider relocating. Ask the school’s recruiting person about the costs involved in housing near the school.
10. If married, is your family willing to relocate? That’s a big question. If you are married and are going to fly for a living you will spend lots of time away from home. I’m assuming you got married because you liked being with that person. Well…big news here…separation is tough. If you plan on doing just a rating or two then this probably isn’t an issue. But if your plans include the pro pilot course (ie. private through CFI) and instructing for a year or two, you might consider moving your family. While you are flight instructing you will most likely be home every night. It’s not a bad lifestyle and you might even enjoy it. I did. Now that I am a charter pilot and gone all the time I look back on those days and realize that I had it pretty good. If I hadn’t had my family during that time…what a waste of quality “together time” it would have been. A week ago my Aunt's brand new house in Minneapolis was hit by a tornado and destroyed. Somehow they survived the storm. But my mom called two minutes ago and told me this. "Your aunt was looking over the ruins of her house talking over the details with the demolition crew. Then all at once, she fell down dead." You only get a fixed number of heart beats and then they are used up. Spend as much time as you can with the ones who you love. An airplane is just a machine and aviation is just a dream. But if you have to chase your dreams across the country, take your loved ones with you. Just something to think about. And hey, while you're at it, as long as you have to move you might as well move somewhere beautiful and really enjoy yourself. Move to Florida. It’s hot in the summer but you get to fly every day and go to the beach.
11. What connections do I have in aviation that can help me achieve my goals? You’ve heard it said that it’s not what you know but who you know? That is probably more true in aviation than any other field. Being in the right place at the right time with the right qualifications is sure helpful, but I would say knowing someone ranks right up there as well. When a company is looking for pilots they are looking for a couple things in a person. One is that they are competent as a pilot (knows their stuff and good stick and rudder skills). The other is that they are nice to be around. No one wants to be stuck in a small, confined space for two weeks with a jerk or a hard-headed buffoon. That is why someone’s recommendation means so much in aviation. They are vouching for you. “He’s a really good guy, you’ll like him. And by the way, he’s a great pilot.” But you have to know your stuff too. Their recommendation only gets you the interview, not the job.
12. What is my personality? Yes. What are you like? Be honest with yourself. Are you easy to get along with? I’m only being a little facetious when I say that a 1 in 25 pilots at a company are about as enjoyable to fly with as a crocodile. And no sooner is the company rid of that one when a new one manages to get hired. It’s uncanny how it happens, but it does. So if you’re not nice do us all a favor, choose some other profession. :)
13. Are you a good decision maker? Are you wishy washy? Flying an airplane safely is mostly about making good decisions. If you are not, don’t rule out aviation. Can you look at yourself in the mirror and say that what you see is the finished product? Probably not! You can learn to become a good decision maker during your development as a pilot. Learn from those with more experience than you have. Watch carefully what they do and ask a lot of questions. Becoming a pilot isn’t just about flying airplanes, it can help you develop as a person too.
Hopefully this has helped you organize you thoughts. Now go to Compare Flight Schools and see how each school rates. Or go to the flight school Forum and see what flight school graduates have to say about their flight schools.