Aviloop says it features the best aviation products and experiences at 50-90% off

We just love the rush of zooming down the runway and pulling back the yoke to lift off. Amazing, isn’t it? Sure, we know flying is no miracle, yet we still feel like the luckiest folks on the planet when we experience Newton’s laws and Bernoulli’s principle in action. Aaah, the wonders of flight…

If you’re anything like us, you are constantly trying to get your friends to join in on the best hobby ever. But we all know that becoming a pilot is no easy task. It sure takes a lot of time and even more money. Yes, in the end it is totally worth it! That’s why we find it saddening when someone with a dream and a passion for aviation can no longer continue on their journey because they run out of funds. Unfortunately, it happens all too often.

At Aviloop we think no one should be turned away from doing what they love just because they are short a few bucks. We feel even stronger about the other outcome of costly flight lessons – pilots cutting corners and not getting enough training to fully grasp all that flying is. Did you know that the cause in 70% of non-commercial plane accidents is pilot-related?* Wow! This is something that can be fixed. We say, let’s start by providing flight lessons at more affordable rates. Let’s give aviators one less reason to cut corners and get the training they need to stay safe and proficient. This is why Aviloop was launched…

Aviloop.com is a group buying aviation website. We feature deals on the best aviation products and experiences at 50-90% off. Our mission is to change the face of general aviation by making it more accessible, more affordable, more fun, but most importantly – safer. Safety is our number one priority, because we think flying should be a fun and exhilarating experience, not a life threatening one. We even take our safety philosophy one step further – To ensure the safety of our customers, we only feature deals with flight schools that pass our rigorous inspection to become “Aviloop Approved”. We live and breathe aviation and we are here to improve it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to move up a level in your pilot career without emptying out your bank account? Whether you are new to aviation, looking to take an introductory class, get your private pilot license, multi-engine rating, or instrument rating, we have a deal for you with a safe and credible flight school.

Why pay full price when you could get a jaw-dropping discount with a grade “A” instructor?  Right, there is no reason… That’s why you should register at www.aviloop.com and learn about the best aviation deals going on in your airspace.

*According to the 2010 AOPA Nall report

On International Learn To Fly Day, pilots can offer introductory flights to any interested people who want to learn to fly. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will lead the way by having its individual chapters offer complimentary adult flight lessons across the country on this specific day. For the EAA, introductory flights for adults are an extension of its popular Young Eagles program. Since 1992, that program has offered free flights to more than 1.6 million young people.

Organizations and EAA chapters hosting events connected to International Learn to Fly Day are encouraged to post these events on an official website affiliated with the day. The website fallows visitors to locate any local event designed to encourage a person to discover more about flying and what goes into it. Any group or company can also post their own event on the site that welcomes people interested in flying and flight training.

The inaugural International Learn to Fly Day took place only a year ago after the United States Congress passed a resolution the same year declaring that the third Saturday in May would serve as a day to recognize the contributions of flight instructors, flight schools and aviation groups in promoting flying as well as teaching and training the next generation of pilots.

Initial celebrations of International Learn to Fly Day in 2010 drew more than 40,000 people to nearly 250 events nationwide. Surveys showed that nearly two-thirds of people introduced to aviation on that day planned to pursue flight training on their own after attending one of the 250 events.

EAA officials are encouraging other aviation groups and businesses to join in the efforts to promote flying by offering introductory flights, open houses and seminars at airports and other locations across the globe.

Sources:
http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2011/05/08/international-learn-to-fly-day-may-21/
http://www.learntofly.org/

Flight training is now included with the purchase of a Piper Archer LX - photo copyright Piper Aircraft, Inc.

Piper Aircraft Inc. is offering primary flight training with their new “Ready, Set, Fly” program to new owners of the Archer LX aircraft. The program is designed to teach new owners how to fly in an extensive three-week course. Piper Aircraft believes the program will promote the growth of general aviation by encouraging more people to become pilots. Piper announced the “Ready, Set, Fly” program at the Sun ‘n’ Fun International Fly-in & Expo in Lakeland, Florida this week.

According to Piper Aircraft vice president Randy Groom, this revolutionary new pilot training program will solve several common detractors to successfully learning how to fly an aircraft such as a lack of convenience, concerns about the quality of instruction available at many flight schools, and scheduling conflicts that hinder student pilot progress. The convenience issue is one of particular concern, and one that Piper is prepared to meet head-on. The standardized pilot training offered as part of the “Ready, Set, Fly” program is part of a short yet concentrated three-week course overseen by a professional instructor. By learning to fly in their own aircraft, owners become more familiar and comfortable which could also yield a long term safety benefit. The program also solves the problem of subpar equipment found at some flight schools.

This custom program was created specifically with the Archer LX in mind, and is intended to be a means to introduce prospective pilots to aviation. It further illustrates Piper’s commitment to the aviation industry, particularly to the light aircraft segment.

The Archer LX is a single-engine aircraft with a Lycoming 0-360-A4M, 180 hp engine that is capable of flying at speeds up to 147 mph (237 km/h) with a range of up to 522 nautical miles (966 km). A new, Garmin G500-equipped model costs $309,900. If an already qualified pilot purchases an Archer LX, they can apply their training time in the program toward a different FAA certification. Qualified and prospective pilots who purchase one of these new aircraft can also elect to conduct their pilot training at a different facility of their choice if they feel that Piper’s program is not for them.

Source: http://www.piper.com/pages/PiperOffersArcherLxReadySetFlyTrainingProgram_03292011.cfm

International Learn to Fly Day at JA AIr Center at the Aurora Airport in Illinois

Our Airport Open House is going to be on Saturday, May 21st at JA Air Center at the Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove, IL.  Address is 43W700 US Hwy 30, Sugar Grove, IL. Our phone number is 630.584.3200 and our email is info@jaair.com. We’re located right off of I-88.

The event will be from 9am – 5pm.  We’ll have airplane rides, food, corporate and new Cessna aircraft displays, facility tours, and giveaways throughout the event. We’ll also have a few informative events throughout the day on Learning to Fly so people can gather more information on what it takes to become a pilot.

For more information, please contact JA Air Center at 630.584.3200 or email info@jaair.com.

Click here to get detailed information about flight training at JA Air Center

Visit the JA Air Center website

A pilot certificate is the key to many life changing experiences.

Flight training at Dodge County Airport outside Juneau, Wisconsin was the star of a recent article, some much needed good press for learning to fly.

According to the article, the perks of flying are greater than the costs. Chief among the perks is the scenic and transcendental nature of flights. From birds and familiar landmarks, to the idyllic fall flight to see the colors, there nothing like flying to show you the beauty all around. The sense of solitude available to pilots creates a transcendental experience unparalleled by anything available on the ground.

According to the general manager of Wisconsin Aviation, Tim Bentheimer, they offer flight instruction for a number of ratings and certificates at the Dodge County Airport. The school has a private pilot ground school starting January 13.

Bentheimer also addresses the issue of the decaying population of new pilots. Citing AOPA, he indicates a decline in private pilot certificates issued from 2009 to 2010 of a third. Worse, while the number of medical certificates issued remained the same, the number of student pilots issued medical certificates who completed their training declined by more than a third over the same period.

According to Bentheimer and Glen Ingram, a flight instructor, cost and time commitments required by flight training can be excessive if only considered on the surface. With the cost of a private pilot certificate hovering at just about $8,000, flight training can be a difficult sale. According to Ingram, it is important to attend lessons regularly. The reaction most people have is to string out lessons and spread out the impact of costs, but this usually leads to an increase in costs because the lessons become less efficient.

One thing virtually all pilots can agree on is that the perks of learning to fly greatly outweigh the expense. Considering the freedom of being able to go anywhere and do almost anything, $8000 dollars seems like a deal. If you aren’t keen on the freedom or scenery, maybe you’re not a fan of the new TSA regulations for commercial flying, good news, the same $8000 dollars gets you out of the security lines and into the air.

For more information on flight training and choosing the right school, check out our Flight Training Resource Center or find flight training near you.

Source: Flying High: Local lessons allow all to find their wings

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com.

Learning to fly is one of the most difficult and rewarding things I’ve ever done, but I have to be honest, not everyone enjoys volunteering to pay money to risk their life. I had plenty of people giving me funny looks as I spent days and weeks studying for the exam. The bottom line though is that I wouldn’t go back; flying has paid me back in ways to numerous to name. From the new people I’ve met from all over the country to the relaxing hum of the engine on another long cross country, I’m grateful for every moment spent pursuing flight.

One of the most common questions I faced throughout my training, probably due in part to the fact that I didn’t aspire to fly for airlines, was “Why? Isn’t that an awful lot of trouble?” Recently, I spent some time considering why anyone would want to learn to fly, and I’d like to offer Five Reasons To Learn To Fly. In the article I consider social, personal, and career incentives for learning to fly, feel free to give it a read and send us some feedback.

Find flight schools near you.

Matthew Everett is a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com.

Reach your aviation goals faster

Whether you’re launching a new career or just want to learn to fly for fun, you probably want to get your pilot certificates and ratings as fast as possible. On the career side of things, the faster you earn your ticket, the sooner you’re eligible to enter the workforce and start your pilot career, and possibly get a better seniority number to boot. If you’re flying for fun, I’ll bet your busy schedule makes it hard to get to the airport for more than a lesson a week, and at that rate it will take 6-8 months to get your private pilot license.

I can tell you from personal experience that accelerated pilot training is the way to go for all of the reasons listed above, and plenty more. In my case, I earned my private pilot certificate the old fashioned way, fitting training in to my daily work and family life, and it took about 6 months to finally take my check ride (I passed!). When the time came for me to earn my instrument rating, I knew there was no way I was going to get it finished in less than six months without going through some type of accelerated pilot school. After completing a DVD ground school and passing the written exam on my own, I chose to contact one of the 10-day IFR rating schools and scheduled a week and a half off. At the agreed upon time, my CFII showed up in my home town and we began an intense, nine-day training schedule that included at least eight hours a day of training both in the plane and on the ground (using books and an IFR simulator), and, believe it or not, homework. When the tenth day rolled around, I was ready for my check ride and passed! I had done in ten days what normally would take six months.

Last summer, I made a mistake. I started training for my Commercial pilot certificate, and actually was very close to being ready. My mistake was not forcing the training to be accelerated. You can all guess what happened… life got in the way, winter rolled around, and here I am this summer without a commercial ticket. I now know that all of my future training will be accelerated because this really is the best way to reach your aviation goals, professional or recreational.

Since I’m such a firm believer in accelerated training, I asked one of our guest writers, Matthew Everett, to write an article on the three types of accelerated pilot schools that cater to the professional-minded pilot. The article makes a great case for fast-tracking your pilot training and is a quick read. Take a look and let us know what you think. Also, give us your feedback on your training experiences.

Get to the cockpit faster in an accelerated flight school

Accelerated training is a technique used worldwide, most notably by military organizations, to quickly train people complicated tasks. Why is this type of training so successful? Because it works.

When applied to flight schools, accelerated training has many benefits for both the student and the school. Matthew Everett, one of our guest bloggers, offers his Five Reasons to Choose an Accelerated Flight School in his latest article. Here’s a snippet:

“One of the more challenging aspects of learning to fly is choosing how to do it. There are so many flight schools, accelerated programs, and individual instructors that it is often hard to decide what fits you, your schedule, and your learning style best. Not to mention the FAA doesn’t care how you get to the check-ride as long as you meet the requirements laid out in their test standards. This leads to hundreds of variations on the theme of learning to fly. So how do you decide? The best way is to consider the perks of various flight instruction methods. Accelerated flight schools offer five major perks…” read the full article Five Reasons to Choose an Accelerated Flight School.

Explore more flight training links and articles
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Accelerated Airline Training

The road to becoming an airline pilot is long, but you can get there faster with accelerated training. In our latest article, guest blogger Matthew Everett shows you why accelerated airline pilot training just may be what you need to get to that airline job you’ve been dreaming of.

Are you looking to start a flying career? If so, accelerated airline training may be the thing you’ve been looking for. Imagine learning to fly in months rather than years and starting that career you’ve always dreamed of. It’s not impossible, it just takes the right program. Accelerated training programs are just the ticket because they let you get multiple ratings quickly, train and fly like the airlines, and typically offer job placement services… read the full “Three Reasons to Choose Accelerated Airline Pilot Training” article.

Learn more about becoming an airline pilot

Accelerated flight training helps you reach your goals faster

Have you considered accelerated flight training as a way to reach your aviation goals faster? We wanted to let you know about a new article we posted that covers the three main benefits of accelerated training. Please give it a read and let us know what you think.

No matter how you look at it, Flight training is a lengthy process. There are many new things to learn and hundreds of flight hours to gain. When it comes down to it, flight training can only be condensed so much before it bumps up against regulations. This presents a bit of a problem to someone looking to start a career in aviation. Training costs money, but it is going to be a while before flying will pay. So what is the best solution? Accelerated training. Accelerated flight training offers some notable benefits including being good for career pilots, quick progression through ratings, and job placement… read the full Accelerated Flight Training – Three Benefits article.