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Pilot School - How to Choose the Right One
Finding the right school can make all the differenceThree basic types of pilot schools
One of the more difficult aspects of learning to fly is picking the right program for you. There are many different people and schools that will teach you to fly, but some programs could match your goals better than others. Broken down to their most basic form, there are three basic types of pilot schools: local schools, professional programs, and degree programs.
What's the difference?
The simplest place to look when you want to learn to fly is at your local airport. Most airports usually have a collection of part-time or even full-time instructors that are fully qualified to teach you to fly. This type of training tends to be pay-as-you-go and self-paced. There are also a number of professional programs that offer a more scheduled and condensed way to learn to fly. These programs are typically located at larger facilities with a large staff of instructors. They cater to someone with more time who is looking to obtain several ratings at once. The final type of program is degree programs which are tailored toward someone who wishes to fly for the airlines.
Which pilot school is right for me?
When deciding on a program, it is important to consider your flying goals. What kind of flying do you plan to do? Do you want to learn to fly for a hobby? Do you want to learn to fly for a living? Do you plan to fly for an airline? Questions like these are important to consider. For the average Sunday flyer, someone who is just out to fly for fun or perhaps personal travel, it is hard to beat the convenience of the local airport. On the other hand, someone who is looking to progress through ratings a little faster would be better served looking into a professional pilot program where there is a larger staff of full-time instructors. The future airline captain without a four-year degree should be looking into college and university degree programs where they can obtain both the ratings and the degree required for their future career in aviation.
The important thing to remember is that each type of school can provide the same result, the difference is in how well they fit you and your goals.
Airline Transport Professionals - 26 U.S. Flight Training Locations -
ATP has been the leader in multi-engine flight training for over 20 years. ATP's quality instruction speaks for itself; we are the only company that has you flying as PIC nationwide, in an airline-style environment, in $500,000 aircraft.
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University of North Dakota - 4 U.S. Flight School Locations -
From the most technologically advanced simulators to the world's largest collegiate training fleet, UND's state-of-the-art facilities provide our students with a training experience second to none. This means your degree program will prepare you for your career and your life. Veterans - you potentially have access to over $100,000 in GI Bill education benefits.
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Aerosim Flight Academy - Sanford, Florida
Aerosim Flight Academy is a top-tier flight school that was originally created by the airlines (Comair/Delta). Because our training structure was developed by the airlines, our instruction is rooted in the discipline required to turn students into successful airline pilots. Aerosim is proud to offer U.S. military veterans VA benefits.
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