Learning to fly requires pilot lessons, and choosing the best school for lessons will ensure that someone has access to the best possible educational options. There are a number of things to think about when evaluating options for pilot lessons; future aviators may want to frame their concerns in the form of a checklist. Cost is actually rather far down the list, as it's more important to find a good school than it is to save money on pilot training.
The first thing to think about is the goal of the lessons. Someone who wants to be a casual private pilot has very different needs from someone who would eventually like to work as a pilot for a commercial airline, and these goals require different kinds of pilot lessons and training. People should obtain a list of flight schools which are regulated by aviation authorities, and they should narrow down the list to schools which will help them meet their goals. A rural flying club, for example, might be great for a casual private pilot, but it would not be a good choice for the future captain of a 747.
It is important to visit facilities which offer pilot lessons, to see how the facility feels, inspect the available equipment, and meet the staff. A flight school should feel friendly and welcoming, and staffers should seem professional and competent. While meeting with staff, student pilots should ask about their qualifications, years of experience training pilots, and teaching philosophy. They should meet the people who maintain records, ask about the student to teacher ratio, and find out how often student progress is evaluated.
It is also important to know what kind of facilities are available, from ground school to aircraft made available to student pilots. The aircraft should be well maintained, with ample maintenance records available for perusal, and they should be suitable for student pilots. People interested in pilot lessons should also ask about scheduling issues. Some schools, for example, schedule their aircraft and instructor time very tightly, and it can be hard to get slots for pilot lessons and required practice hours.
Location is a critical concern. It's a good idea to attend pilot lessons close to home, because long trips to get to school can be stressful, and because people can look outside their windows to see whether or not the weather is suitable for flying on any given day. Some students may need to be willing to relocate to get to the school they want to attend, in which case they may want to look into intensive programs which will allow them to train more quickly, rather than casual programs which tend to take longer.
The reputation and qualifications of a pilot training center are also topics for investigation, and student pilots should also find out about additional training options which can expand their opportunities as pilots. For example, once a student qualifies as a pilot, will the school offer instrument instruction so that the pilot can qualify to fly under instrument flight rules? Does the school offer multiengine courses? Reputable schools also provide information about the complaint process, in the event that a student develops a problem, and they should have a written refund policy which explains how refunds at the school are handled.
