It’s official. You want to become a pilot. The only step remaining is to choose a flight school like Fly Aeroguard. However, with many flight schools available, it can be overwhelming to decide the best school, especially if you don’t know what to look for.



You see, you don’t want to learn from just any other school. You want to learn from the best. This includes serious scrutiny of the instructors, the aircraft and the training curriculum. In addition, you must have fun while learning. Besides, what’s the point of doing something you don’t love?
 
This article will highlight the main areas you should consider when looking for a flight school.

Tuition Fees
Flight school isn’t cheap. Therefore, you must prepare yourself to spend quite an amount on tuition fees. However, many people look at the tuition fee as the costs of renting an aircraft alone. Well, there’s more to the fees than that. 

With these questions, you’ll have a better chance of analyzing the entire cost needed for your training.

• How much will you pay in aircraft rental fees? Also, does it include oil and fuel?
• What are the instructor’s rates?
• How long do instructors take on theory? This includes ground training and briefing and do they charge for this as well?
• Are these fees tax-exempted?
• How much will you spend on training material such as books?
• Are there hidden costs? For example, landing fees.

Note that these variables will vary from flight school to another, thus affecting the overall cost. In addition, some schools will break down their fee structure to include these variables while others will include the rental rates alone.

The Flight Instructors’ Credentials and Experience
Your flight instructor will transform you into the pilot you want to be. On the other hand, they can ruin your life if they don’t have the necessary qualifications. For this reason, it’s important to ask these questions:

• How long have they worked at the school?
• Where did they learn how to fly?
• How many flight hours do they have under their belt?
• Do they have a good reputation?

Each question is important. Therefore, don’t use a single metric to judge the instructor. Overall, make sure you are comfortable with your instructor.

The Airport and FAA
The FAA and the closest airports keep records of various flight schools. Thus, you can contact the closest FAA Flight Standards District Office and ask for their views on certain flight schools. They may not have the details, but they have general information enough to give a go ahead or a red flag.
If you don’t find helpful information from the FAA officials, you can reach the airport. the employees will be more than happy to share information regarding their peers.

Aircraft Maintenance
The aircraft you’ll use during the training will depend on you. The brand-new ones with the latest technological fittings will cost you more while the older ones will require frequent maintenance. It ‘s a tough balancing act.

However, the old one will still offer the same training at a cheaper rate. None of these matters anyway. The most important factor to consider is the maintenance logbooks and programs. Ask one of the staffs to guide you through the program. If they hesitate, then this should raise an eyebrow. 

The Lesson Plans and the Course Structure
Two regulations under the Federal Aviation Regulations guide flight schools. The first falls under Part 61 and the other under Part 141. The final result may be the same but the methods used are different.

Part 61 is less rigid, thus allowing the instructor to alter the syllabus and the classes during the training as they please. Small flight schools employ this method to allow for flexibility among the students and their instructors.

In contrast, Part 141, is more rigid because of the strict syllabus and outline which must undergo FAA analysis. Students who enroll using this regulation go through rigorous training which is more professional.

Regardless of the program, the most important factor is to ensure the instructor monitors and evaluates your progress during your training. 

There you have it. The top factors you must consider when choosing a flight school. With these pointers, you can make an informed decision about the school you’ll join.