Which flight school ?
Now that you have defined what you are looking for, it is time to evaluate potential flight schools. You will find that there are different types of schools on the market and some of them have also partnership with regional airlines. While they may tell you that they can help you get a job, they can not control the hiring trend of this industry. You should also talk to past and current students and instructors. You will learn a lot of interesting facts that the school might not tell you. For example : the maintenance status of their airplanes or the schedules. Remember you might be a student but you also are the customer. Do not settle for anything less than your needs. Your career depends on it. Here is a little bit of guidance.
Accelerated training :
Some flight schools specialize in training from a to z in a minimum amount of time. Often though it requires a candidate to do a lot of home studies without much directions or explanations by an instructor. On the other hand, they do advertize the completion of the full course in as little as five months. They are part 141 approved and usually offer financing options. Aviation degree : A few institutions provide a full training course with a four year degree including a major in aviation. This is a very valuable option if you do not have a degree. You will benefit from a campus like feel providing you with a necessary fall back. In this industry, where you might have to stop flying because of lay offs or the loss of your medical certificate, it is very important to have a degree. In fact a number of airlines requires a bachelor to apply for a crewmember position. They are usually part 141 approved and most of them offer some financing options. Flight academy : This type of training is offered as a full time, comprehensive FAA approved training course, usually on a major campus. They have a high number of airplanes and an average ratio of students per instructor. They provide in house ground schools for every certificate and ratings. In about a year to a year and a half you can obtain all your credentials including instructor certificate which usually allows you to teach at this very same school and built your total time and experience. They are governed under a spcecific part called 142.The financing option is not always available and might require you to find a third party lender. Military school : One of the best training out there is thru a military branch. While it offers great possibilities for a career in aviation, it also requires going thru an intense and rigorous selection process and a number of education and physical pre-requirements from the candidates like a degree or height and eye sight. You will also have to serve in this specific branch for a few years. Transitioning from military to civilian aviation is not complicated and a lot of airlines gladly hire military pilots. Fixed Based Operator : Also called FBO, these are flight schools usually owned by an airport service provider, for general aviation aircrafts or business jets at a specific airport. This type of training is the most common in the United States. Usually smaller, they are therefore the most unstable when the industry is suffering and have been known to close down every so often. On the other hand some are very well run with top of the line instructors providing a great one on one training. They also are the least expensive option. Most of them provide part 61 training and usually do not offer there own financing option. |
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