Have you ever looked at the sky and watched the clouds rushing and playing with the wind? Seen the airplane contrails crisscrossing and tumbling around each other? Maybe you’ve watched the power of a jet as it darts into the air and quickly accelerates out of sight. Other times you’ve seen the smaller planes and watched with wonder as they traverse the skies. And then…you think what would it be like to be able to be the one enjoying the air up there.
You have just taken the first step towards learning to fly! When you have a true desire to experience and accomplish something, you are your most successful self! As a pilot, you will strive to learn, advance, and succeed in the joy of aviation!
The next step is finding the best place for you to accomplish your training. You should look for a place that is highly rated, flies consistently throughout the year, has more available to you than just an instructor and a plane. A place where you are not a number in the midst of an assembly line but are respected as a future brother or sister in aviation. An establishment where you are greeted upon entering the building and people know your name.
When I found my flight training school, I felt at ease as soon as I walked through the door. Having this comfort level let me know that I was at the right place for me. I was introduced to the instructor I would be flying with and taken to the plane I would fly in for a “discovery flight”. Discovery Flights are highly discounted flights designed to let you get a taste of flying, without having to spend much money or make any commitment. The flight was amazing! Once we were in the air I was given the yoke and allowed to fly by myself. We flew for an hour. A glorious, exciting hour of seeing the world from the sky! I was hooked on single-engine planes!
Back at the airfield, I was excited to be able to acquire everything I needed without having to go anywhere else! The flight school was able to provide the professional gear needed to complete any piloting course: headset, books, test preparation, flying accessories, and they have a testing facility on which is rare, but made everything just that much
After, you complete a Discovery Flight, your instructor will formulate the right plan for your training. I came from a background of many flight hours in large planes but almost no time in single-engine airplanes. My instructor developed my plan and two months later, I was taking my check ride with an in-house FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE. Not all flight training schools and flight instructors are the same, so it’s okay to check out more than one before you make a decision on which one to use to receive your pilot’s license or next rating.
Flying is an amazing experience. I hope you will act on your desire to fly. It is a decision you will never regret! If I can help or offer you any advice, please let me hear from you.
Blue Skies!