A.You do not have any obligation to the flight school where you took the first three lessons provided that you did not sign a training contract. Assuming that you didn't, your "obligation" is simply to let the school know that you will be discontinuing your training there and why. This is something that the instructors are sure to understand as they, too, have probably had to make the connection between money and flight hours somewhere along the line. It's important to explain your reasons because it may help the school to improve its service.
But before you stop in to give them the bad news, make certain that you have all of the information about the instruction available at the flying club. In most cases, flying clubs do not have full-time instructors, so you may have trouble scheduling lessons at times that are convenient for you. If the club has only one or two part-time instructors with busy lives of their own, you may find that weeks pass between lessons while you try to make your schedules coordinate. In the long run, this can cost you a lot of money. The more often you fly, the less you will "lose" between lessons. That means fewer hours of instruction between you and your certificate. Once you have the certificate, the cost of flying will go down no matter where you fly because you will be paying only for the airplane and not for the instructor.
At a flight school, you may find that it's easier to make up for a missed lesson because there are several full-time instructors on staff. This also allows you to fly stage checks with different instructors so that you can get an unbiased evaluation of your skills as you prepare for solo or for the checkride.
You should also consider the number of airplanes available and the number of flying hours that each receives. Let's say that you're learning in a Cessna 172. If the flight school has four of these airplanes, chances are that at least one will be available when you want it and that you won't have to wait days or weeks to fly because of maintenance. If the club has only one or two Cessna 172s and they are popular among the members, you may find that the airplane is out of town or down for maintenance when you planned a lesson.
Be sure that you understand the flight club's rules as well. Will you, as a new member and student, have an equal opportunity to get the airplane that you want, or do longtime, certificated members take precedence in scheduling? Can club members take the aircraft out of town for extended periods of time? If this is the case, you may be able to use the aircraft every day for three weeks but then be forced to wait six weeks before it's your turn again.
So be certain that you understand your options before choosing. Talk to pilots who have taken instruction at the club. Ask if they had trouble scheduling lessons, how many hours it took them to earn their certificates, and how many months those hours were spread over. The flying club may be the right choice for you, but it may not.
