� Q: I want to become a commercial pilot. I recently graduated college with a business degree and have always wanted to fly as my career. What flight school is the best in terms of affordability and comprehensiveness? I’ve looked into one school that sounds great on its website, but I’ve also read some negative reviews online. (These reviews were about five years old, and I couldn’t find anything more recent.) I’ve also heard that another school is good and more affordable. Any advice on this subject?—Dustin
� A: The first thing you need to decide is what type of flying you want to do as a career. Do you want to fly charters in Alaska? How about flying helicopters onto oil-rig platforms? Clearly defining your goal will help you choose the best route to get there. Let’s presume that by “commercial pilot” you mean an airline or corporate pilot.
Only you can decide whether School A is better for you than School B. You must conduct your own due diligence. This may mean visiting these institutions personally. You are considering investing tens of thousands of dollars with one of the academies you mention, so spend $1,000 or so for some airline tickets and pay your top three choices a visit.
While there, dig deep. Here is what I would do:
1. Inspect the airplanes personally. Ask to see the maintenance facility. Look at some logbooks if you can get them. Try to determine how much down time is accrued on the fleet. Are the airplanes neat and clean, or dingy? For the amount of money you are contemplating, they ought to be close to pristine.
2. Ask to observe a ground school session. Better yet, see if you can occupy the backseat for an instructional flight. Consider how the instructors interact with students. I know firsthand of one academy where the instructors treat the students poorly, figuring that this “toughens them up” for the rigors of the airline game.
3. See if the recruiter will let you connect with some of the students. Head over to the cafeteria or common area and engage those pilots in discussion.
4. Ask for some verification of industry relationships. If an academy states it has an association with one of the regional airlines, ask to see a copy of the letter of agreement.
5. Investigate the placement rate. Many institutions claim that their graduates are hired by the airlines. How many in the last 90 days? Last six months? Where? Ask if you may speak to any of them.
6. Recognize that upon graduation, you will still have a long way to go. How will that company help you get to 1,500 hours and an airline transport pilot certificate? Will the company employ you as a CFI? Under what criteria, and for what pay?
7. Ask about local lodging. Will the academy assist, and what is the cost?
8. Ask what your schedule would be. How often will you fly? What’s the prevailing weather at the school?
9. Find out about advanced training. Does the school have any regional jet simulators or flight training devices? What additional cost is involved for this kind of education?
10. Ask about financial assistance.
If the admissions rep balks at any of this, politely state that you are considering an investment of $50,000 to $75,000 or more, and you deserve the time and respect to make an informed decision.
Finally, don’t believe everything you see on Internet posts. Conduct your own investigation and draw your own conclusions.
