Right seat: Celebrating the best

Flight training isn’t immune from this shift in thinking. Or one could say it’s also a beneficiary of this thinking. Most people get into the profession because of their passion for passing flying on to a new generation. Few people approach flight instruction as strictly a good business opportunity.

This presents a dichotomy. On one hand, we have people in the business who are thrilled to be there, excited to teach, and generally in it strictly for the student’s best interest. On the other hand, those passionate aviators frequently don’t have a strong business background.

Thankfully, although succeeding in the business of flight instruction is difficult, the elements that make a great school and instructor are simple: provide good airplanes and simulator, be transparent about the process, bring students into the flying community, recognize student successes, and, most important, provide great customer service.

For the past few years AOPA has honored the top flight schools and instructors in the country through the Flight Training Excellence Awards, a program that gathers student feedback related to a number of factors we know lead to a good flight training experience. This year, as in recent years, the Best Flight School and Best Flight Instructor share remarkably similar traits. These training providers offer flight instruction because they love it. They provide a fantastic customer experience, and they support their students every step of the way.

Read about what a great flight school should look like in Jamie Beckett’s “Going Pro,” beginning on p. 32. Flight Training Professionals of Orlando is the winner of this year’s Best Flight School Award, and you’ll find that doing the basics well truly matters.

This year’s Best Flight Instructor is Brenda Tibbs, of Frederick, Maryland. Tibbs is a single mother and mid-career changer who was drawn to flight instruction for the satisfaction of teaching and mentoring. Read more about Tibbs in Jill W. Tallman’s “Patience in Abundance,” beginning on p. 28.

Did your school or flight instructor make the Best, Outstanding, or Honor Roll lists? Check out the full roll on p. 36.

The Flight Training Excellence Awards are just one part of a large AOPA program aimed at stopping the decline in the population. AOPA’s You Can Fly is tackling the monumental challenge through a multipronged approach, including supporting flight schools and the great work they do to grow the future of aviation. Helping schools and instructors means students have a better experience, more people go on to become pilots, and our community begins to grow.

Email Editor Ian J. Twombly at [email protected]; Twitter: ijtwombly; and visit Flight Training on Facebook.