AOPA ANNOUNCES FLIGHT TRAINING EXPERIENCE AWARDS REGIONAL WINNERS

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has announced the results from the 2021 annual Flight Training Experience Awards and will announce the national winners at Redbird Migration in February.

The Flight Training Experience Survey and Awards are part of the You Can Fly program, powered by AOPA. You Can Fly is a comprehensive set of initiatives designed to get people flying and keep them flying. The Flight Training Experience Survey and Awards support that effort by recognizing flight schools and instructors that deliver exceptional training experiences.

The survey encourages anyone who has taken flight training in the past 12 months to candidly share their training experiences. Responses are used to measure the overall performance of the respondent’s flight training providers and spotlight areas where they are successful and where they have opportunities to improve. Survey participants include pilots of all experience levels, from new students to those earning advanced ratings or taking a flight review.

Research findings:

AOPA conducted research to determine what makes a good flight training experience. These findings have guided the annual Flight Training Experience Survey and Awards since then:

• The sheer enjoyment of flying is an important attribute that should be emphasized in flight training.
• Recreational goals are the most common reason for learning to fly and most students learn outside the Part 141 environment.
• Students come to the process through referrals and place a premium on personal interaction with the aviation community.
• The flight instructor’s performance is especially important.
• Flying and the sense of accomplishment it delivers is a powerful influence that mitigates quality issues and results in an overall positive experience.
• The notion of an “aviation community” that shares this experience is a key motivator.
• Value means far more than price. Schools should seek ways to stretch the student’s dollar, offer free or low-cost learning opportunities, and demonstrate they’re billing the student fairly.

Migration Flight Training Conference:

February 8 - 9, 2022

Aerospace Center for Excellence, Lakeland, Florida

Redbird Flight Simulations says that over the past 12 years, its annual Migration event has become the leading conference for flight training professionals. Featuring presentations from a wide range of industry leaders and small group breakout sessions tailored to meet the goals of attendees, Migration provides solutions to the real-world problems facing flight training organizations, flight instructors, and their clients.

Read AOPA's story.