You know what's been good, bad, and awesome when it comes to your own training experience. Share that insight and help make flight training better for everyone.
When you take part in the 2018 Flight Training Experience Survey and Awards, you can help your schools and instructors be the very best they can be.
The survey questions are based on AOPA’s extensive research into the optimal flight training experience and emphasize four key factors:
We'll use your answers to show schools and CFIs where they're strong and where they have opportunities to grow. We'll also use your responses to recognize the very best training providers through the Flight Training Experience Awards.
Anyone who has taken primary, advanced, or refresher training in the past 12 months is eligible to participate.
HOW IT WORKS The Flight Training Experience Survey is designed to measure the overall performance of flight training providers through the eyes of their clients. By using a customer service feedback approach, it encourages participants to candidly share their training experiences. This includes anyone who has undertaken flight training within the past 12 months – from a budding student pilot preparing for his or her first solo, to new pilots pursuing an IFR rating, to commercial pilots brushing up on VFR rules.
The survey is conducted online, and in 2017 it produced reviews of 1,048 flight schools and 2,012 CFIs.
Scores are ranked using statistical measures, allowing smaller schools to remain competitive while accounting for the greater weight of evidence provided by larger numbers of responses. Free response answers are scored by a panel of industry experts who are unaware of the identity of the school or instructor being judged. Review the 2018 Flight Training Experience Survey eligibility requirements here.
Participate in our flight training feedback survey, and you’ll be eligible to enter to win one of seven great sweepstakes prizes* courtesy of SiriusXM, Sporty’s, Aircraft Spruce, Hertz, and Pilot Workshops.
Participation in the survey is not required to enter the sweepstakes. If you don’t want to submit valuable feedback to help the aviation industry and would like to just enter the sweepstakes, click here.
*NO PURCHASE OR REGISTRATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE OR REGISTRATION WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. CLICK FOR OFFICIAL RULES
For each of the two categories, Best Flight School and Best Flight Instructor, a total of six awards will be presented. One will be awarded to each of the five regions - West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast - and there will be an overall National Award winner.
This award is given to the flight school and flight instructor in each region that has received at least five submissions completed on their behalf through the Flight Training Experience Survey and has the top overall score from survey results for this category.
To narrow it down to one winner in each region, the committee may also conduct a phone interview or visit with the top finalists. A national winner will be recognized out of each of the five regional award recipients.
This award is granted to flight schools and flight instructors who received at least 5 independent reviews and consistently earned superior ratings from their customers on the areas highlighted in the Flight Training Experience Research (Educational Quality, Customer Service, Information Sharing, and Community).
For highlights of the 2017 Flight Training Experience Awards ceremony, click here.
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. Read more about the Flight Training Experience Research.
