How do I choose where to learn to fly?

Here are some of the factors to consider

Choosing the right flight school is an important decision. It is essential to do some research beforehand and not just settle for the cheapest, closest, or the first one you find in a Google search. A good flight school employs professional, experienced instructors that care about you, your training and your safety. Do they respect your time and money? Beware of flight schools that offer the lowest rates in town and try to convince you that you can become a pilot for way less than the competition. Those operations are likely not giving you the full story and don’t want you to know about all the (often hidden) costs involved in getting a pilot’s license. No matter how you look at it, quality flight training is not cheap, but we cannot emphasize enough that cost is far less important than value, and cheaper is rarely better when it comes to your flight training. Here are some things to consider and questions to ask when choosing a flight school:

Where is the best value?

YOUR CHECKLIST FOR A

GREAT FLIGHT TRAINING EXPERIENCE

GOALS

  • Does the flight school understand what you wish to achieve?

  • Do they have the experience necessary to help you succeed?

PROFESSIONALISM

  • Is everyone you contact polite, courteous, accessible, and knowledgeable?

  • Did someone answer the phone when you called?

  • If you left a voice message or sent an email, did someone reply in a timely manner?

  • If you visited their facility, how were you greeted when you entered the building?

  • Was someone available and willing to talk to you, answer your questions, and give you a tour of their facilities?

  • How do they communicate with their students?

  • Do you feel comfortable and welcome? First impressions matter.

FACILITY

  • What kind of learning environment do they have?

  • Is the facility clean and organized?

  • Do they have a classroom, private briefing rooms, simulators, and other technology/equipment that will help you learn?

  • Can you do your FAA check ride at their location?

  • Do their hours of operation fit your schedule?

Structure

  • Does the company have standard operating procedures that you can read?

  • Do their instructors follow a training syllabus?

  • Do they offer ground school?

Instruction

  • How available are the instructors?

  • Are you assigned one primary instructor, or do they bounce you back and forth between different instructors?

  • Do they pre-brief and post-brief at each lesson? Be cautious of anyone that says you can learn everything you need to know inside the airplane. A good flight instructor recognizes the importance of ground instruction and schedules time before and after every flight to teach on the ground.

Aircraft

  • What kind of airplanes do they fly?

  • Are they old and worn out, or are they updated and modern?

  • Do the airplanes look clean and well maintained?

  • How many airplanes are available for rent?

  • Do the airplanes have good availability?

  • What safety features do the airplanes have?

Maintenance

  • Does the flight school have FAA certified and factory trained mechanics on staff?

  • How long are airplanes out of service when they go in the shop for routine maintenance (oil changes, 100 hr inspections, annual inspections etc.)?

  • Do you see duct tape or “Inop” stickers on the airplane or instruments?

Advertised Time and Cost

Beware of schools quoting much lower rates or training times; you could be in for a surprise when you exceed your budget and are still not ready to finish your license.

  • How many hours do they estimate for completing your license? According to national averages, it takes the average person 60-80 hours of flight time and 3-6 months to achieve a pilot’s license. These numbers vary greatly based on a variety of factors i.e., the airplane you are learning to fly and the number of times per week you can dedicate to flying and studying.

  • Do they include ground training in their estimates, or only the minimum number of flight hours?

  • Do their estimates include FAA exam fees, obtaining a medical certificate, books, and other materials?

Why Choose Northwest Flight Service?

At Northwest Flight Service we are committed to providing the highest quality flight instruction to produce safe and proficient pilots who meet and exceed FAA standards. Our experienced flight instructors are held to high standards, and they are here because they love to fly, and they love to teach. While our instructors follow a structured syllabus as their guide, as an FAA Part 61 school, we can customize each course to fit the individual needs of our students.

We are a Cirrus Aircraft Partner and have been designated as a Platinum Cirrus Training Center and Cirrus Authorized Service Center. We have been training people to fly for 10+ years and our current facility was built in 2021 with our student’s needs in mind. Our 3 private briefing rooms, conference room, and classroom provide a distraction-free environment where you can focus on learning. Our state-of-the-art flight simulators are great money-saving tools and give us the ability to train in a variety of situations and environments.

Our fleet of Cirrus and Cessa 172s are maintained by our own FAA certified and factory-trained mechanics. Having safe airplanes is always our #1 priority. We do not cut corners. If it’s broken, we fix it. In addition, we have line service staff that keep our airplanes clean and fuel them before/after every flight. If you’re on a solo flight, we take care of all the details on the ground so you can focus on flying.

We are here for you and customer service is very important to us. We want you to feel like you are a part of something special… because you are! Our office is open Mon – Sat, 9am – 5pm but our training happens 24/7/365.

Above all else, there is no substitute for high-quality, structured training by experienced professionals. In 2017 Northwest Flight Service was selected as the Cirrus Training Center of the Year. In 2018 and 2019 we received the Cirrus Approach Safety Awards, and in 2022 our Chief Pilot was selected as the Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot of the Year. We love what we do, and we show that by offering you the very best. Do not settle for anything less…. your life and the lives of others depend on it.