PFC :: PFC vs. Other Flight Schools

PFC vs. Other Flight Schools
1. Was I asked to pay up front for my training? 2. What is the flight school's billing practice? 3. Was the person I spoke with clear about the training requirements? 4. What are the options and requirements for attending ground school? 5. Part 141 vs. Part 61 Training: What is the difference and what program should I follow? 6. How many instructors does the school have? How many are full time instructors? 7. What experience and education do the instructors have? 8. What value does t he school place on technology like GPS and flight simulators? Download a printer friendly version of this list as a PDF. 1. Was I asked to pay up front for my training? Being asked to pay for all of your training up front is a big red flag. At Premier Flight Center, you can pay as you go. Back to top 2. What is the flight school’s billing practice? Some flight schools bill you for the entire time you book an instructor and/or an aircraft. Premier will bill only for the time you use the airplane and for the time you spend with our instructors. Premier always provides you a receipt at the end of every flight so that you know how your money was spent. Back to top 3. Was the person I spoke with clear about the training requirements? Many flight schools will only tell you about FAA minimum hours and quote you prices that are based on those minimums. At Premier Flight Center, we want you to know what you are in for up front! The FAA requires 40 hours of training. However, the vast majority of students cannot meet the skill requirements in that amount of time, even when they are full-time students. The national average for flight training to earn a private pilot license is closer to double the FAA’s minimum requirement. Back to top 4. What are the options and requirements for attending ground school? Some flight schools bill you for ground school the day you sign up for lessons with them and buy your books. Ground school provides a great opportunity for learning the material necessary for the knowledge test that you will be required to pass, but it is not the only option. At Premier Flight Center, we recognize that every student has individual needs and every student learns differently. With Premier, Ground School is an option that you choose to pay for on your own! Back to top 5. Part 141 vs. Part 61 Training: What is the difference and what program should I follow? Some schools insist that you participate in their training as a Part 141 student. Premier offers Part 141 flight and ground training because it suits the needs of some of our students, but we don't require you to be a Part 141 student. Part 141 training works very well, especially for students who learn to fly through an intensive, full-time (5-day per week) flight training program. Part 61 training allows students the flexibility to tailor a flight or ground training syllabus to your schedule and your needs! Under Part 61, students can move to another section of the syllabus while developing proficiency in other areas over time as thier needs dictate. At Premier, you and your instructor will decide which program works best for you! Click here for more information about Premier's Part 141 Approved Program. Back to top 6. How many instructors does the school have? How many are full time instructors? Quality flight schools attract quality flight instructors, a lot of them! The experience and education levels of the instructors are very revealing about the school you are considering. At Premier Flight Center, we know that many flight instructors will move on to other opportunities in aviation; however, we carefully screen our applicants so that we can assure you of our instructors’ dedication to teaching. The majority of Premier’s instructors desire to flight instruct as their long term goal. Back to top 7. What experience and education do the instructors have? At Premier Flight Center, most low-time flight instructors do not meet our high standards. If you look at our web site, you will see that our instructors have earned various college degrees including Ph.D.’s. Some of our instructors are lawyers, teachers and scientists! Back to top 8. What value does the school place on technology like GPS and flight simulators? Fancy flight simulators may not save you as much money as you may believe. Flight simulators are wonderful tools, but they are very limited in their ability to give you the experiences you need to understand the airplane you will fly with your friends and family when you are on your own in the air. Premier makes only limited use of flight simulator technology. All of Premier’s airplanes have GPS systems! You will learn the basics of navigation first; then you will train to understand the utility and place that GPS has taken in aviation in the 21st Century at every level of pilot certification. Back to top

PFC vs. Other Flight Schools

1. Was I asked to pay up front for my training?
2. What is the flight school's billing practice?
3. Was the person I spoke with clear about the training requirements?
4. What are the options and requirements for attending ground school?
5. Part 141 vs. Part 61 Training: What is the difference and what program      should I follow?
6. How many instructors does the school have? How many are full time      instructors?
7. What experience and education do the instructors have?
8. What value does t he school place on technology like GPS and flight      simulators?

Download a printer friendly version of this list as a PDF.

1. Was I asked to pay up front for my training?

Being asked to pay for all of your training up front is a big red flag.
At Premier Flight Center, you can pay as you go.

2. What is the flight school’s billing practice?

Some flight schools bill you for the entire time you book an instructor and/or an aircraft.
Premier will bill only for the time you use the airplane and for the time you spend with our instructors.
Premier always provides you a receipt at the end of every flight so that you know how your money was spent.

3. Was the person I spoke with clear about the training requirements?

Many flight schools will only tell you about FAA minimum hours and quote you prices that are based on those minimums.
At Premier Flight Center, we want you to know what you are in for up front! The FAA requires 40 hours of training. However, the vast majority of students cannot meet the skill requirements in that amount of time, even when they are full-time students.
The national average for flight training to earn a private pilot license is closer to double the FAA’s minimum requirement.

4. What are the options and requirements for attending ground school?

Some flight schools bill you for ground school the day you sign up for lessons with them and buy your books.
Ground school provides a great opportunity for learning the material necessary for the knowledge test that you will be required to pass, but it is not the only option. At Premier Flight Center, we recognize that every student has individual needs and every student learns differently. With Premier, Ground School is an option that you choose to pay for on your own!

5. Part 141 vs. Part 61 Training: What is the difference and what program should I follow?

Some schools insist that you participate in their training as a Part 141 student.
Premier offers Part 141 flight and ground training because it suits the needs of some of our students, but we don't require you to be a Part 141 student.
Part 141 training works very well, especially for students who learn to fly through an intensive, full-time (5-day per week) flight training program.
Part 61 training allows students the flexibility to tailor a flight or ground training syllabus to your schedule and your needs!
Under Part 61, students can move to another section of the syllabus while developing proficiency in other areas over time as thier needs dictate.
At Premier, you and your instructor will decide which program works best for you!
Click here for more information about Premier's Part 141 Approved Program.

6. How many instructors does the school have? How many are full time instructors?

Quality flight schools attract quality flight instructors, a lot of them! The experience and education levels of the instructors are very revealing about the school you are considering.
At Premier Flight Center, we know that many flight instructors will move on to other opportunities in aviation; however, we carefully screen our applicants so that we can assure you of our instructors’ dedication to teaching.
The majority of Premier’s instructors desire to flight instruct as their long term goal.

7. What experience and education do the instructors have?

At Premier Flight Center, most low-time flight instructors do not meet our high standards.
If you look at our web site, you will see that our instructors have earned various college degrees including Ph.D.’s. Some of our instructors are lawyers, teachers and scientists!

8. What value does the school place on technology like GPS and flight simulators?

Fancy flight simulators may not save you as much money as you may believe. Flight simulators are wonderful tools, but they are very limited in their ability to give you the experiences you need to understand the airplane you will fly with your friends and family when you are on your own in the air.
Premier makes only limited use of flight simulator technology.
All of Premier’s airplanes have GPS systems! You will learn the basics of navigation first; then you will train to understand the utility and place that GPS has taken in aviation in the 21st Century at every level of pilot certification.