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You should consider both competence and compatibility. First, whether you plan to work with a local flight school or an independent instructor, your training will go better when they follow a syllabus. You’ll want to meet with them to discuss their syllabus for the training course. They should be eager to explain it to you. You will also want an instructor who talks excitedly about the joys of flight instructing and is willing to patiently explain the syllabus to you. It is your road map for success because it tells you what will happen in each lesson. Without a syllabus, you’ll likely end up spending significantly more time and money. Second, learning to fly creates a close, intense relationship between the learning pilot and their flight instructor. You’ll want to…

Once you have determined what kind of pilot you want to be, you can follow our step-by-step path toward achieving your aviation goals. No matter what type of flying you choose, the basics stay pretty much the same. As you move through these steps, however, keep in mind that your experience is the most important gauge to monitor in order to ensure your success—what works for one of your peers, or even a mentor, may not be the best option for you. So, trust your gut when it comes to forging your way into the skies. FIND THE RIGHT FLIGHT SCHOOL The flight-training organization you choose for your aviation education is so important, we place it first in the lineup to help ensure your success. Your choice of school depends…

Cockpits make terrible classrooms. They are expensive, loud, quick to produce sensory overload, and there is always the potential for the “classroom” to collide with something else—such as another “classroom.” If you are looking for a less expensive, more productive path to learning to fly, consider utilizing an aviation training device, commonly referred to as a simulator. I am a 5,500-plus-hour master CFI in Seattle and have been teaching in ATDs since 2005. Correctly utilized, an ATD can accelerate the acquisition of many skills, from procedures to decision-making. SAVE MONEY, IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS Simulation devices at the flight school level run the gamut from desktop models that have rudder pedals, a yoke and a computer screen where the windscreen would be to the more expensive, FAA-approved ATDs that create immersion…

I have heard it many times: “I have always wanted to learn to fly, but I don’t have perfect vision.” The idea that pilots need 20/20 vision is truly a misconception. And while there are some medical conditions that would disqualify you from becoming a pilot, most can be overcome. Only one eye? No problem. No hearing? No problem. Missing one or several limbs? No problem. It may surprise you to learn about seemingly insurmountable barriers that certificated pilots have conquered. Angeles, California. In some cases, it’s a matter of getting a special medical certificate. For others, a specific type of airplane, or one that has been modified, can help you beat the challenge. Other cases simply require special procedures. Whatever your perceived limitation, don’t give up on your dream—look…

Just 18 short months ago, pilots chasing an airline job had a nearly bottomless well of opportunities to draw from. Industry experts compared the scarcity of experienced cockpit crewmembers to the 1960s—when the major airlines were so needy, they actually subsidized pilot training. As 2019 drew to a close, it was fairly common for regional airlines to pay substantial hiring bonuses for the right pilot and then add another lump sum once they’d completed training. Then, in the first quarter of 2020, the COVID-19 virus began choking the life out of the airline industry people had taken for granted as demand for airline travel plummeted to unheard-of lows. By mid-April, the TSA reported screenings at US airports had declined by as much as 96 percent year over year. Stories circulated…

As pilots, we try not to draw too many parallels between driving a car and flying an airplane, because they don’t have much in common aside from moving your body quickly through space. One place this really rings true sits in front of you when you get into the cockpit: the instrument panel. It’s the stretch of landscape above the flight controls—if you have a yoke or center stick—and the throttle quadrant in most training aircraft. The panel itself is typically crafted from aluminum or other metal, with plastic or vinyl molded fairings. Though you may see a big glass screen in front of the pilot’s seat not unlike the one in your car, its functionality goes far beyond using a touchscreen to call up a radio station—what pilots call…

If you could fly anything, what would it be? Maybe your long-term goal requires a few intermediate steps along the way. But knowing the type of aircraft you want to pilot starts you off on the right track and can save you time and money along the way. Want to know your options? Check these out. SINGLE-ENGINE PISTONS Learning to fly a single-engine piston-powered airplane starts your journey in aviation in a place from which you can take any next step that you wish—or lead you to a lifetime of flying satisfaction on its own. Your basic licensing path takes you to the private pilot certificate, and most people complete this training in a single-engine airplane for reasons of cost, simplicity and availability. In most cases, learning to fly will…

When the original Midway Airlines closed its doors a few decades ago, they took away one of the best flying jobs I’d ever had up to that point. Luckily, the opportunity to fly right seat on a business jet appeared, though I knew next to nothing about business aviation at the time. The chief pilot was nice enough to give me a chance—despite my airline experience, he said. I thought he was kidding but soon learned the only thing the two flying jobs had in common was how the flight controls moved. As it turned out, the opportunity that chief gave me opened the door to an entirely different segment of the aviation world, one that I’ve been pretty much glued to ever since. If becoming a professional pilot to…