Choose your flight school after considering these factors.
When it comes to whether you want a career as a pilot or want to train for personal reasons, the school you go to is one of the basic decisions you would have to make.
One key factor is deciding whether as a Ghanaian, to be enrolled in a local school like Starwest Academy or travel abroad since there are so many schools available.
Here are steps to consider when choosing the right flight school for you.
Your pilot goals
Whether you want a professional career as a pilot or you just want to learn to fly a plane as a hobby, knowing your long term goals in the industry can help you choose the flight school that’s best for you. Each school has a different feel. Some have more structure than others. For some, you can complete your flight training as and when you need it while other schools teach FAA approved courses which you must follow. There are accredited institutions and others are not. Knowing what your pilot goals are can make the choice of the right flight school easier.
Your finances
Flight training costs can vary significantly. The school’s location, the number of students they take, the aircraft type they use among others are all factors that influence the cost of flight training.
When choosing your flight school, after you have determined your pilot goals you must make a budget of how much you are willing to spend on training.
Mind you, the cost of training is on the expensive side everywhere on the market. However, you can figure out which varying cost fits your budget.
The location of the school
The location of your school is another factor to consider in the steps towards getting the right flight school for you. How far or near the school is from you also affects your general costs when it comes to flight training. Also, the location of the flight school can affect how busy the airspace is around you and can also add to costs. For example, a prospective student in West Africa will spend less choosing Starwest Academy for their training over a school in the United States of America.
Reviews from other pilots
One way to analyze the quality of a school is by talking to students and alumni of the school.
Having an honest conversation with someone currently in the school you are considering or who may have gone through the course you want to pursue will give you a fair idea of what to expect. No school is perfect but at least with the reviews you get you can weigh the pros and cons of schools and make comparisons.
It is always a good idea to visit prospective schools just to get a feel of the atmosphere, something you might pick up there may solidify your position on the choice of flight school you will want to attend. In Ghana, there are not a lot of flight schools making your decision process less tedious. Some flight schools include Starwest Academy, formerly CTK Flight Academy, Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy and International School of Aviation.