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Principles of Flight Haven’t Changed – How We Train Has Evolved

Principles of Flight Haven’t Changed – How We Train Has Evolved

Happy New Year to our friends, family, and fellow flyers! We hope 2022 was a wonderful year for you and that 2023 brings you much health and happiness. With each new year we anticipate new and different changes in the general aviation industry. Some of these changes are regulatory, some are related to equipment, and other changes may be related to certain trends (i.e., we are seeing more female aviators than ever before!). At American Flyers, two things will never change: how we teach and how we take care of our students.

Since our inception, we have believed in two key things: customer service and quality flight instruction. We hire employees that believe in taking care of our customers. For our instructors, that means putting students’ needs before their own. They’re not here to build hours; they’re here for you, the student. That’s unique. We live in a new world where young aviators are being led to believe they don’t have to work as hard as their predecessors. Airlines are desperate for pilots and are recruiting like never before. As a result, some CFIs are so hyper focused on the next step, they forget about growing and maturing as flight instructors. Some of our instructors might be headed for a career with the airlines, but they are committed to learning their craft while at the same time working with our students to ensure their success. You cannot have customer service if you don’t have the right employees. Our employees are the best the industry has to offer.

As for technology, it might change over time, but our curriculum has not. We believe in teaching the basics. Yes, that means paper charts, aluminum E6Bs, and round dials in the airplane. When asked why, I always refer to this simple analogy: when you introduce the basic principles of mathematics, you don’t use a calculator. If you did, the individual you were teaching would never understand the how or why. As a result, when the calculator’s battery died, the individual would be left utterly helpless. Dr. Michael Bliss, chairman of our National Safety Board, has written a wonderful article entitled “What Happens When Technology Fails.” In this article, on page 4, he explains why learning the basics is so important.

At American Flyers, we have state of the art equipment that allows us to teach the basics while adhering to the fundamentals of flight instruction. We now have twenty-five Piper100i aircraft, more than any other flight school in the country. Each Piper has the Garmin G3X, a glass display that can transition from a six pack to tapes. This allows us to teach from a standard six pack while gradually introducing glass into a student’s program. We also utilize Frasca simulators. Frasca has been building state of the art simulators for sixty-five years. Technology is important, but even more important is understanding the basics behind the technology. We believe that with the right curriculum, technology, and professional aviators, we can help anyone achieve their aviation goals. If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming a pilot, please have them visit www.americanflyers.com or call us at 1-800-362-0808.