You’ve heard me say this many times before, there has never been a better time to start your flight training! If you’ve been thinking about starting don’t procrastinate, here is a shortlist of why you should start right now:
Airlines are hiring: Beginning last year, most airlines and corporate companies stopped hiring due to the lack of travel. On top of the hiring freeze, they also provided early retirement benefits to thousands of pilots. Now that travel is on the rise, most airlines have a plan to bring back furloughed pilots by the end of the year, and many have begun hiring again. In all likelihood, the pilot shortage we will experience over the next 5 to 10 years will be much worse than anything we experienced 2 to 3 years ago. This will ensure jobs for interested career-orientated pilots for years to come.
Financing: Financing options for our students have never been better. So much so, that we are dedicating an entire article in this issue to the various financial aid options available to our students. The financial crisis of 2008 led most lenders to believe there was too much risk in flight training. After all, where were students going to get a job? Today, banks look at flight training in a different light. They see the potential for jobs that offer high earnings. As long as you, or a cosigner, have decent credit, you can take advantage of many different loan options.
We are updating our fleet: Beginning 5 years ago, we decided to purchase 6 Frasca G-1000 simulators. The purchase was such a success that we decided to purchase more Frasca’s for each of our schools. These simulators are capable of teaching students in both the G-1000 and the traditional 6-pack. They’re not only dependable but they also provide the most up-to-date avionics platform in any simulator utilized by flight schools.
We are also updating our aircraft. We recently purchased 8, brand new, Piper Pilot 100i’s. Each airplane is equipped with the Garmin G3X that allows toggling between round dials and tape displays in a touch screen format.
All of this new technology will ensure that a student learns the “how and why” when using the traditional 6-pack. And, once these skills are mastered, they will have the opportunity to fly the most advanced technology the industry has to offer.
Flying is fun and easy!! People ask me all the time, is it hard to fly an airplane? The answer is “no, it’s a ton of fun!” Please don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you from your dreams. If you’re not sure, start with an introductory flight. We offer 1 hour of flight, 30 minutes of ground instruction, and 30 minutes in a state-of-the-art simulator for $169. It is, without a doubt, the best bang for your buck.
I hope I have inspired you to take your first step towards flight training. Whether you’re looking for a non-career course or you’re a career student, we have a program that is just for you. Call us and let us know how we can help you achieve your aviation goals.
Andrew F. Henley
