The Right School
General Pilot Training / Flight School information for Oceania
Timeline vs Post Secondary Education vs Costs vs Reputation of School vs Success of School's Past Students, etc. It seems every future-pilot has a different predicament so we will address some of them below:
Many people who choose aviation as their second career do not feel they have the time to go through a 2 Year or a 4 year Aviation College Diploma. Often already equipped with Post Secondary Education and life experience, these types of wanna-be pilots want to get all of their licences in hand in the least possible time. If this sounds like you, and if you have money set aside for your complete Flight Training, it is a good idea to go into a Flight School and try to get a cheaper 'block rate' for your aircraft rental by guaranteeing many hours or perhaps through pre-paying for a block of hours. This can save you a lot of money over your entire training period.
Younger people graduating from high school with the flying bug often want to 'kill two birds with one stone' by enrolling in a 2 Year Aviation College Program. Here you can get all of your flying licences up to the Command Instrument Rating, and Flight Instructor Rating, in addition to a 2 Year Post Secondary College Diploma. These programs by nature can be more expensive as you receive Flight Training and College Studies simultaneously. But at the same time they often provide you with excellent training and professionalism before heading out into the real world. For those interested, there are some financing programs from the banks in place provided you go to a registered post-secondary college.
Some students may wish to research the success rate of the previous students at particular flight schools. If it is a highly respected Training School, it may have a very good record in it's students finding good flying jobs. Some schools may have a record of hiring their own students into Flight Instructor positions - which is a great way to get your first job and initial hours.
Other students can be extremely cost conscious and look to train at the least expensive school. The only caution we have here is to make sure you are receiving adequate training at such a school.