How did you find your flight school?

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SethV

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SethV
Similar to the "what do you look for in a flight school" thread, how did you find out about your flight school?

We just stated a new school at OZW in SE Michigan. Its part of a 135 operation with a brand new hangar and no time building instructors. All "seasoned" guys and so far we have been just picking up students via word of mouth. Wondering if there are places to advertise that would be worth our effort?

http://www.airaaviation.com/

Thanks!
Seth
 
If you mean advertise on radio, TV or the newspaper, you would be wasting your money.

You do need a top rate web site and pay Google for people to see it 9 months of the year. About $1000
 
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Took my disco flight at a local flight school and then did the math. It was far cheaper to join the local equity flying club and I chose one of their approved CFI's after interviewing them.
 
Drove past it around 1200 (no exaggeration) times before finally pulling into the parking lot one day.

You guys aren't up on airnav yet. Though until you're a student pilot you probably haven't heard of airnav.

Slap some flyers up at Meijer (are they still doing that?) or Kroger or whatever.
 
Family friend was a tail wheel instructor there and recommended it to me. No regrets.
 
Went to the airport and looked around. My dad knew of a few of the schools already as well.
 
for me it was relatively simple. i was looking for the Sport Pilot program and, at that time, there were only two schools in my area offering the SPL. one was at 1C5 in a Aeronca Champ and the other at ARR in a Cessna 162. i took discovery flights in both, both were a hoot to fly in but I was a, um, 'larger' fellow at the time and was actually more comfortable in 162 so i began lessons in that at the JA Flying Center at ARR.
 
In many of the more remote parts of the country you only get one flight training and aircraft rental option unless you travel and do an accelerated program. Traveling wasn't a realistic option for me so my choice was made for me before I even started.
 
Hold on to you hats bboyz and girlz. Ravioli's gonna bust out with a shocker:

Post on a local Facebook Aviation group and Facebook general hobbies group. The first is obvious, the second is for those with free time that are looking to "try something new" and never thought it was possible.

There. I finally acknowledged a good use of Farcebook. Whodathunkedit?
 
SethV said:
Similar to the "what do you look for in a flight school" thread, how did you find out about your flight school?

We just stated a new school at OZW in SE Michigan. Its part of a 135 operation with a brand new hangar and no time building instructors. All "seasoned" guys and so far we have been just picking up students via word of mouth. Wondering if there are places to advertise that would be worth our effort?

http://www.airaaviation.com/

Thanks!
Seth
Click to expand...
I looked online and found that there were four (at the time) within a reasonable driving distance of my house. One was at a big airport with lots of Boeing and Airbus traffic; one was at an MF field (a Canadian thing, with a FSS and mandatory frequency but no tower); and two were at little class G fields.

I chose the one at the big airport, even though the others warned me that it would cost me a bit more with delays, because I wanted to be comfortable flying in the system, instead of being one of those pilots so petrified about talking to ATC that they'll fly 100 miles out of their way to avoid it. From day one it was ATIS, Clearance Delivery, Ground, Tower, Terminal, Practice Area, ATIS, Terminal, Tower, Ground. ATC phraseology and wake turbulence separation were second nature long before I soled. I ended up paying about $1,000 more for my PPL (in 2002 Canadian dollars), but no regrets -- it really paid off. The first time I flew into NY airspace, I felt as much at home talking to NY approach there as I did talking to ATC around Ottawa here.

I guess my long, rambling point here is to figure out the value proposition that makes your school different from the others. Anything can be an asset -- if your airport is busy, then people get good training in an ATC environment; if it's not, then they get fewer delays and save on training. If it's close to the practice area, mention that. Etc. Almost anything will be an asset for some students, even if it scares away others, and the students who do come will be more likely to be happy and stay, because they wanted what you had to offer.
 
Back pages of Flying Magazine.

Of course this was something like 29 years ago, before this new fad called the internet. And there was something like 6-8 pages full of small adds for flight schools.

I am probably a little different than most folks here, I wanted a full time flight school from 0 to CFI.
 
Knew which airport I wanted to train out of. Called the few flight schools there. Picked the one where the CFI who called me back clicked the most. Flew with her for a few flights to make sure it was a good fit. It was. The rest is aviation history.

Nice King Air, by the way. Is that part of the flight school? I'd train in that...
 
I was at my brother's house with my, at that time, young son. In the distance we could see skydivers. My brother suggested that my son & I stop at the airport on our way home so the boy could watch the meat missiles coming back to planet earth.

I spotted a crusty old guy with a neat airplane that was leaning on his pickup truck and we started talking ... wasn't too long before I got to take a ride. And the rest, as they say, is history.
 
I wanted to learn to fly and I knew there was an airport close to me. Just went there and walked in.
 
Me: Alexa, find a flight school.

My speaker: There are 4 flight schools near your location. Would you like directions to the nearest one?



Just kidding. Looked them all up. All were 141 except a couple. I chose the one that offered part 61 that was nearest me.
 
My "flight school" was a local instructor and airport owner. I found out it existed from the spouse of a colleague at work, and among other things discovered it was extremely affordable to train. $44 wet for the C-152 and $5 for the instructor. Couldn't beat that with a stick. I drove to the airport and started training that day. In addition to a C-152, he also had a PA28-140, a C-172, a Citabria, and an Aeronca Champ. I flew all of them in primary training. We did optional spin training in the Citabria, I flew my long XC in the C-172, and really like flying the Cherokee, which is how I wound up owning a low-wing aircraft. The Champ was a chance to fly on skis during the winter doldrums.
 
I found my first flight school because the flight school was run by the crop-dusting outfit that flew over my house and neighborhood every year. My current airport was recommended to me by the flight school/crop duster owners when they closed the school, and the FBO (where I rent the Archer from) hooked me up with an independant instructor.

So, unintentional advertising/word of mouth. :)
 
Thanks everyone, some great suggestions! Sounds like word of mouth and just "being there" are the leading candidates. So far that is working fairly well.
 
I found mine by going to the airport and talking to the 2 schools. This was back in 1993, so no Internet, no forums. Had to do the legwork, and it came down to price and talking to the owner and CFI.
 
Yea find a local podunk airport with a salty ol instructor whose flown GA forever... you will get real world advice a kid on the way to the airlines just doesn’t have to give ya... and at likely less cost...
 
There were 2 flight schools in my area. A co-worker had used one of the flight schools and said their planes were dogs and poorly maintained resulting in a number of cancelled lesson and other problems. Since he was a nuclear engineer (and me a mere attorney) I figured he knew what he was talking about and chose the other school. Good choice.
 
It was right there where I left it the last time...no trouble finding it at all.

Seriously, I've always flown with independent CFIs, although the one I've been with the longest has his own "flight school" business although he's pretty much the only instructor. Found him and my first CFI via recommendation from a pilot friend.
 
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