The Pros and Cons of Attending Flight School

For many people, being a pilot is a childhood dream. You can work in the skies and travel to different countries for free.

A career in aviation sounds worthwhile. You are assured to benefit a lot from this valuable experience. Of course, there will be drawbacks, but they can be overcome.

If you are eager to fly as a way of living, you must first consider its perks and downsides. It will be wise to put these into consideration as aviation can be a long-term commitment.

The Pros

Excellent Instruction

Courses in aviation must be taught by the best professors that specialize in this field. Universities maximize these experts’ knowledge and skills for students to learn more about the program.

Sometimes, universities hire retired airline officials, an active pilot, or an aviation mechanic. They are the best people to teach the course because they’ve experienced the lessons first-hand.

You will be trained in a flight school in the maximum capacity. Utilizing the most advanced learning and teaching methods, a flight school’s main goals include producing excellent pilots after study.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

You’re off to a great educational journey if your chosen flight school has the best aircraft and simulators. The best schools even have modern plane models with installed GPS and ADS-B.

Aviation students also have access to top-notch facilities that only flight schools have. If you are lucky, you’ll probably be the first to try the newest technologies in the industry.

With these facilities, you are ensured to become a pilot with more proficiency in flying using more advanced ways.

Broad Network

Aside from learning, you will get to know more people in the industry. They will help you build a large network that will guarantee you a job soon in different airlines.

You will find that learning and building connections with people with the same interests as you will be beneficial for you in no time. Also, you’re more likely to develop friendships that you will keep for life.

The Cons

High Cost

An aviation course is known for being an expensive course to study that can amount to as high as $130,000 annually, excluding travel costs.

Even though the study cost in flight school is steep, the starting position once you graduate is more likely higher than other common courses.

For example, an average aviation graduate who has $100,000 to $150,000 in debt for tuition would likely receive a starting salary of less than $30,000 per year for the local airline pilot position.

Limited Alternatives

If you failed in the aviation career, you still have other options to consider.

An associate’s or a bachelor’s degree in flight will only benefit you if you want to pursue being a pilot. So, it is no secret that this industry is highly competitive when it comes to jobs.

Maybe your medical certification request for flying is denied, you’re penalized for a misdemeanor, or you fail too many check rides; overall, you certainly don’t want to be rejected for a pilot’s license.

Hence, many people recommend pursuing a more flexible degree before venturing into aviation, like majors in accounting or business.

There are a lot more benefits in attending a flight school such as a guaranteed career placement after graduation, and disadvantages such as tight schedules and strict policies. We hope that with this guide, you are now ready to take the leap of getting into an aviation school and fly high towards your dream.

To get into a flight school means that you are ready for a challenge. Learn more about different programs that will be helpful to make your study decisions by reading our articles here at MSM Unify.