Best Flight School in the USA
Posted by Suspicious-Warthog57@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Hi, I’m currently 18 and I live in Utah. I have a large sum of money coming in from a RE transaction that I’m planning to use to move and pay my way through flight training. I’ve heard great things about Florida Arizona and Texas for flight training but I’m wondering, what is the BEST program in the US for getting to the airlines the fastest and most cost effective way. Does anyone have any recommendations for me to look into?
kbokwx@reddit
Have you considered getting a college degree and learn the aviation business instead of just learning to drive an airplane? You are young enough it's not such a rush. Univ of Oklahoma reportedly has the best complete aviation program.
wzaviation@reddit
ATP flight schools absolute best hands down🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Pro-editor-1105@reddit
question are you really a cpl?
wzaviation@reddit
15 down votes is crazy😂😂 I was just being silly guys cmon gimme a break lighten uppp
Pro-editor-1105@reddit
ik lol
wzaviation@reddit
Also no there’s no such thing as a commercial pilots liscense in America we have commercial limit certificates not licenses I wish people understood this.
Jrnation8988@reddit
Hahahahahahahahaha. Oh, wait. You’re serious? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
wzaviation@reddit
I’m jokin I’m jokin you guys are ruthless 😂😂
DeltaPapa402@reddit
Unconventional BUT get your Light Sport Pilot license (25 hours) first with normal CFI so those hours count towards private pilot.
Rent LSA's and like 35-40 hours of daytime VFR cross countries with 50+ NM legs to build time and have fun flying. Instrument rating requires 50 hours of 50+ NM cross countries.
Then go for Private, Instrument, Commercial, etc.
EHP42@reddit
There's that adage about "fast, cheap, good: pick 2" that comes to mind here.
One thing to keep in mind is that airlines are not really hiring right now, so it's hard to say how many hours you'll need to get to the airlines. So yeah, you could drop $150k and get your 1500 hours in a year, but then what? If airlines are still not hiring, you'll be stuck working a low-paying CFI job for the foreseeable future.
My recommendation is to stay where you are and get your Class 1 medical and your PPL at a part 61 mom-and-pop school (not ATP, which is also part 61). That way you find out if you actually CAN be an airline pilot. Pay as you go, invest the rest (even just in a savings account), and get a degree in something that can lead to a job (not an aviation science degree that prepares you for nothing and helps not at all in job hunting or if airline hiring is in a longterm drought).
As you get into spring/summer in Utah, you should be able to easily knock out your PPL before fall. Do that before you make drastic choices as an 18 year old.
Suspicious-Warthog57@reddit (OP)
Sound advice, thank you. I’ve done a lot of research on the schools near me and I can’t seem to find one that doesn’t have people saying negative things about.
EHP42@reddit
People go online to complain. Not many people go online to sing praises. You could ask here as well for people's experiences with specific flight schools you're considering. And you also have to keep in mind that the CFI you get can be the biggest determining factor in how well and how fast you learn. And sometimes a specific CFI might be amazing for someone else but doesn't work well with you.
The best thing to do would be to find some decently reviewed mom-and-pop part 61 schools near you, and go do some discovery flights. Ask to be paired with the CFI you'd be learning from, and see if you click.
Crazy_Independent368@reddit
That’s because when people can’t cut the program in aviation there is very little humility, the people that fail out of programs just go online and shit talk them to make themselves feel better
How often do you hear some crap about a flight school now , how often have you seen a post saying “ I didn’t study enough “ or I just screwed up , or maybe I’m not cut out for this.
Go to the place you’re interested and talk to them, ask the questions that are important to you,
Reddit is probably the worst place to get advice about flight schools because you’re getting advice from kids who don’t know, people that have 20 hours, some CFIs that wish they were in the airlines and very very few times you get advise from someone who actually has been through it all, and successfully
willflyforboatmoney@reddit
Since no one else said it, get yourself a useful non-aviation related college degree while you’re training. Otherwise yeah stay away from ATP and all of the shiny marketing from the other big schools.
Fulcrum58@reddit
Just find some part 61 mom and pop flight school near where you want to live. Don't go to ATP or other corporate pilot mills, and people recommend Florida and Arizona because you have good weather year round to fly
Crazy_Independent368@reddit
Local is absolutely not always best, near me there wasn’t anything that had remote structure and the planes were not well maintained. I had to go somewhere 2 hours from where I lived to find something decent. Local mom and pop is absolutely not tried and true and always good. If you have a quality school near you then fantastic but everyone does not have this opportunity
Fulcrum58@reddit
That's true I guess, I got pretty lucky with some established pt 61 schools near where I am in a big city
Onyxmarshmellow@reddit
I went to a flight school in Dallas Texas, Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD), Coast Flight Training. Great school, 2017 glass cockpit pipers archers for the entire fleet and the maintenance and instructors are amazing. Bare in mind, the instructors im speaking about may have moved onto the Regionals. The school has great standards so I can't see the quality of instructors declining. It's also partnered with American Airlines.
At that same airport is a flight school called Parish Aviation. Owned by 2 brothers and the fleet is all Cessna 172s I believe. The Chief Pilot(one of the brothers) is an amazing Pilot and he did my spin training.
As for Florida, speaking from experience, steer clear of Northeast Florida Regional flight school wise.
All opinions, I don't think these few are the best just what I've experienced.
stratjeff@reddit
Don't worry about flying as a career. Get your private pilot's license first, *then* decide if you want to take the leap. You'll learn whether or not you're ready for the challenge, responsibility, and costs of flight training.
I suggest a Part 61 school with at least a handful of airplanes available. Recommend being cost-conscious here, so you don't need to find the cheapest, but I'd avoid the most expensive (ie Cirrus/Diamond aircraft). You can always spend more money once you know if you're committed.
Suspicious-Warthog57@reddit (OP)
What’s typically a good price for a PPL these days? Schools around me say 17-20k
stratjeff@reddit
I think that's a good estimate if you can finish in 40-50 hours. Some people take twice as long, which is twice as expensive.
Reputation_Many@reddit
lol atp is not the best flight school.
There isn’t a best flight school. There is a best for you. Personally, I would try and stay where you’re at where you have friends and family and other resources that can help you out if things go sideways for some reason like you get sick I need to go to the hospital or have a flat tire out in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention, you should get valuable training, dealing with mountains the guys that learn in Florida never experience mountains or high altitude flying.
Good luck with your choice. I do suggest going part 61 route and not the part 141 route because flying is supposed to be fun not structured to where it’s boring and repetitive.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Hi, I’m currently 18 and I live in Utah. I have a large sum of money coming in from a RE transaction that I’m planning to use to move and pay my way through flight training. I’ve heard great things about Florida Arizona and Texas for flight training but I’m wondering, what is the BEST program in the US for getting to the airlines the fastest and most cost effective way. Does anyone have any recommendations for me to look into?
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