Fly Your Way To A Homesteading Experience

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If it comes down to choosing between two schools that compare favorably, check to see whether one (or both) has an instructor with "real world" (i.e., air taxi, airline, or other) experience. (This is the kind of instructor you'll want to have.) You might also base your final choice on whether one school charges extra for pre- and post-flight briefings. (Ideally, you want to pay only for actual flying time.) All other things being equal, you should choose the school that does not charge extra for the small amount of ground instruction that accompanies every lesson.

If you want dormitory accommodations, a campus atmosphere, and/or a loan with which to pay for your training, consider enrolling with one of the giants of the business. The following large schools offer fine instruction, have excellent reputations, and can help with placement after graduation:

American Flyers, Inc.
Airpark P.O. Box 3241-F, Dept. TMEN
Ardmore, Okla. 73401

Burnside-Ott Aviation Center
Building 106, Dept. TMEN
Opa-Locka Airport
Miami, Fla. 33054

Flight Safety International
P.O. Box 2708, Dept. TMEN
Vero Beach Municipal Airport
Vero Beach, Fla. 32960

Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
Oakland International Airport, Dept. TMEN
Oakland, Calif. 94614

Spartan School of Aeronautics
Tulsa International Airport, Dept. TMEN
Tulsa, Okla. 74151

(Note: The above list is by no means a complete one. You'll find many more large flight schools advertised in aviation magazines.)

Something else you might want to consider is joining a flying club. Many clubs-because they're nonprofit-are able to offer instruction to their members at low rates (sometimes as low as 50% of what a school might charge). The disadvantage of clubs is that they're often too small to offer advanced instruction, and most are not VAapproved. Still, they're worth checking out. (Look in the Yellow Pages or ask around at the local airport.)

SOME CLOSING THOUGHTS

Spend some time "hangar flying" -shooting the bull with pilots-and you'll soon discover that when it comes to airplanes, pilots are among the most prejudiced, opinionated people alive. As an eager-to-learn begin. ner, you'll make an inviting target for hearsaymongers, and-at first- everyone will offer you advice.

One person may try to tell you that if you learn in a Brand Y trainer, you'll turn out to be a better pilot. Another may tell you that if you train in Brand Y, you'll never graduate ... and so on. Just remember this: Most of what you hear in airport lounges is sheer baloney. There are actually very few absolutes in aviation. Use common sense in all that you do (and take everything you hear with a grain of sodium chloride), and you won't go far wrong.

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