Flight school is a big investment, and whether you’re learning to fly solo for the first time or
want to be a commercial pilot, you’ll want to get the most bang for your buck. Every lesson
will take a considerable amount out of your wallet, so how do you make sure you’re making
the most out of them?
1. Focus on more lessons in a shorter amount of time
If you’ve already learned how to drive a car, you might remember that if you had one lesson
per week, you spent the first 20 minutes of your lesson just trying to get back to where you
were at the end of your last lesson. The time between each lesson means you forget what
you’ve learned and lose some of the confidence you gained through a one- or two-hour
lesson. To make the most out of your learning so that you have time to process what you’ve
learned, try to get at least 2-3 lessons per week. You’ll learn much faster this way and will
reduce how much you have to spend in total.
2. Do your prep
As a part of the lessons you’re doing, you’ll get tasks and homework to solidify your learning.
Make sure to go over this after your lesson while it’s still fresh, and take the time to fully
understand everything you covered in that lesson. Before your next lesson, refresh yourself
again, and do some mental exercises practicing where controls are and the proper sequence
you need to carry out before taking off, for example.
3. Find people to talk to
One of the best ways to learn and to get the most out of your lessons is to find people that
have been through the same thing. This may be in-person or real-life through flying clubs.
These people are a great group to ask questions and go through anything you might be
nervous about or unsure about. A good place to start is your flight school. Try looking for top
flight schools if that’s where you live, for example, and look for networks and
clubs affiliated with the school.
4. Get good at the basics
Your first few lessons will focus on developing good habits, such as the checks you need to do before setting off and the checklists you need to go through after landing. These aren’t as exciting as flying, but by making this second nature, it will mean you’re prepared for the more
advanced lessons and know exactly what to do if something goes wrong. This will make your
exams easier to pass and will make you feel more confident that you don’t have to think;
your habits will just take over.
5. Get some time in the simulator
While it isn’t the same as flying a real craft, a flight simulator can be a great tool to practice
the basics and get some air miles under your belt. One of the best uses for a simulator is to
practice all of your checks and get a feel for what you should do in different situations.
