A successful career as a professional pilot involves making a lot of decisions. Sitting at the helm as one of the most important decision one can make in their career is ‘Choosing the right flight school’. We can all agree that sterling airmanship is not something that can be taught, but choosing the right flying school sets the basis from which such skills can be acquired.

So what do you need to know before choosing the right flight school? Below are key factors that will guide you.

• Approved Training Organization

An Approved Training Organization (ATO) is any organization approved by and operating under the supervision of the authority (KCAA) in accordance with the requirements, to perform approved training. It is essential for a person interested in pursuing flight training to ensure the institution him/her is interested in is approved by KCAA. We compiled a list of approved training organizations in Kenya that you can choose from.

• Facilities

Another factor, of equal importance, is the institution’s facilities. We recommend visiting the flight school physically and request a tour of their facilities and learn more about the institution. Having an adequate ratio of classrooms, aircraft, and certified flight instructors to students is a selling point for most schools. Some schools do own and operate flight simulators which is an even bigger selling point.

• Safety Standards

Flying is ranked as the safest mode of transport largely because of its strict adherence to safety. When choosing a flight school, their safety record should be at the top of the list.

• Cost

It’s no secret that flight training is expensive. Carefully examining the fee structure of the intended flight school would save you a lot of unwanted hurt, financially. No flight school sets out to willfully fleece its students but more often than not, there may be hidden charges, hence it is advised to take keen interest in the fee structure and be in a position to compare it with what other flight schools offer.

As a parting shot, of equal importance, these are some of the questions you should be able to answer about the flight school you are interested in: Where do their students end up? What percentage gets a job as a commercial pilot? Do they supply pilots to certain airlines?