Premier Flight Center vs. Other Flight Schools

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already involved in General Aviation or giving serious thought to fulfilling your dream of earning your wings. Whether it’s staying current or taking that first step to earning your Pilot’s Certificate, selecting the right place to do your training can make all the difference in the world. There are many articles and publications out there that explain what you need to look for and what questions to ask before signing on to take lessons or renting and aircraft.

We at Premier Flight Center at Hartford’s Brainard Airport want you to go one step further. We are so sure that our products and services are the best in the New England area we actually want you to check out our competition and compare what we have to offer.

  • Ask how long they have been in business and check out their office location and appearance.
  • Ask what their pass/fail rate is. Do they run ground school classes as well?
  • Ask about their safety history.
  • Ask to see their “fleet of aircraft” (not just looks/is safe but the overall appearance as well. Is the aircraft you will be renting something you would be proud to take someone for a flight in and you are totally comfortable in).
  • Ask how much experience their Instructors have (hours of logged “Dual Given”).
  • Ask what ratings their instructors have and what formal education they have.
  • Ask how long their staff has been with them.
  • Ask about their instructor’s peer recognition (NAFI, SAFE, AOPA, EAA memberships).
  • Ask what their instructor’s goals in aviation are and their flying experience.
  • Ask if their instructors are active in the Industry (publish articles, produce FAA Safety Seminars, attend workshops and conventions).
  • Ask if any of their Instructors have been nationally recognized by the FAA (as FAA Safety Team Reps, earned the FAA’s CFI “Gold Seal”, named Flight Instructor of the Year, etc).
  • Ask if there’s any pressure to pay “upfront” for “guaranteed license packages” or can you pay as you go with training tailored to meet your needs/goals.

 
Frequently Asked Questions

Was I asked to pay up front for my training?

  • Being asked to pay for all of your training up front is a big red flag.
  • At Premier Flight Center, you can pay as you go.

  • Some flight schools bill you for the entire time you book an instructor and/or an aircraft.
  • Premier will bill only for the time you use the airplane and for the time you spend with our instructors.
  • Premier always provides you a receipt at the end of every flight so that you know how your money was spent.

  • Many flight schools will only tell you about FAA minimum hours and quote you prices that are based on those minimums.
  • At Premier Flight Center, we want you to know what you are in for up front! The FAA requires 40 hours of training. However, the vast majority of students cannot meet the skill requirements in that amount of time, even when they are full-time students.
  • The national average for flight training to earn a private pilot license is closer to double the FAA’s minimum requirement

  • Some flight schools bill you for ground school the day you sign up for lessons with them and buy your books.
  • Ground school provides a great opportunity for learning the material necessary for the knowledge test that you will be required to pass, but it is not the only option. At Premier Flight Center, we recognize that every student has individual needs and every student learns differently. With Premier, Ground School is an option that you choose to pay for on your own!

  • Some schools insist that you participate in their training as a Part 141 student.
  • Premier offers Part 141 flight and ground training because it suits the needs of some of our students, but we don't require you to be a Part 141 student.
  • Part 141 training works very well, especially for students who learn to fly through an intensive, full-time (5-day per week) flight training program.
  • Part 61 training allows students the flexibility to tailor a flight or ground training syllabus to your schedule and your needs!
  • Under Part 61, students can move to another section of the syllabus while developing proficiency in other areas over time as thier needs dictate.
  • At Premier, you and your instructor will decide which program works best for you!
  • Click here for more information about Premier's Part 141 Approved Program.

  • Quality flight schools attract quality flight instructors, a lot of them! The experience and education levels of the instructors are very revealing about the school you are considering.
  • At Premier Flight Center, we know that many flight instructors will move on to other opportunities in aviation; however, we carefully screen our applicants so that we can assure you of our instructors’ dedication to teaching.
  • The majority of Premier’s instructors desire to flight instruct as their long term goal.

  • At Premier Flight Center, most low-time flight instructors do not meet our high standards.
  • If you look at our web site, you will see that our instructors have earned various college degrees including Ph.D.’s. Some of our instructors are lawyers, teachers and scientists!

  • Fancy flight simulators may not save you as much money as you may believe. Flight simulators are wonderful tools, but they are very limited in their ability to give you the experiences you need to understand the airplane you will fly with your friends and family when you are on your own in the air.
  • Premier makes only limited use of flight simulator technology.
  • All of Premier’s airplanes have GPS systems! You will learn the basics of navigation first; then you will train to understand the utility and place that GPS has taken in aviation in the 21st Century at every level of pilot certification.