The best thing about working at a flight school is the customers. Over the years, we’ve had a wide range of individuals come through Horizon Aviation and they have all left their mark. Dan Everette is an officer in the United States Coast Guard and came to us four years ago because he wanted to learn to fly. He was going to be stationed in the area for two years and wanted several licenses. No problem.

I got to know Dan pretty well during the two years he flew with us and was impressed by him. He’s committed to being a good pilot and he takes his responsibilities very seriously. He has flown to Oshkosh with us twice and will be a repeat offender this coming summer.

Almost two years ago, Dan was assigned to Virginia. It was good for his career but lousy for us. I was hoping he would get stationed in the area so that he could teach here part time. Turns out, the Coast Guard didn’t ask me when they chose his next assignment!

Since he moved south, Dan and I have talked routinely and he has related to me the process of finding another school. It wasn’t always joyous. Dan is a very thoughtful guy and doesn’t condemn quickly nor praise lightly. He’s very serious. I asked him to write about his experience choosing flight schools because I thought his struggle was typical. Here’s what he wrote:

Flight Training – The Human Element

Over the past 4 years, I’ve had the opportunity to obtain flight training at 5 various schools. Thinking back upon my experiences thus far, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are 3 different types of schools:

- Pilot Factories: The schools where you can pay a large amount of money for certificates and go from 0 hours to 250 and “graduate” with your commercial ASEL & AMEL certificates. Also, I’d put university/college flight programs into this category. Places where programs are significantly compressed to learn the bare minimums and the only true limit is your credit line.

- Flight Schools: What I would call the “typical” flight school, which from the moment you walk in you can tell it’s a business first, flight school second. They can range in size, though typically you’re just an account number and the school teaches to the bare minimum as outlined in the PTS with little thought (or care) as to what you will do once earning your current rating, unless of course you’ll be coming back immediately for advanced training.

- Schools of Aviation: Though similar to “Flight Schools” in that they can take the shape of everything from part 61 operations, to vast highly organized part 141 schools, they do set themselves apart in one distinct area. They’ve concluded the most important component of flight training is the student. Realizing the future of general aviation is walking through their doors they’ve successfully adapted a business model which recognizes this and hired instructors who understand this. These are the schools that don’t simply teach to the PTS, but actively encourage students to exceed the minimums, learn more and constantly strive to be better aviators, even after the ratings are earned.

Each of the school types I’ve listed all have their advantages and disadvantages. In the end, an airman’s certificate doesn’t say where you earned it, and it’s up to each pilot to decide on their own what path and end result they desire.

Although I’ve considered a pilot factory for a particular rating, I’ve never actually used one, though know a few people that have. They do serve a purpose for some people, but are designed for people who are seeking the fastest possible route to a professional flying job. Though in today’s economy, the days of being hired with 250 and 15 are going away (if not already gone).

This leaves us with the last two school types which are the primary source of pilots in the general aviation community. Through my “rating journey”, I’ve run across 3 “ Flight School” types and have heard of dozens more. After a few lessons, it becomes readily apparent that these schools are solely in the business to make money and whether you earn your rating, or even come back after your primary training, is an after-thought.

I’ve seen schools advertise “the newest, state-of-the-art fleet” fully equipped with glass cockpits, yet with instructors who are barely proficient in glass themselves. Schools that advertise “accelerated programs” but you need to schedule months in advance to guarantee instructor availability. Questionable rental policies which are not insurance based and even border being unsafe.

From schools which teach out of an uncontrolled field and an instrument student’s only interaction with ATC is during their long IFR cross country flight. Only teaching and flying the approaches (in the exact sequence) the local DPE will require, to only allowing aircraft to launch if the winds are less than 20 kts sustained (even dual). This type of training definitely sets the student up for success for their check ride, but does nothing for their success as a pilot.

The horror stories could continue, but the bright side to all of this is the final category, Schools of Aviation.

It was during a business trip in the spring of 2005 when on the shuttle to the rental car company that I saw the “Learn to Fly Here” banner on the northwest corner of hanger one at PVD. I don’t know why I wrote down the number the time, but I did. The prospect of becoming a pilot had always captured my imagination. Maybe it was the simple fascination with flight, or finding my father’s flight bag when I was a little kid. Perhaps a prelude of things to come, my toys were building Lego airplanes and playing with my dad’s metal E6B (though I had no idea what it was or how to use it).

Not much has changed since then. I have a Lego airplane on my desk and I still have no idea what an E6B is or how to use one. However, I found myself with a day to spare during that business trip, and since I knew I was moving to the area soon, I decided to give the number a call. Later that afternoon I found myself taking my first flight lesson and fell in love with it. Having never been in a small general aviation airplane before, it was an exhilarating adventure. Having an engineering background, I wanted to know more, and in excruciating detail. Thus began my experience with New Horizon Aviation.

From that day, I felt that every time I called or walked through the front door, I was treated as a member of a large extended family. It wasn’t just me being treated this way, but every time I observed someone walk through the front door, even someone just inquiring about flying, they were treated as a member of the family. The enthusiasm exhibited towards motivating students and shaping the future of general aviation was always palpable. Whether your interest was instrument flight, aerobatics, warbirds or anything in between, there was always someone there who shared the same passion as you.

This is what sets “Schools of Aviation”, such as Horizon, apart from other flight schools. Although business is still conducted, it is overshadowed by the sense of community fostered at the school. It wasn’t until I had to move away that I came to realize that what I was learning and being exposed to was not listed in any PTS or course manual.

The importance of recognizing their awesome responsibility in molding the future of GA is what sets “Schools of Aviation” apart from others. The human element isn’t present in the FAR’s, the AIM, or the PTS (outside of cold & academic terms related to CRM, learning psychology, and behavioral models), but it’s critical in the overall General Aviation experience, and something that is often overlooked.

From a student’s perspective, this focus on community is what keeps students engaged during their training, and more importantly motivates continued learning and development after the certificates are earned. Perhaps this is why when I’m in the area on business, I’ll stop by Horizon for a few hours just to say hello.

These “Schools of Aviation” are the type where even years later, you’d call to see how things are going back where you learned to fly or to bounce training ideas off of. It’s the type of school where you’re treated as a member of the aviation family, regardless of where you’ve moved onto. Although my airman certificate doesn’t indicate where I earned my ratings, knowing it was at Horizon I feel has played a significant part in my becoming a better aviator, not just a pilot.

Pilots love to talk about flying, it's who they are. Imagine if you will, you're sitting in the pilots lounge at your airport on a lazy Sunday morning. The weather forecast is a bust, and it looks like you're stuck on the ground until the fog burns off. Being the diehard pilot that you are, you decide to hang out and shoot the breeze with fellow pilots. You discuss different topics, like the time some pilot went off the side of the runway and ended up in the grass after a botched crosswind landing or how you had to execute a go around last week because of a vehicle on the runway. We all have our stories to tell. We all have something to share, something to teach, or to learn. This is the clearinghouse for ideas that we call hangar flying.
The advantage of hangar flying is that the people who share their experiences in these forums don't live in the pages of a text book. They're very real flesh and blood pilots, and other pilots relate to them. These pilots profess both positive and negative real world values about flying.
Out of these ideas come some very safety conscious, conservative methods of performing various flight maneuvers, like learning the proper airspeed to use during a strong crosswind. Others exhibit reckless behaviors and dispense questionable information disguised as sage advice, like scud running. In the movie Forrest Gump, the main character said, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." Nothing could be truer than that, particularly with instant access to just about any media you can get your hands on. Remember the big faux paus about former Vice President, Al Gore. he invented the internet, or did he? Hangar flying has expanded from the three dimensional pilots' lounge to the World Wide Web. It has evolved to where pilots chat, blog or text. It's not quite as personal, but there's still good and bad information to be had. But, no matter where pilots choose to congregate and converse, hangar flying can still be entertaining, educational and fun.
Pilots still tell embarrassing stories of stupid things they did in an airplane last summer or during that summer some twenty years ago when they should have known better. These pilots learned very important lessons from the schools of hard knocks, and they love tell their stories so that you don't have to go through their ordeals.
Hangar flying isn't just learning from other pilot's mistakes though.
Hangar flying is about gaining valuable insights, like how transition from a crab to a side slip. Sometimes changing technique is all it takes to make a good landing a great one. You could also learn about the fine art of energy management and how perfect airspeed control on final. You could learn how to reduce cockpit work load, and organize the cockpit so that it works for and not against you. You might even discover the mysteries of the airport restaurant. On rare occasions you might even hear from the dark side of the room where questionable advice lies in wait.
When you're unsure of certain advice, speak to experienced pilots you know you and trust. Talk to the savvy flight instructor, the high flying corporate, airline or freight pilots who mix it up in the real world every day. Their insights can be invaluable. Talk with them. They have thousands of flight hours and you have ten, but don't worry. Pilots like to talk flying and love to help out. Get their opinions.
If you've heard about or discovered a new insight on how to perform crosswind landings or how to land on real (not simulated) snow covered runways, get some dual before you try it solo. Fly with experienced instructors who've actually done it. Doing otherwise is like asking for driving directions from someone who doesn't know the roads.
By Jeff Sponberg

Human Nature is a funny thing, with our well established habits and all.
Pilots can do some pretty bone headed things in airplanes. So, learn from the mistakes of others. You will never live long enough to commit them all yourself. Keep your ears open and listen, but take everything you hear with a grain of salt. And be careful before you act on new found knowledge.
Share your flying stories with others. Tell people what you learned. Sort out good information from the bad. Acquire the wisdom of the ages. Read good aviation magazines like AOPA Pilot and Flying. Read these and other industry standards.
What separates good pilots from the bad isn't necessarily superior skill, but exercising good Judgment. You know the old saying about experience it's when you make the same mistake a second time. Experienced pilots know how to avoid the pitfalls you haven't even discovered yet. Sometimes it's best not to go there.
Remember that there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots; but there are no old bold pilots. So have fun, enjoy hangar flying. Fly safe.
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Jeff Sponberg is a Professional Pilot and CFI flying a Single Engine Turboprop in the New England Area.

Quite often after the flight has ended and the airplane parked, many pilots don’t even give the airplane a second glance. Except for the obviously underinflated tire there isn’t much some pilots notice or do when they walk into the FBO. And that’s unfortunate! Because not conducting a good post flight inspection is a disservice to both yourself and the next pilot who flies the airplane. What if you missed the huge gash in the nose wheel tire, how would you feel then?

Whether you’re a renter pilot or an owner, you owe it to yourself to check over the airplane one last time before you button it up for the day. You’ll save a lot of time and aggravation by looking for things like inoperative exterior nav, beacon and strobe lights, or tires for under inflation or tires with irregular wear or flat spots. What about popper circuit breakers, or perhaps the oil dripping from under the cowl? What about the cowl plugs, missing screws from inspection plates or a cracked muffler? You don’t have to get out the magnifying glass and play Sherlock Holmes, but by all means look the airplane over after the airplane is tied down or hangared. These are all usually easily detectible problems, if you’ll just take a few extra minutes and give the airplane one final look. In all my years of flying I’ve found many post flight discrepancies that could have easily caused significant flight delays or cancellations, but didn’t, because they were caught early. Isn’t it a huge disappointment when you don’t have an airplane available for that all important business meeting, or when you’re counting on that one airplane for that very special trip, a discrepancy can be the difference between a go, or no-go decision. You might be grounded. Yeah you might consider things like taking off with an inoperative nav light, because you’re way behind schedule and maintenance can’t look at it. But what if day turns into night? You become a whole lot less visible to other aircraft. Not a good idea.

Call it preventive medicine. Call it peace of mind. Post flights are important. And one final note. If you fly an airplane primarily used for flight training, remember that that these airplanes get a whole lot more wear and tear than your typical cross country travel machine, so scrutinize the airplane carefully after you land. Bottom line, post flight inspections are a good idea. They can save you a lot of aggravation, and wouldn’t that be nice.

Enjoy your flight,

Jeff

Jeff Sponberg is a CFI and Part 135 pilot flying in the New England region.

Each June, Horizon Aviation plays host to several second grad classes from a local school who have never seen an airplane up close. This year a reporter from the Warwick Beacon was on hand to comment on the scene and to see how these kids faces lit up when they got the chance to sit at the controls of one of our airplanes. Read the article and the see photos here!

In a previous post, I mentioned that part of the fun of being a part of Horizon Aviation is the community of students and pilots that are found here. People from all walks of life; ages; professional backgrounds; and motivations all find common ground in their love of flight. It is constant throughout. On any given day you might find a retired airline captain telling stories about flying into Hong Kong, or a freshly minted Private Pilot talking about their plans for future flights. Horizon has become the home for their passion.

With that in mind, I wanted to give our students an outlet for sharing their passion after 5pm when everyone has gone home. I created a Facebook Student Group page exactly for that purpose. Now you can share ideas, trade stories, photos, even videos with your fellow Horizon students. It is open enrollement so anyone can join. Follow the link here!and join today!

We have also created a Horizon Aviation Facebook Fan page where you can tag yourself as a fan of your flight school. Follow along on the official Horizon Page for official news and updates!

When I was growing up I was obsessed with airplanes. I could recite stats on just about any military jet you could name; my walls were covered with posters of the Blue Angels, F-16’s, and my favorite at the time, the F-15. The only trouble was I was the only kid I knew that had this love for airplanes. I had no outlet.

One of the best parts about being at Horizon Aviation is that I get to be a part of that outlet for our students. Let’s face it, not every person that you know is going to fall in love with flying like you have. I can say that most of our students, and all of our staff are as obsessed with flying as you are. We get to fly!

To that end, let’s go do some flying! I’d like to ask you, our students, where you want to go and what you want to go see. Have you found an airport that you would like to share with other students? Is there a museum that you have yet to go visit? I would like to organize some trips for students to get together, split the cost, and go do some flying. These don’t have to be anything longer than a morning, or maybe a day trip. I’m interested in hearing your ideas. Please send me an email at cporter@horizonaviation.com and let’s go flying!

Adam Niksa is about as close to a model student as you could find. He is head over heels in love with flying and it shows. He has breezed through his training so far and shows no signs of slowing down. He has kept a blog about his training from day one. He has agreed to letting us supply the link so that we can show what flight training is really like. In it you will see his excitement about hitting a goal; his frustration when something is tough; but mostly you will see how much FUN this is.

Click Here!