Today we announced our new Accelerated pacing, which gives students in our Airplane Professional Pilot program the opportunity to complete the entire program of pilot classes, inclusive of all three Certified Flight Instructor ratings (single, multi, and instrument) in less than 12 months. Students who elect to end with the CFI single engine rating can finish in as little as 10 months.
Why is this a big deal? Because the FAA-approved flight hours reduction in our new syllabus means that students who are committed to daily training can now have the best of both worlds: a faster, more cost-effective timeline to completion and all the quality standards and rigor of a Part 141 training program. Before now, students seeking a faster completion time would likely have chosen a flight school with a Part 61 program, which can be a significant compromise to training quality.
The Accelerated track isn't for everyone. It requires students to commit to seven-days-per-week availability, and to complete six flight activities per week. The reduced minimum syllabus works well for these students because consistent activity greatly improves training efficiency -- most students retain more and advance more quickly at a steady pace. But some students simply learn better at a slower pace or have commitments that limit their availability, and our Standard track, with an average 16-18 month completion across all pilot classes, is right for them.
The other thing to know is that our Accelerated training will mainly take place at our Redmond, OR campus. The central Oregon high desert weather aligns well with the pacing, and the campus is geared toward students with high availability.
If you're comparing flight schools head-to-head, you may find other schools that offer similar or even faster Accelerated programs. But if you do, be sure to ask these questions:
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Is it a full Part 141 curriculum, or does is it partly or fully a Part 61 curriculum?
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Does training take place on a dedicated flight academy campus with support staff and a community of pilots?
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Does the campus offer onsite maintenance, ensuring aircraft availability and quality?
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Are ground school pilot classes led by live instructors, offering the ability to learn through dialogue and discussion, or simply self-directed online?
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Is the school ACCSC accredited?
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What's the fully loaded cost of the program?
When you get answers to these questions, we're confident you'll recognize the right overall balance of quality, cost, and pacing, and be ready to give us a call. In the meantime, be sure to download an overview of the new Accelerated pacing here.