When it comes to flight school or any kind of school, for that matter, you need to have the suitable mental headspace to deal with the challenges and difficulties that may come your way. You need to understand that flight school isn’t easy… or cheap. This helps you stay motivated as you study the plane’s mechanics and the ground rules that need to be followed every single time. One wrong move and you could become responsible for the lives of the people on board the plane as well as the name of the airport that you’re working for.
Here is the list of things you need to ask yourself before you sign up for flight school:
1. Is this what you really want?
Being a pilot might seem like it’s all fun and games but it’s not. Yes, you get to travel the world, you have the esteemed title of being a pilot and the pay isn’t so bad either. But like other jobs out there, it comes with a price. You will have to deal with being far away from your family most of the time. You will have to adhere to a strict set of rules. You will have to get used to different timezones. Now is this something you can handle? Because if the title is all that you’re after, then maybe being a pilot isn’t just for you.
2. Do you have the funds to finance your education?
As we’ve constantly stressed before, flight school is NOT cheap. Many aspiring pilots even have to take out loans just to attend the certification classes. You have to consider the flight training as well where you need to pay for many things. If your family is not well off or you can’t afford a loan, then you have to think of the other situations where money might be needed elsewhere. What if your parents get into an accident? Is your family willing to suffer just for you to keep going with your studies? At the end of the day, life isn’t as easy as we want it to be. Despite our passions, sometimes practicality comes a long way.
3. Does your family support your passion?
Even if your family does have the finances to fund your education, more questions beg to be answered. Does your family support your passion? Are they willing to not see you for how many months just so that you can fly? When you have a family on your own, you might not want to miss out on your kid’s first steps or their first day of school or even their first recital. Those are the things you have to ask yourself before signing up for flight school.
4. Can your body handle the training?
As a pilot, there are several certifications you need to take and pieces of training you have to undergo. Some programs take as short as seven months while others take up years, depending on the progression of your training. You also need to pass medical tests as well to see if your body can handle the hours. Remember – pilots shouldn’t sleep in the cockpit. You must be physically and mentally sound to proceed with flight training.
Many instances have happened where an aspiring pilot has taken up 6 hours of training, only to realize that they really can’t handle it. Then the hours and money they’ve already spent becomes a waste. This is something that we want you to experience. Therefore, you have to be completely sure that being a pilot is what you want.
These four questions may seem simple to answer. At first. When you’re in the middle of a difficult situation, it becomes easy to just give up and move on. But if being up in the air is your dream, then the money or the rules shouldn’t matter. Because if you want to be a pilot, you should go for it! As long as it’s really what you want out of life.