Finding a Flight Instructor

The flight instructor you choose will be the most influential person in helping you to achieve your goal and desire to become a pilot.  A good instructor will make the training challenging yet enjoyable and paced to meet your schedule and learning abilities.

Your relationship and rapport with your instructor needs to be pleasant and comfortable for you. If a schedule or personality conflict arises, a professional instructor should accept that you will need to look to someone else for your instruction.

Your search will begin with the Yellow Pages or the web, unless you know a pilot or instructor friend who can help.  Call or speak to an instructor in person about the training they offer and get a sense of their personality.  Most will offer a demo lesson of some type, a short inexpensive flight with you in the pilot seat allowing you to get a look at their demeanor.  When you find a potential instructor, ask for references. They should be happy to give you a list of satisfied customers.

Flight instructors should be dedicated to your training.  Is this their only job?  Or are they building time for an airline job?   Do they have another line of work, doing this just part time?  Or are they full time, professional flight instructors?