TIPS FOR NON-VITAL STUDENTS

The content of this page will change frequently. The information here can fill a book and, in fact, represents the contents of our "LEARNING TO FLY IN CANADA" book spread over a couple of years of web pages.

Not everyone visiting this site will fortunate enough to train with Vital, so if we can’t have you as a customer, perhaps we can have you as a friend with the following ‘Vital’ advice.

Tip No. 10: SOARING COSTS

As of March 2009 the cost of flight training lessons (dual instruction) is around $225 per hour. By the end of this year you can expect further increases of $25.00 per hour or more. Flying schools are being financially squeezed and the bankruptcy rate is alarming.

The cost of getting your Private Pilot Licence is no longer the worthwhile investment it was ten years ago. People who want to learn to fly simply for personal recreation now have to think twice about it – and frankly, are deciding that it’s not worth the current cost.

Thus the market, from a school’s perspective, is depressing. Fewer customers and higher costs are forcing schools to take short-cuts that compromise safety and good training.

The sky-rocketing price of fuel is readily understood by the public but costs that are less obvious (and even greater) include such items as insurance, maintenance, instructor salaries, airport fees, and the huge capital cost of very expensive aircraft.

In their effort to stay competitive and avoid promoting rates that exceed the ominous $200.00 per hour, flying schools may resort to two expediencies: Fudge their quoted rates in various ways to hide what students are realistically end up paying; and cut back on expenses. Short-term savings may be achieved by not insuring their planes; taking risks with maintenance; employing low-cost, inexperienced, instructors; and utilizing old worn-out aircraft.

So where does this leave you – the student?

We come back to the key, basic, advice that we have always put at the top of our tip list:
INVESTIGATE THOROUGHLY – learn as much as you can about the flight training business as you can before you spend any money on lessons. Sit down with the management of any school that appears to be reliable and discuss with them in detail how they manage their costs and charges. If the school operates without aircraft insurance and you have an accident during training – you may be personally liable for the cost of repairs. And if you are being taught by one of those low-cost inexperienced instructors or the maintenance is being skimped, the chance of having that accident is increased.

Furthermore, if the school is trying to run a good operation without increasing its rates up to realistic levels, you run the risk of it going out of business before your training is complete. If this happens your cost of getting a licence will be much greater than if you had paid a higher hourly rate at a school that remains in business.

All of this is much more critical for students working towards a Commercial Licence for career employment. Be careful! Investigate thoroughly!

Tip # 3 "FAM FLIGHTS"

Tip # 6 "GROUND SCHOOL KITS"

Tip # 10 "SOARING COSTS"

Tip#11 "INSTRUCTOR SHORTAGE"