Choosing a Flight School (And When to Switch Instructors)

My instructor left for the airlines halfway through my private. Here's how to keep training when yours does too. CFI turnover is built into flight training. Between an FBO, two independent instructors, and three flight schools, I lost more instructors than most students do, and almost none of it was my choice. This episode covers why it happens, how to pick a school that handles it well, and how to tell a bad-fit instructor from one who just teaches differently than the last. In This Episode: • Why your CFI is going to leave (the 1,500-hour ATP math) • Firehose instructors vs. learn-by-doing students, and why neither is wrong • Using the Private Pilot ACS as your fixed point when instructors disagree • Pick the school first, the instructor second • What to check on a school tour: schedule, billing, handoff policy, hiring • Part 61 vs. Part 141, and what the five-hour difference really means • What AOPA's retention research says about instruction quality and honesty Key Takeaways: • Ask to see the actual booking schedule. Twice a week is the floor. • Ask directly what happens when your instructor leaves. • Keep your own training record and hand it to the new CFI on day one .• Download the current ACS early. It settles style disagreements. • Switching instructors is normal. Tell your new CFI how you learn. Resources: Free Private Pilot Study Sheet: https://hub.pilotinstitute.com/private-pilot-study-sheet-landing Your Flight Controls is produced in association with Pilot Institute. New episodes drop weekly. Got a question or a topic you want us to cover? Reach out — details in the comments.