"THEY BUILD A GREAT ENVIRONMENT THAT MAKES YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AT THE AIRPORT-THEY MAKE IT A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LEARN." DID YOU BELIEVE YOUR TIME WAS PUT TO THE BEST USE? Yes 3% Neutral 96% 21% No 53% 26% 64% 26% 10% -SURVEY RESPONDENT had access to flight instructors outside of lesson times; were made to feel their time was well utilized; knew what concepts to study before a lesson; were provided with an appropriate lesson scheduling mechanism; and had access to reliable rental aircraft. Transparency also came through as a key factor. Students who knew their instructor's background were more likely to feel safe, for example. And those who were provided with online weather resources were more likely to trust their instructor's decisions regarding weather and aircraft readiness. We already know from the previous research that transparency about costs and the time involved to finish flight training also are major factors for success. The charts on these pages illustrate other important considerations that came through on the poll results. After everything was tallied, the most poignant finding was just how much students at the winning schools love their experience. Going to a great flight school and working with a superb flight instructor really do matter, which is why we're proud to feature San Carlos Flight Center and Conor Dancy on the following pages as the winners of the Best Flight School and Best Flight Instructor, respectively. But if you don't live in California or Virginia, make sure to check out the full list of winners on pages 32 and 33. Maybe your school is there. WERE YOU GIVEN A SCHEDULING PROCESS TO PLAN YOUR TRAINING? Yes 4% Neutral 94% 17% 28% No 55% 57% 24% 19% WERE YOUR LESSONS CANCELLED? Often/Sometimes 24% Rarely/Never 3% 55% 21% 94% DID YOU RECEIVE A GOOD VALUE FOR YOUR INVESTMENT? Male 5% 5% Female 2% 90% 97% Ian J. Twombly is editor of Flight Training magazine. FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 31