New Flying Schools

[FlyingForFun]

There are lots of reasons for choosing a flying school - but, in my experience, the school's reputation is perhaps one of the most important, particularly at ME/CPL/IR level.

What I'm interested in, then, is what it is that makes people choose to go to a brand new flying school which doesn't yet have a reputation. Although not very many, there are a couple of new schools that have begun offering CPL/IR training in the UK in the last few years - were you one of the first handful of students at a new school? Or did you consider one of these schools but then change your mind?

Or, to turn the question around - what would a new school, which doesn't yet have a reputation to trade on, have to do to get your business?

I'd be interested to hear any thoughts or experiences!

FFF
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[BerksFlyer]

Price?

If you're surveying the scene to set up your own school, I wouldn't mind taking the hit and testing it all out for you provided I gain a free licence or 2. ;)

[zondaracer]

I know some guys who started an FTO recently. They offered the lowest price that you could find around. I asked them how they could offer such a low price. They were planning on operating at a loss for a few years while they bring in lots of students based on the price and hoped to build a reputation.

[FlyingForFun]

Two replies, both with similar thoughts.... thanks guys. I'd be interested to hear more though.

BerksFlyer, even if I pretended that you'd written "cheap" instead of "free", it's unlikely it will ever happen, and if it does you'll already have a CPL/IR by then I'm sure! I'm just throwing thoughts around in my head. But yes, you're right in that I'm surveying the scene with a possible view to possibly maybe one day in the distant future setting up my own school. The answers so far have confirmed what I already knew, though, which is that I'm not in a position to be able to take the financial hit that would come with it. Ten or 15 years down the line, though, who knows.....

FFF
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