Why Not All Potential Pilots Will Make It Through Flight School

Many new piloting students will doubt themselves when they first start out. However, once they learn that any fears they have are unfounded, and that it’s much simpler to fly a plane than they originally thought, they go through the rest of their training with confidence.

While it is a relatively rare thing, some pilots will be unable to finish flight school due to a learning problem. The rest of the potential pilots who don’t finish their training have other issues that stem from something else entirely.

Common Reasons Why a Student May Not Make It Through Flight School

• Not enough time – We won’t deny that flight training takes substantial time and effort. Sometimes students will begin training unaware of the time commitment and find they are unable to make it work. Some students decide to put flight school off. However, if flying is really a passion, there’s a good chance you’ll return to it at some point and by then you’ll have missed out on years of flying experience.
• Not enough money – Flight school and flying as a hobby will both involve a financial commitment. If you’ve budgeted properly and done some financial planning, it shouldn’t be a problem. However, if a student does quit training due to financial reasons, we will again expect to see them back months or years later. Those who love to fly will always return to it!
• Lack of confidence – It’s possible that some students will be scared off by something that happens in-flight (such as an inadvertent spin or their first stall). However, it’s important to remember that these types of scares have happened for almost every flight student. Continuing your education and training is the best way to improve the confidence you have in your flight skills.
• Incompatible with instructor – Lastly, a personality clash with an instructor can sometimes be the reason some students choose to stop their flight training. This doesn’t mean you need to quit altogether! Speaking to someone about switching instructors is an easy fix to this problem.

Before you decide to discontinue your training, really evaluate what your reasons are. Chances are good that any one of these problems can be worked out with your flight school, allowing you to finish training. As long as you make sure to plan well, stick with it, and keep an open mind, we’re confident that you’ll make a great pilot.

For more tips and information for aspiring or established pilots, please contact Elevate Aviation here in Salt Lake City, Utah. We are Salt Lake's premier Cirrus Flight Training and Intruction center. We offter aircraft management, aircraft rental/airplane rental, aviation courses, aviation training, and much more.