3 Awesome Tips for Success as a Student Pilot
So you have decided to take an exciting step forward in your life by pursuing a career as a commercial airline pilot. Congratulations! With over 600,000 new pilots needed by the year 2036, you are about to be in very high demand. Feels nice, doesn’t it?
Simply put, there has never been a better time to launch a career in aviation. Elite flight schools like AeroGuard are actively enrolling new student pilots while offering great incentive programs like tuition reimbursement and career placement through SkyWest airlines. If you are already enrolled, keep reading to see our 3 awesome tips to help you succeed as a student pilot. If you are not currently enrolled, we invite you to connect with one of our enrollment advisors to learn how easy it is to get started! Without further ado, let’s get into the tips.
1. Study Up
It may sound like common sense advice, but you’d be surprised how many new cadets begin their lives as student pilots without fully understanding what they are in for. Becoming a pilot isn’t easy. If it was, everyone would do it! This is especially true when you chose to enroll in an accelerated program as we have here at AeroGuard. There is a lot to learn. In just 8 – 10 months, you will earn 7 FAA ratings and certifications.
For your Private Pilot’s License alone, you must master topics including aviation terminology, navigation skills, aircraft control, traffic pattern operations, flight planning, and more! For several reasons, it’s important that you know this material like the back of your hand. First, you want to be the best pilot you can be – that includes being the safest pilot you can be. Second, you want to pass your written exams and your check rides the first time, every time.
Here at AeroGuard, we offer extensive student support programs such as dedicated academic advisors, academic workshops, and personalized academic improvement plans to help you excel as you learn the knowledge necessary to become a commercial airline pilot. You shouldn’t feel alone when you are hitting the books. If you have questions, ask. If you need help understanding a concept, ask! All the studying you are doing is setting the foundation for a long and successful career as a pilot, making it vital that you study hard.
2. Find a Great Mentor
Have you ever heard of the 10,000 hours concept? It’s the idea that it takes approximately 10,000 hours to master any skill. Over the course of 10,000 hours, a few things happen. First, you apply the repetition necessary to develop physical skills. More importantly, you gain experience in the real world application of those skills. You gain personal knowledge of the subtleties and details associated with that skill. Putting in those 10,000 hours grants you the seemingly casual competence that you see in true masters.
Now, you are probably thinking, “10,000 hours is a lot, is there a way I can speed this process up?!”
Not really.
However, with a great mentor, you can certainly give yourself a leg up! The benefits of connecting with a mentor pilot are that they have already put in the 10,000 hours. In fact, they have probably put in significantly more hours than that.  Experienced pilots are an incredible source of wisdom, knowledge, and expertise. By spending time with a mentor, you can leverage that extensive knowledge. You can learn from their experiences.
Through our partnership with SkyWest Airlines, the Pilot Pathway Program grants you great mentorship opportunities with experienced SkyWest pilots. With regular mentor visits, interview prep, and ongoing professional association, it’s a great benefit of attending flight school at AeroGuard before moving on to SkyWest Airlines to begin your career!
3. Live in the SimÂ
The best way to learn is by doing. During your training, you want to spend as much time as possible applying your skills to master your craft. When it comes to flight school, however, it is impossible to have unlimited time in the air. While AeroGuard does offer the opportunity to audit live flights, there is nothing like sitting in the captain seat yourself. The best way to do that without spending flight hours is by utilizing a flight simulator.
AeroGuard students are able to access a high-tech Redbird Flight Simulator any time it is not being used for a lesson. You can use the SIM and work through what’s been troubling you or practice maneuvers prior to a flight. The Redbird SIM is an incredible resource to help advance and master your flight skills, and it’s yours 24/7.
This gives you the opportunity to practice flight skills in a low-stress, low-pressure environment. In the Redbird SIM, it is okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to practice new things. Students and professionals perform best when they feel comfortable. Spending hours in the simulator is the best way to achieve this level of comfort when it comes to learning to fly.
In ConclusionÂ
While we only mentioned the idea of comfort in our last tip about spending time in the flight simulator, you may have noticed that it’s a common theme that appears in each of our tips. Studying hard helps you gain comfort and confidence in your knowledge, spending time with a mentor helps you achieve comfort and confidence in your career path, and spending time in the simulator helps you achieve comfort and confidence in your skills. We truly believe that this is the best way to set you up for a long, happy, and successful career as a pilot.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask! Enrollment is open now. There has never been a better time to launch a career as a pilot!