Learning to fly requires a time commitment that could potentially interfere with your busy career. Not only that, you most likely have family commitments, other hobbies and maybe even a second job that you need to make additional time for. Sometimes, life can get in the way of you learning things that you’re passionate about. Fortunately, there are ways you can undertake flight training while maintaining your day job – and succeed in both.
Here are seven tips to help you balance your career and flight training so you can reach success in your efforts to earn a private pilot’s license.
1) Keep it Consistent
While emergency situations may arise, try to keep your flight training on a consistent schedule. So, if you go on training flights every wednesday evening, stick to it throughout the duration of your flight training and make your boss, clients and coworkers aware that that’s the one time of the week you’re unavailable. Block it off on your work calendar, try to avoid business-related phone calls and turn off your email notifications. This will give you the capacity to focus solely on your flight training without the distractions of work.
2) Work With a Flight Instructor Who is Flexible
Not all flight instructors will be willing to work around your busy work schedule – but many will offer the flexibility you need to stay active both at work and at flight school. Before starting your training, ask the flight instructor what his scheduling process is like, and if he’s willing to work with you around your commitments at work. If he’s not open to the idea, then it may be best to keep searching for someone who is more open to being flexible.
3) Practice Armchair Flying at Home
If you’ve had a long day at the office and there’s just no more time in the day to make it out ot the airfield for a flight, you can always practice at home using a method known as “armchair flying”. Armchair flying is a learning tool used by pilots in all stages of flying that has an incredible impact on your abilities. All you need to do is sit in a chair and go through every single step of a flight in your mind. Bring home a checklist with various flight maneuvers, instrument information and study materials to get more familiar with your cockpit and advance your knowledge when you don’t have time to get to the hangar.
4) Always Have a To-Do List
A to-do list is an effective tool for making sure you get done both essential work and flight training tasks. During flight school, you’ll have a variety of course work, study material, maneuvers and more to remember, particularly at the beginning. Keep track of everything on a to-do list to make it easier to stay organized and on top of everything you need to obtain a private pilot’s license. This is also good practice at the office—after all, you don’t want to fall behind at work while pursuing your passion.
5) Purchase a Flight Simulator
Nowadays, there are several advanced flight simulators that you can purchase to practice flying from the comfort of your own home. While not exactly the same as piloting an actual aircraft, flight simulators are the next best thing and can do wonders to advance your skills. Home flight simulation technology has drastically improved in the last decade, to the point where aspiring pilots can have a reliable training device at home without spending thousands of dollars.
6) Master Your Time
It’s imperative that you become a master of time management in order to strike a balance between work and flight school. We all have 24 hours in a day, and while you may wish there were more, sometimes changing a few things in your routine can go a long way in giving you extra time for flight school. For example, if you usually hit the gym after work, cutting into your available time for flying, you could switch to working out in the morning before work so you can fly in the evening. Focus on priorities and eliminate time-wasting, unnecessary activities. Work smarter, not harder to make enough time for flight school.
7) Stay Focused on the End Result
While you may feel stressed at work while you’re going through flight school, just remember that when it’s all said and done, you’ll have a newly minted private pilot’s license and the freedom to fly wherever you please. The feeling of becoming a certified pilot will make all the effort worth it.
In Conclusion
Now that you have these tips, you can ensure you stay on the right path to graduate flight school and obtain your private pilot’s license—all while continuing to thrive in your regular career. Best of luck!
Do you want to pursue your passion? Get in touch with the team of certified flight instructors at Inflight Pilot Training today!
Inflight is a leading pilot training company serving the Twin Cities area. With a reputable training program and deep roster of highly skilled flight instructors, it’s our goal to help those who’ve dreamed of flying realize their potential of becoming a pilot. We can help you pursue your passion of taking flight – get in touch with our team of flight instructors to find out more.
For additional information on Inflight training programs, contact us today or call (952) 698-3000.
