Originally Posted by
faacareercfi
Some advice from an old-timer FAA instructor. Don't go to the big academies. Don't get me wrong, some are great but they are overly expensive. If you want to save money, look for an experienced instructor who is in the job for the pleasure of teaching. Find a cheap aircraft for hire from a local FBO. Also, do as much training on the ground and in sim as possible. The sims are really good these days and can teach you almost as much as a real flight lesson for much less cost. Don't buy books too many books and other training manuals as most are available for free on the ffa.gov website. If the instructor knows his stuff and gives you a full pre and post flight briefing, this will make all the difference. Good luck in your training!
Good advice, but I would add a few things and modify at least one suggestion. Do as much preparation as possible before even looking at flight schools. Yes, cheap is good, but there can be too cheap. For you initial training (private pilot) any well maintained trainer will suffice. Beyond the private I would advise a newer trainer with a glass cockpit for your instrument flying. So this creates a dilemma if you go to a local FBO with an older (cheaper) fleet. Fine to start out but then, having established a relationship, they won’t have the right aircraft for your advanced training. I would suggest finding a school that has both older (round dial) aircraft and newer glass panel aircraft for your instrument training. Warning, it won’t be the cheapest option, but will be the best in the long run.