A note from Doug
Hello,
I started Air Ventures Flying School to be different.
When I started teaching I noticed something: the flight training industry doesn't exist to create pilots and show them how to function in the world, it exists to sell more flight training under the guise of "becoming a better pilot" with more certificates and ratings. I call it the plastic shield effect, assuming that additional cards in your wallet mean anything more than you have a little more ink or a little more plastic in there. The truth is when you earn your private pilot certificate you have a 90% operational capacity as a pilot. You can fly anywhere in the world and have amazing adventures. The only thing you can't do is file an instrument flight plan and fly in the clouds (on purpose). Traditional training and the alphabets will try to convince you that getting a pilot certificate gives you "a license to learn" and while it's absolutely true that you should never stop learning your initial flight training should prepare you to be a fully functioning capable pilot who can go out and gain that knowledge from experience out in the wild blue yonder.
I have spent my entire professional career considering how to tackle that problem. I started Air Ventures Flying School in 2010 for that sole purpose.
I have developed a training method call Foundational Based Training (FBT). This training method uses a simple methodology that teaches the student how to understand the progress they are making in their training and gives them the ability to objectively self critique, combined with the dedicated repetition of tasks in a specific order gives our students strong skill sets that allow them to excel as aviators. This training methodology combined with the immersive environment at the school also helps educate pilots how to be effective beyond their initial training. No person with a pilot certificate can fly without access to an aircraft, from day one we start working with every student to make sure that they can get the most appropriate to them aircraft access through a variety of solutions
Because of the nature of the training we provide at Air Ventures Flying School we do not condone or sell "fast track training", in many instances we promote flying as a VFR pilot over the concept of "more certificates make you better". The average pilot at our school earns their certificate between 8 and 18 months. When they complete their certificate they are ready for anything they can encounter out in the wild blue yonder, our pilots go on to have long and wonderful careers in aviation whether they are flying as a hobby or professionally.
-Doug