ThisGuy wrote:Not sure of what school I would like to go to.
Tell us what area of the country you're in, and you'll probably get some great recommendations for schools and instructors right here. Look for the instructors with great senses of humour and who are there because they love flying and teaching. Don't look for one who's there to build time for his ATPL so he/she can move to the airlines.
Would doing a "intro" flight or discovery flight at eachschool be a waste of time and money?
Not completely. You'll get to go flying! Just remember that a 20-30 minute intro flight is pretty short, and the mission is different than going for a first lesson. The instructor who gets sent on your Intro Flight may not be the one who will be the best teacher.
Does the time spent count towards my total time?
It can. Bring a log book and a PTR and be clear up front that you want the flight to count. Honestly though, if the cost of an intro flight or two tacked on to the overall cost of a PPL makes it a financial issue, then flying may not be for you.
Can I get 1 hour of instruction at each school instead or how should I go about this?
That's certainly an option. Intro flights are really for people who haven't made the decision whether or not they want to learn to fly. It sounds like you have, so why not jump right in? Keep in mind you'll be repeating your first lesson at each school if you do this, but that's not a problem as it'll give you more experience starting out and hey, you'll get to go flying!
Looking to fly with a few different instructors or until I find one I feel will be suitable for me.
That's a great idea. And once you have that instructor, stick with him/her as long as possible. The more you change instructors, the longer it will take to get your license... Every time you switch you'll spend the next flight showing the new instructor how far along you are in your training, instead of progressing to the next lesson.
Every school has at least one excellent instructor, that every student wants to fly with. That's the one you want. Find out who it is, book him weeks in advance if necessary, and get started.
