Letter from Cole Reed

August 15,2005

Dear IFR,

I am writing with a minor complaint.

I contacted IFR several weeks ago to discuss flight-training. I explained that my goal was to eventually complete Airline Transport Pilot certification to enable me to change careers and work as a pilot for scheduled airlines.

I visited your facility and met with a member of your staff. We reviewed the instruction philosophy at IFR and discussed how much time I would be able to devote to study and practice. I left that meeting feeling significantly more informed though I must admit, I was caught off-guard by your pricing.

I've visited several flight schools in central Texas, comparing staff, facilities, resources, and curriculum, and naturally comparing prices as well. I've even spoken with college-based aviation program directors who's first comment about IFR is that you offer an amazing instruction program, but their second comment is that such an extensive program is inherently expensive.

I met a second time with one of your instructors and I made it clear that I am not looking for a hobby, or a sport, I am looking for a career in aviation. During this meeting your staff demonstrated a simple example of how many other schools quote minimum prices for minimum qualifications as a pilot. They explained that many other programs target FAA certification as a goal, and that those minimum standards lend themselves to their minimum prices. Your instructor showed me the standards of training required by the FAA and then showed me the far more stringent standards of your school's curriculum.

This was a particularly impressive demonstration of the differences between IFR and the other schools that I had spoken with. I had not disclosed my personal objective with regard to training standards. Being a "satisfactory pilot" or passing the FAA certification exams is of no interest to me what-so-ever. I am looking for a level of instruction which will make me an excellent aviator. I differentiate the two in my mind by thinking that nearly anyone can be taught to "pilot" an aircraft when everything is going right, even a machine can do it (autopilot) but being able to safely handle an aircraft when things are not going well requires the skill of an "aviator", and that is what I am looking for; the skills that lead to the confidence of knowing that I will be able to perform with excellence, not merely adequacy. So again, I was impressed but still apprehensive about your prices.

I read several articles about choosing a flight school, few mentioned price at all and those that did, said to take price into consideration but not use it as a primary deciding factor. The Airline Pilots Association recommends focusing on the curriculum exclusively and leave price and location completely out of the criteria. The Airplane Owners and Pilots Association emphasizes curriculum and instructor qualifications. While I was beginning to understand you unapologetic pricing, I was still concerned with how much higher it was when compared to other schools.

I spoke with independent lending sources and the pricing differential became clear when they asked if I was looking for recreational training or professional training. It occurred to me that in the past, having an applicant tell me that they had received the least expensive training would not have been a motivator for me to hire them; but seeing them demonstrate exemplary training rather than merely sufficient training would definitely have made them far more likely to be employed by me. That is what I want to show my prospective employers and clients.

My concerns about price were eliminated when I expressed them to the lender and they simply said that they routinely approve very comparable amounts for students of professional flight academy's all over the country. To have an independent third party tell me this was very persuasive and comforting to be honest.

My complaint is simply this...you leave me no choice. There are no options other than IFR. Comparing schools, staff, and curriculum, I was unable to find any other school which met my criteria for training to become a professional aviator. I like to have choices, but in this case there are none. Your school is the only one that meets my needs. I mentioned that it was a MINOR complaint.

I look forward to being a student at IFR, and to eventually being an IFR Graduate. More-so, I look forward to the training which will allow me to feel that my life, my family, and my passengers are as safe as they can be. With the age-old advice that "You get what you pay for" echoing in my mind, I cannot be confident in the level of training provided by the other schools that I have interviewed; especially having compared the training curriculum of the various schools.

Please thank your staff for meeting with me, and convey my very specific gratitude that none of your representatives ever tried to "sell me". Your team provided me with clear and concise information which was easy for me to understand and compare. And with flight schools on practically every corner, offering training that will get me a license, it was refreshing to see a school like IFR which offers career training in which FAA Licensure is merely a step along the way, and not the objective.

My financing for training is in process right now, and I'll see you in the cockpit soon.

Looking forward to my wings,

Cole Reed