RESEARCH METHODS The research discussed in this story was developed and executed by APCO Insight®, a global marketing research and industry reputation firm. It consisted of both a qualitative portion that relied on multiple focus groups made up of flight-school managers, flight instructors, pilots, students, and lapsed students, and a quantitative portion that was used to validate the flight training attributes presented in the qualitative session. Respondents in the focus groups were asked to describe various portions of the flight-training experience, as well as their ideal view of what it should be like. Those data were then validated during a national phone survey of 1,000 people. The results of the study offer objective insight into the flight training experience that’s never before been seen on this scale. To review the complete report, see AOPA Online (www.aopa.org/ ftinitiative). » 26 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORGhttp://www.aopa.org/ftinitiative http://www.aopa.org/ftinitiative http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG