AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 49
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W
e know there’s a problem with flight training. Fewer student pilots are beginning training, and as many as 80 percent of students fail to obtain an FAA rating. But we haven’t been able to pinpoint the causes for flight training’s ailments with anything other than anecdotal evidence—until now. In 2010 AOPA launched the Flight Training Student Retention Initiative to take a closer look at the student experience and began by commissioning a landmark research study. The goal was to identify what students want from their flight training experience— and the areas where we are falling short and where we are succeeding. “We’re good at promoting the excitement and fun of flying, but not so much helping people get to the finish,” said Mark Benson, chairman of opinion research firm APCO Insight®. The far-reaching study’s conclusions were based on information from focus groups, which included pilots, current and lapsed student pilots, flight instructors, and flight school owners
HELP
Alternate Icon (used in places where we want to recognize AOPA because the connection may not be evident)
is on the way
Study shines a light on flight training’s challenges
BY JILL W. TALLMAN
and managers. Information from the focus groups was validated by more than 1,000 respondents in a telephone survey. Benson discussed the findings in detail before a packed audience at AOPA Aviation Summit in Long Beach, California, last November.
Plus - Video footage of the flight training survey keynote from AOPA Summit 2010
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FIZER
AOPA PILOT • 49 • MARCH 2011
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011
Contents
President’s Position
Hangar Talk
AOPA Media
AOPA Action
Letters
Waypoints
Proficient Pilot
Safety Pilot
License to Learn
Pilot Counsel
Fly Well
Pilot Briefing
Rally GA: Help is on the Way
A Higher Calling
Out in the Cold
The Perfect Howard
GA Serves America: Back to Life
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Strange and Unusual Crashes
Crossover Classic Sweepstakes: Panel Countdown
Challenges: Thunder on the Water
Wx Watch: Zooming Through Jet Cores
Pilot Products: New Ideas
Avionics: Don’t Leave Home Without It
Dogfight: Run the Tank Dry?
Never Again
Fly Outs
Fly by Wire
Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - President’s Position
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Hangar Talk
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - AOPA Media
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - AOPA Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Letters
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 22
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Waypoints
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Proficient Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Safety Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - License to Learn
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Pilot Counsel
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Fly Well
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Pilot Briefing
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Rally GA: Help is on the Way
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - A Higher Calling
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Out in the Cold
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - The Perfect Howard
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - GA Serves America: Back to Life
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Strange and Unusual Crashes
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Crossover Classic Sweepstakes: Panel Countdown
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Challenges: Thunder on the Water
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Wx Watch: Zooming Through Jet Cores
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 92
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Pilot Products: New Ideas
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Avionics: Don’t Leave Home Without It
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Dogfight: Run the Tank Dry?
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Never Again
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 104
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Fly Outs
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Fly by Wire
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - Cover4
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