Welcome to Pilot Network
We would like to start by offering a very warm welcome to everyone, wherever you are in the world, after what has been a very difficult time for aviation and the world generally. While we will look into the impact Covid 19 has had on the aviation industry in our later blog posts, we would like to use our first blog post to introduce Pilot Network, who we are and what we aim to do.
So what is our initial ambition with Pilot Network? Well, it’s a very simple one. To provide a platform for current and future pilots to access independent, non-bias and accurate information about flight training and the wider aviation industry at every level to allow them to make more informed decisions. Initially our focus will be on flight training, delivered through Europe first flight school comparison tool with a clear emphasis on helping aspiring pilots find the right route to the flight deck for them, their needs and importantly their budget – whilst also recognising the current condition of the industry and providing honest advice to reflect that.
How do we plan to do this?
We have spent the last 12 months talking to current and past flight school students asking them about their experiences of flight training and were greeted with one regular answer. “There are so many things I wish I knew about this school before I signed up”. This is where we step in. Pilot Network is Europe’s first independent flight school review and comparison website, we bring together hundreds of reviews from actual past students, moderated by our team of admins, to provide a bank of reliable feedback about every school. Alongside this, reviewers are asked to rate the most important aspects of schools, such as their training, organisation and value for money. These ratings are then used to form a schools Pilot Network Rating which can be used as a guide for future students in choosing which schools to visit and eventually train with. In addition to reviews we have gathered information on over 85 schools and continue to increase that number. We are in active discussions with our verified schools to ensure the data we display for them is accurate, including everything from course prices to fleet sizes. Again, this is all to provide future students with the information they need to make better informed decisions about schools. We cannot take away the value of visiting a school, however we can assist in shortlisting which schools to visit!
Where did the idea come from?
Development of Pilot Network began in December 2019 following a discussion about the ongoing monopolisation of flight training in the UK, and how we wanted to shine more light on flight training and show prospective and current students that there is a lot of choice out there which they otherwise may have found hard to find. We wanted to provide a platform that assists them in making the right decisions for themselves. Covid 19 added an extra emphasis to this by demonstrating the importance of maintaining control of your training, protecting your finances and ensuring back-up and escape options in what can be considered as a volatile industry. Clearly there is also a need now to consider the actual viability of flight training, given the state of the aviation industry. It is important to remember that flight schools are businesses, therefore their information will always be bias towards protecting their business.
Who are we?
The Pilot Network Team comprises of current airline and corporate pilots all of whom have recent training experience from across Europe, at different schools and on a variety of routes.
What’s next?
Pilot Network is a platform which will be constantly evolving and expanding. We aim to try and gather information about every school in Europe and be in active contact with as many of them as possible too, to ensure we are providing accurate information about them. We also aim to start targeting schools and universities to improve the quality of information that they can provide to their students who may be considering a career in aviation. We have many other things planned plus look forward to hearing feedback from you about what you would like to know and see more of.
For now though, thank you for reading and welcome to Pilot Network. We look forward to assisting as many of you as possible, on your routes to the flight deck.
By the Pilot Network Team
