Flight Training is in the Toilet—And We All Know It

Flight Training is in the Toilet—And We All Know It

It’s time to say out loud what most of us in the industry already know: flight training quality is in free fall. The problem isn’t any one person or institution—it’s the result of rapid airline hiring, leadership turnover at flight schools, an overburdened FAA, and a system that values hours over actual competency.

CFIs Aren’t Instructing—They’re Buying Time

Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) used to be mentors, dedicated to shaping the next generation of pilots. Now, the majority are just passing through. They aren’t teaching to develop skilled aviators; they’re instructing because it’s the fastest way to log hours and get to an airline job.

This creates an obvious problem: students aren’t getting the instruction they need. Many CFIs are uninterested in deepening their teaching skills, and their focus is on maximizing their own flight time rather than ensuring their students are truly proficient. This isn’t to say CFIs are deliberately negligent—but when the primary goal is accumulating hours rather than training pilots, the results are predictable.

Flight Schools Are Just Training Pilots to Pass Check Rides

The training model at many flight schools has shifted from producing competent, well-rounded aviators to simply ensuring students can pass their check rides. This “teach to the test” mentality means students are drilled on exactly what they need to do to pass a check ride but lack the depth of understanding needed to handle real-world situations.

The result? An increasing number of new pilots who struggle when faced with anything outside of a scripted maneuver. National first-time check ride failure rates reflect this trend—failure rates are climbing, exposing the weaknesses in a system that prioritizes check ride preparation over true piloting proficiency. A pilot who can barely scrape by on a check ride is not a pilot ready to handle complex decision-making in the real world.

Leadership Turnover Has Made It Worse

A decade ago, many flight schools had core leadership teams made up of experienced instructors who were in it for the long haul. Today, those leaders are gone. As airlines continue to hire at record rates, flight schools have been left scrambling to replace their most experienced staff.

This churn means new hires—often with limited instructional experience—are running the show. The institutional knowledge that once ensured a high standard of training is disappearing. Many schools are now being led by instructors who, just a few months ago, were students themselves.

The FAA is Failing in its Mission to Oversee Flight Training Standards

Even if flight schools wanted to focus on quality training, the oversight needed to ensure high standards simply isn’t there. The FAA is severely understaffed, and its ability to monitor and enforce flight training standards has deteriorated.

Many Principal Operations Inspectors (POIs) responsible for overseeing flight schools and Part 141 programs are overwhelmed with caseloads, leaving them unable to properly evaluate training quality. The result is a lack of accountability—schools continue operating at declining standards because there’s little oversight to stop them.

\The FAA’s lack of staffing isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a safety risk. When check ride failure rates start climbing and schools continue pushing students through without intervention, it’s clear that something is broken. The agency tasked with maintaining flight standards is failing to do so.

The 1500-Hour Rule Has Created a “Puppy Mill” System

The 1500-hour rule was supposed to make aviation safer. Instead, it has turned flight training into a numbers game.

Because regional airlines require 1500 hours before hiring a pilot, the focus has shifted from gaining real experience to simply reaching that number as quickly as possible. This means many pilots hit 1500 hours with little meaningful experience outside of the right seat in a Cessna.

The airlines know this, which is why their training programs have had to expand. They’re spending more time and money on initial training because many new hires lack the fundamental skills they should have learned earlier. Instead of making pilots safer, the 1500-hour rule has simply moved the burden of training from flight schools to airlines.

What Needs to Change?

This is a systemic problem, and there’s no easy fix. But here are a few things that would help:

1. Rethink the 1500-hour rule. Hours alone don’t equal competency. More structured experience-building pathways—like structured mentoring programs—would be more effective.

2. Encourage career CFIs. Incentivizing long-term instruction rather than treating it as a stepping stone would improve training quality.

3. Hold flight schools accountable. The FAA needs to step up and enforce real training standards, not just compliance checklists. Schools should be evaluated not just on checkride pass rates but on real-world pilot performance.

4. Fix the FAA’s staffing crisis. Without proper oversight, flight schools will continue prioritizing quantity over quality. The FAA needs more qualified inspectors who understand modern flight training challenges.

5. Promote real-world experience. Flight training needs to emphasize real-world decision-making, not just check ride prep.

The Bottom Line

The quality of pilot training is in free fall, and it’s time to acknowledge it. CFIs are just logging hours, schools are prioritizing volume over quality, and the FAA is failing to maintain real training standards. The 1500-hour rule has turned flight training into a puppy mill, and national check ride failure rates prove that pilots are being trained to pass a test—not to be safe, competent aviators.

If we don’t address these issues, we’ll continue to see new pilots who are certified but not truly competent—and that’s a risk none of us can afford