Viewpoint: How Social Media Is Changing Flight Training

When I first began actively training to become a pilot, the process of learning to fly was a relatively private journey. You worked with your instructors, you spent hours behind the controls, you read countless pages of manuals and you did most of this alone.

Today, the landscape for student pilots is evolving. The introduction of social media has changed the industry just as it has many others. There are suddenly new dimensions to how instructors reach their students, how students learn new skills and how everyone within the industry communicates with one another.

Today’s Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs) and pilots understand that social media can be a powerful tool for training and for connecting with students and with one another. They also understand that social media can play a significant part in transforming flight instruction and flight careers for the better.

Preparing To Learn And Train With Social Media

Each year, more students step up and declare their intent to learn how to fly. They may have caught an interest in the industry from online content creators or instructors who have taken to social media platforms to give an insider’s look at what it takes to fly for a career.

In addition to attracting students to the skies, pilots may discover they have an interest in becoming instructors through social media. With the door open to all new ways to teach by using social media for engagement and further instruction, becoming a CFI is more accessible than ever.

While social media will never replace structured lessons and FAA-approved regulations and processes that guide instruction, it can prime students to relate to lessons and prepare instructors to reach today’s modern student. For example, if a pilot-in-training is seeing consistent behind-the-scenes looks at cockpit controls, they may feel more confident sitting behind the controls themselves. They have already had an introduction, and in-person lessons can serve as hands-on reinforcement.

What social media does is provide wide accessibility to the aviation world. While not everyone has access to longtime CFIs to pick their brains, people can follow CFI creators online who are giving a behind-the-scenes peek at what it’s like to train to fly. Students in remote areas and those interested in becoming instructors who may not have access to mentors in the field can begin developing an idea of what it’s like to be in those shoes before choosing to pursue learning to fly or becoming an instructor.

Helpful Content Creation 

As a helicopter flight instructor, I don’t just teach within the confines of the cockpit. I consider myself a lifelong learner, and social media allows me to continue learning — and to continue teaching. I view social media as an extension of the classroom, making learning to fly not only more accessible but also more relatable and inspirational.

There are not too many CFIs actively creating content and bridging that gap between the public and the aviation world. The ones who are, like myself, are reaching the new breed of flight students — those who are digital natives, raised on social media, and ready to engage in that manner. CFIs who also create content can find themselves better prepared to embrace the future of flight instruction.
 

Content must be clear and relevant. While a 30-second clip showing a cockpit tour will not make anyone a helicopter pilot, it can spark interest or give students an idea of what questions to ask at their next lesson. Through social media, instructors can share their perspectives on flight safety, regulations, building careers, and maintaining a love for flight even during stressful situations.

Social media can also provide support for the industry, dispelling myths about aviation and flight instruction and adding expertise to the conversation. By building a responsible online community, content creators in the aviation space are helping to strengthen flight standards.

Instruction In The Digital Age

Flight instruction is not what it used to be. Today’s students have likely consumed hundreds of hours of online flight content before they even have their first time in the cockpit. While this readiness can make training easier, it can also change the instructor’s job considerably. CFIs are no longer starting from scratch. Their role now is to curate information and guide students through comprehensive, safety-focused training.

The type of preparation for students that comes from social media exposure would have been unheard of even a decade ago. Instructors must come prepared to teach this new generation of students, recognizing the benefits of this expanded accessibility and creativity in instruction.

A Vital Companion 

In conclusion, social media will never replace in-person flight instruction, but it has created an opportunity for instructors to reach a wider audience, reinforce essential lessons on safety and regulations, and demystify complex concepts that may deter people from learning how to fly.

Social media can break down walls between dreaming of becoming a pilot and actually making those dreams a reality. It presents opportunities for instructors to express their unique perspectives on the aviation industry and connect with people on a more personal and authentic level.

Tom Luca Schneider is a 28-year-old German-born, LA-based commercial helicopter pilot, certified flight instructor (CFI/CFII), and FAA Safety Team representative. He is a member of the National Association of Flight Instructors, Vertical Aviation International, and AOPA.