class details

The cost per Pilot-In-Training (Student) varies ($250.00 to $350.00) when scheduled in conjunction with a FunFly. The price is expense-based; travel (airfare or driving), hotel or other lodging arrangements, transportation, and other minor expenditures. Our goal is to keep costs to a minimum and give back to the hobbyists and the local club.
 
Each Pilot-In-Training will use their primary helicopter, regardless of brand, either electric, nitro, or gas. We suggest each Pilot-In-Training should use the largest helicopter they are comfortable flying. We take the time to inspect each Pilot-In-Training helicopter and discuss any setup questions one-on-one.  The instructor will fly the helicopter and recommend any Gyro, Governor, or Transmitter setup changes. The Pilot-In-Training will then fly their helicopter to ensure they are comfortable with any adjustments.  Our process allows us to provide more one-on-one flight training with each Pilot-In-Training.
 
Each Pilot-In-Training needs to provide continual feedback to the instructors. The feedback allows us to tailor each person's flight training to meet their individual goals and expectations.
 
We work with the contact person from the local club and modify class size based on the Pilot-In-Training participants.

Itinerary
Day 1
Overview - An overview with a question and answer session.
Set-up - Work one-on-one with each Pilot-In-Training, covering set-up while going over their helicopter (includes Gyro, Governor, and Transmitter) with open discussion concerning proper set-up and myths.
Testing - Test fly the helicopter while working with each Pilot-In-Training to ensure optimal helicopter flight performance.
Flight Evaluation - Observe each Pilot-In-Training fly their helicopter, evaluating their flying to help provide positive instruction during one-on-one flight training.
Flight Training - Begin working with each Pilot-In-Training, working on each of their personal goals and objectives.
Lunch Break
Flight Training - Continued working on each individual's flight goals.
Individual Practice - We have found it is critical to fly by yourself and work the flight maneuvers recommended by the instructor.
Day 2
Flight Training - Continued
Individual Practice - Continued
Lunch Break
Flight Training - Continued
Individual Practice - Continued

Other Information - We start each day at 9:00 AM and fly until there is not enough light to fly helicopters safely. It is vital to provide continual feedback that allows us to understand the challenges each Pilot-In-Training may be experiencing. We try to create a casual and relaxed instructional environment to help ease the learning process. We recommend each Pilot-In-Training fly by themselves, working on the instructional advice given by the Instructors.

Recommend Items
Primary Helicopter - It is best to use the largest helicopter you are comfortable flying. The brand does not matter, whether electric, nitro, or gas.
Secondary Helicopter - If you have one, bring it.
Battery - To increase our ability to work one-on-one with each Pilot-In-Training, suggest 3 to 4 battery packs per helicopter.
Charging Station - Bring your charger.
Power Supply - Check with the local Contact Person concerning power options at the field.
Tools - Import to bring your tools to work on your helicopter, such as hex drivers, ball-link pliers, and a digital pitch gauge. Check with the local Contact Person, as you may need to bring your table and chair.

Contact Person - One contact person is responsible for helping with arrangements such as the location, flight stations, work tables, power for chargers, etc. This person also provides us with the names of individuals who will be attending the ALIGN Flight Academy.

Testimonials

The Align Flight Academy is a must attend for all skill levels. With no local clubs in my area supporting heli's this class was a must. The class fees were well worth the information provided and more. The ratio between students and instructors was very good; all students had ample time to ask ques... Read More
Ronald
I really enjoyed taking the class with the Align team. After an initial assessment, they helped identify areas that I needed to improve on and continued to work with me throughout the entire class period on not only my flying skills but tuning tips on my helis as well. The team has a great dynamic... Read More
Kurt
This flight school exceeded my expectations by a large margin, the Align folks were relentless and worked extremely hard to make sure it was a great experience for everyone who attended. They were brand agnostic, and they were focused on making sure everyone got plenty of attention regardless of the... Read More
Phil
Gale and Alan really have a knack for finding your weaknesses in flying, identifying them, showing you so you understand, and work on strengthening those weaknesses. I am still working on maneuvers and disciplines learned from this class. This is well worth the money! This was my first time buddy... Read More
Doug
I highly recommend attending the Academy to improve your flying skills, learn setup skills from the pros, and support the hobby in general. Our instructors (Alan Szabo Jr. and Ben Storick) were amazingly patient and adaptable to our diverse skills and needs, and the organizing team kept everything... Read More
Ben
As the organizer of my club for this class, I found Gale and his team from Align easy to work with in planning for this class. They handled the registration details, and everything proceeded smoothly up to the day of the course. As a class participant, this is the best money I have spent on my heli... Read More
Scott

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