(9) Introductory Flight and Host Family
First, the table below outlines the minimum costs for your training, with subtotals provided. The schools shaded in blue are those that are relatively favorable to me, for the reasons explained earlier.
In addition to the costs, other factors to consider include the safety of the city where you'll stay, the aviation safety record of the flying school, the location of the preschool in Japan for the written test, the ease of daily commuting to and from school, and the availability of host families. Choosing a good flight instructor is a very important process, but it’s impossible to know this before starting training.
If possible, it would be a good idea to visit the flying school before making your decision and try an “Introductory Flight” or “Familiarization Flight.” This is a one-hour flight in a training airplane under the instruction of a certified instructor, during which you'll experience takeoff, landing, straight-and-level flight, turning, climbing, and descending. The instructor will communicate with air traffic control on your behalf. When flying with an American instructor, a certain level of English proficiency is required. However, the instructor who conducts your Introductory Flight may not necessarily be assigned to you for the rest of your training, even if you request it.
Regarding host families, I mentioned in a previous article that I had three. The first was a Filipino couple. The wife was a tough woman who became a major banker after coming to the U.S. with a one-way ticket as a teenager to support her family in the Philippines. At the time, I had apparently been assigned to another host family, but they suddenly went on a trip, and she kindly accepted me as a guest "for just a few days." I ended up transferring to a new family on the second day of my training, and my stay there was shortened to about 10 days. As a result, she seemed relieved—something that wouldn’t happen in Japan.
After transferring to a new school, I stayed with a Japanese woman’s family, introduced by the new school. This family took care of me in a traditional Japanese way and even made me a box lunch, which made me feel safe and comfortable and allowed me to focus on my studies.
However, due to her circumstances, I moved to another host family, an American couple, after about a month. This family had a study desk, and both were from airline companies, so we shared a passion for aviation, which gave me more opportunities to speak English, as I had hoped. It was a very fruitful stay. Needless to say, as guests, we must always have good manners and show consideration.
In the next article, I will finally choose the flying school. (continued)