Accelerated Instruction FAQ
Accelerated flight instruction is a focused and intensive approach to learning to fly (and other ratings), aimed at helping you achieve your certification efficiently while maximizing the quality of your training. It’s not about rushing—it’s about dedicating a concentrated block of time to immerse yourself in flying, away from the usual distractions of life. Here are answers to the most common questions I get.
What is accelerated instruction?
Accelerated flight instruction is a concentrated training program designed to help you achieve a rating in a much shorter time frame. It involves intense daily lessons to create an immersive experience.
Who is accelerated instruction for?
Accelerated instruction is best for people with significant commitments outside of aviation who are interested in making serious progress quickly.
How is this different from regular flight instruction?
The key differences are:
Time Commitment: You’ll fly and study daily for a set period.
Focus: The program eliminates unnecessary downtime, helping you achieve your goal efficiently.
Intensity: Lessons are longer and more frequent, requiring focus and preparation.
What certifications or ratings can I achieve with accelerated instruction?
All of them. Accelerated instruction is commonly offered for:
Private Pilot Certificate
Instrument Rating
Commercial Pilot Certificate
CFI
What preparation is required before starting?
To maximize our time together, you’ll need to:
1. Pass the written exam for your rating with a 90% of above. The 90% is arbitrary, but demonstrates that you have a solid understanding of the knowledge required for your certification.
2. Master the ACS (Airman Certification Standards): Familiarize yourself with the ACS, so you know exactly what’s expected on the practical test.
But the real switch in getting ready for accelerated instruction is more of a mental model: you need to think of yourself as the instructor responsible for getting you ready for the tests. That means you have to understand the requirements in detail, help to create the path to those requirements and constantly evaluate where you are relative to them. In essence, you are hiring a guide to help you get ready for the test. You're not hiring an instructor to spoon-feed you.
How long does accelerated instruction take?
This depends on you, your ability to learn and your preparation.
- Instrument Rating: Typically roughly 10 days if prerequisites are met.
- Private Pilot: 3–4 weeks with intense daily flying and study.
Is accelerated instruction harder than traditional instruction?
Not necessarily—it’s just different. While the pace is faster, you’re also more focused, which often makes learning easier and the skills don’t fade between lessons.
What are the benefits of accelerated instruction?
Consistency: You retain knowledge and skills better with daily practice.
Focus: You have fewer distractions from work, family, or other commitments.
Instructor Access: One-on-one attention from your instructor all day for the duration of the training.
What are the potential challenges?
Intensity: The program requires sustained focus and energy, which can be mentally and physically exhausting. These are long days - 10 or 11 hour days with the entire day spent flying or talking about flying.
Preparation: Without proper preparation (e.g., written exam completed), you may struggle to keep up.
Cost: While the per-day cost may be higher, the total cost is often comparable to traditional training due to the reduced overall timeline.
How do I know if accelerated instruction is right for me?
Consider this approach if:
You can dedicate a block of time exclusively to training.
You prefer an immersive environment.
You’re prepared to focus on flying without distractions.
You’ve already passed the written exam and have a thorough understanding of the material.
What’s expected of me during training?
Have FUN. Seriously. Flying is incredibly fun and every minute up there should be relished. We are going to take the flying very seriously, but not ourselves.
Commitment: Show up prepared, rested, and ready to learn.
Openness to Feedback: Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them quickly.
How does accelerated instruction affect the cost?
While the upfront cost may seem higher due to the condensed timeline, you often save money overall by avoiding prolonged schedules, repeated lessons, and skill atrophy over time.
What happens if I don’t finish in the accelerated timeframe?
Sometimes unforeseen factors (weather, skill readiness) can extend the program. Most schools or instructors will work with you to complete the training as quickly as possible.
Is there something I missed? Just send me a note at the number or email below and I'll add it to the list.
What is Accelerated Instruction?
Dead engine training during an intensive four days of multi-engine training.
Over the past seven months, I’ve earned my instrument (10 days), commercial (4 days), multi-engine (3 days), and CFI ratings (4 days) using an approach called “accelerated instruction”. This has been one of the hardest things I’ve done as an adult but the approach was absolutely worth it.
Accelerated flight instruction was a game-changer for me. I spent close to two months flying once or twice a week moving at a snail’s pace towards instrument. It was incredibly frustrating trying to schedule my instructor, schedule the airplane and balance my own family obligations while trying to be ready for every lesson. Accelerated training is simply the best approach to achieving your aviation goals if you have a life outside of flying.
Dead engine training in a Cessna 310 during an intensive 4 day multi-engine course.
What is accelerated instruction?
Accelerated flight instruction is a focused and intensive approach to learning to fly (and other ratings), aimed at helping you achieve your certification efficiently while maximizing the quality of your training. In most cases an instructor will come to you, though there are several schools you can attend. You’ll spend upwards of 10 hours a day flying and talking about flying. It’s not about rushing—it’s about dedicating a concentrated block of time to immerse yourself in flying, away from the usual distractions of life. For me, what worked best was starting around 7 am with a lesson, a flight in the morning, a lesson over lunch, a flight in the afternoon and another lesson after, breaking around dinner time. Sometimes we would do another flight in the afternoon.
How long does it take?
It depends completely on you. What makes accelerated instruction so attractive to me is that I can go as fast as I can. I'm seldom the fastest person in any classroom, but I'm never the slowest. So I find virtually all classrooms to be BORING. Having a dedicated instruction instructor meant I could move at my own pace. Which ended up being pretty fast. My instrument reading took 10 days, commercial took four days, multi took three days and CFI took four days. That does not count considerable preparation before.
What do you have to do to prepare for accelerated instruction?
The two absolute requirements are that you 1) pass the written exam for the rating before you start (and get higher than a 90%). The 90% is arbitrary, but it's a signal that you understand most of the material and 2) Be familiar with the ACS requirements for the rating as if you were the instructor.
But the real switch in getting ready for accelerated instruction is more of a mental model: you need to think of yourself as the instructor responsible for getting you ready for the tests. That means you have to understand the requirements in detail, help to create the path to those requirements and constantly evaluate where you are relative to them. In essence, you are hiring a guide to help you get ready for the test. You're not hiring an instructor to spoon-feed you.
Accelerated flight instruction isn’t just a way to check boxes—it’s a way to immerse yourself in aviation, achieve your goals efficiently, and minimize the disruptions to the rest of your life. For people like me, with a family, a job, and limited time, it’s the ideal path.