We run this program a little differently than a typical flight school, and that’s exactly what lets us keep costs down and quality up. This document is basically our shared playbook — what to expect from us, and what we ask of you.
When everyone shows up on time and prepared, the schedule works smoothly for everyone, and you build exactly the habits that airlines look for down the road. We’re genuinely in this together.
A steady, rolling five-days-on, two-days-off schedule (Team Blue or Team Grey) — enough repetition to build real muscle memory, with real rest days built in.
Please arrive about 45 minutes before your scheduled flight time.
Use that window to check the weather, review your weight-and-balance numbers, and get your questions answered before you sign off on the flight.
Because our aircraft run on tight back-to-back blocks, a late arrival affects the next student’s time too. If you’re more than 10 minutes late for your ground briefing, we’ll need to move the block to someone else and count it as an unexcused absence — not because we’re strict for its own sake, but because it’s the only fair way to keep everyone’s schedule intact.
Connecticut weather can be unpredictable, but a rainy or low-cloud day won’t stall your progress.
If the aircraft can’t fly, your instructor shifts the lesson to our simulator instead of canceling it outright.
Simulator time during weather delays is a normal, expected part of your schedule — it’s how you log real instrument practice and keep your timeline moving even when the sky doesn’t cooperate.
Life happens, and we get that. But if missed time becomes a recurring pattern, here’s how we handle it, step by step:
We’ll sit down together with your Chief Flight Instructor, figure out what’s going on, and adjust your routine so it doesn’t keep happening.
We’ll ask you to help cover the cost of the open aircraft slot, and shift your schedule to a backup track for the week while things get back on track.
We’ll sit down as a team to talk seriously about whether this program is still the right fit right now, including what it might mean for your place in the cohort.
Let dispatch and your instructor know at least 3 hours before your scheduled block. For your own safety, bring a note from your Aviation Medical Examiner before you fly again.
Talk to us directly. We’ll work with you to adjust your schedule around what you’re going through.
I’m excited to be part of VNAV Flight Labs. I understand that showing up on time and prepared helps the whole schedule work, for me and for everyone else in my cohort. I’m committing to hold myself to a real professional standard and to work closely with my instructors to make this career happen.