How Pilots Discover Flight Training, Services, and Aviation Businesses
In our 2025 flight training survey, the #1 source pilots relied on when deciding where to search for help was the internet and online search, ahead of referrals, airport visits, or direct school contact.
Pilots are searching
They just aren’t searching by your business name
How students really search
When someone decides to learn to fly — or continue their flight training — they rarely begin by looking for a specific school or CFI by name. Instead, they start with their situation. They open a browser and type in exactly what they are trying to solve at that moment.
It might be something like “KFCM flight training,” “pilot training near me,” “accelerated PP in New York,” or “CFI for Mooney transition training.” Sometimes it’s as practical as “instrument training near KXYZ”. Often, it’s simply “instructor near my airport”.
In other words, they search by airport, by location, by aircraft type, by training need, or by the problem they’re trying to solve.
This behavior is not limited to flight training. The same pattern appears when pilots look for aircraft management and maintenance, ferry pilots, insurance and financing, aircraft for sale, or even pilot gear and equipment.
Across the board, pilots search for what they need in the moment — not for businesses they already know.
Why this matters
Our 2025 nationwide survey showed a consistent pattern: students and pilots rely heavily on fragmented online information when they begin and continue their training journey, and many feel they lack clear guidance.
Respondents shared that they struggled to choose the right instructor or school, often felt confused about training structure and expectations, and experienced interruptions caused by scheduling issues, instructor turnover, or a general lack of clarity about what to expect next. Many also expressed a strong desire for mentorship and better information early on in their journey.
Nearly 75% of respondents received their training from independent instructors or small local flight schools — the very segment that provides highly personalized, community-based instruction. Yet most of these students still struggled to find the right provider.
The issue is not quality. The issue is discoverability.
Students don’t know who you are yet. They search by situation. If you are not present at that exact moment, you remain invisible — even if you are exactly what they need.
Increase Your Reach
Skyfarer is built around how pilots actually search, and our website performance and search visibility continue to grow quickly. As we continue to build, it is increasingly appearing in search results for the exact types of queries pilots are already making. Choose what works now and adjust as you want.
Scale Your Visibility