Recognizing the best

The awards acknowledge and honor excellence in flight training and instruction and offer a chance for flight schools and instructors to highlight their programs, display their impact, and “be recognized as a leader in the flight training community,” according to the website.

The process is simple. When submitting an application, flight schools or instructors must enter a list of potential reviewers, including names and email addresses, which will generate individual email invitations to submit a testimonial.

For the 2026 Flight Training Experience Awards, AOPA has added two options:

1. Participants can opt out of award consideration, but still benefit from customer feedback (called “report card”), which will enable them to fine-tune the respective training program.
2. If they agree to post the report card on AOPA’s website, every participant is eligible for a special logo to demonstrate their willingness to work with customers’ approval or criticism.

There are several award categories. All applications are screened using a scoring system that compares them to other flight schools or instructors in their respective region and nationally. A panel of industry experts, who are unaware of the school’s or instructor’s identity, selects the top awards.

Being honored with an award has powerful benefits, including industrywide recognition, proof of commitment to quality and continuous improvement, and greater visibility to prospective students.

Find the detailed application process on this webpage. Applications are due October 24.