The United States' airline industry is currently unable to meet passenger demand due to a limited pilot labor supply; a problem exacerbated by the fact that student retention remains a significant issue within the civil flight training industry. The aim of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the socialization of student pilots within aviation-training organizations, student intention to persist, and training outcomes as demonstrated by the number of flight hours needed to reach both solo flight and the attainment of the private pilot certificate. It also sought to compare the extent to which socialization is promoted within different types of flight training environments. It was hypothesized that increased levels of socialization would be predictive of greater intention to persist, reduced to hours to solo and reduced hours to reach private pilot certification. It was also hypothesized that Part 141 flight schools would be more likely to promote socialization than any type of Part 61 training environment. Eligible respondents were invited to take an online survey that assessed pilot background and experience, levels of socialization, and intention to persist in training. Participants were divided into a student pilot or certificated pilot sample. A regression analysis of the student pilot sample (N=51) revealed that socialization is predictive of intent to persist [[beta] =0.642, p<0.001]. A Pearson correlation analysis of certificated pilots (N=223) did not indicate a significant relationship between socialization and hours-to-solo or hours-to-certification. Finally, a one-way ANOVA showed that the organization of a flight training program affects student socialization levels [F(3,50)=3.166, p=0.038]. Tukey post hoc analyses indicated a significant difference in socialization between students training in a Part 61 school (M=3.131, SD=0.733) and students training at a flying club (p=0.021). These findings point to the importance of emphasizing the social environment to improve student pilot retention. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]