Fly8MA offering novel payment plan for tailwheel signoff
‘Name their price’ formula hopes to expose more pilots to backcountry flying
Fly8MA.com’s Jon Kotwicki is lowering the financial barrier to a tailwheel signoff with a pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth formula to broaden private pilots’ aviation abilities without denting their budget. Kotwicki, a CFI and backcountry aficionado who is passionate about delivering flight training above and beyond the minimums, feels that the knowledge gained from tailwheel training can increase pilots’ skills and safety.
The program allows students to “name their price, or simply pay what they feel their training is worth, for up to 5 hours of instructor time,” he explained in an email. “If they are interested in tailwheel training, or just receiving more instruction post checkride, we do not want cost to be a barrier.”
A few stipulations apply: Candidates must be a private pilot or higher, with a current flight review, and they must complete the online tailwheel course prior to acceptance into the program.
The six-hour Fly8MA.com online tailwheel ground school is $49 and is required so “folks can show up as prepared as possible” and so they can “achieve a tailwheel endorsement within the allotted time,” he said. Kotwicki emphasized that he’s flexible and willing to work with tailwheel candidates “who really do not want to pay” for the prep course. “They can always call us up to show they adequately prepared using other resources. That works for us, too.”
Tailwheel aircraft owners may bring their own airplane, provided they can make arrangements to safely get themselves and their aircraft to Kotwicki’s Hurricane, Utah, location at General Dick Stout Field.
“Since many folks are not sure of the value” that tailwheel training might offer, “we decided to remove the financial risk from training,” Kotwicki said.
Kotwicki also offers a free private pilot ground school through the Fly8MA.com website and guarantees that students will pass their written tests and checkrides on their first try.
