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News

Webinar explains newest Rusty Pilots program

Host a Rusty Pilots program and get new business as you help lapsed pilots get back into the air. Welcome to Rusty Pilots 2.0!, a new Flight School Business webinar, will show you how the program uses the excitement of cross-country flights to address the ground portion of the flight review, while telling a story of a fun trip with the family. It incorporates a cross-country scenario to help bring your attendees one step closer to getting back in the cockpit. You’ll also find out about the new Rusty Pilots Resource Guide, provided free to all attendees. The webinar will be held at 8 p.m. Eastern on July 12. Register on the website >>

FAA clarifies hangar-use policy

The FAA published a policy update on June 15 focusing on hangar use at federally obligated airports. The policy changes the definition of aeronautical activity to include noncommercial aircraft construction as well as final assembly. The policy takes effect July 1. Read more >>

EAA looking for CFIs for its Sport Pilot Academy

On the heels of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s announcement that it will hold an accelerated sport pilot program kicking off in August, the association is looking for CFIs to provide ground and flight training for the program. EAA posted a hiring notice on its website, calling for pilots with flight instructor certificates (as opposed to sport pilot instructor certificates). Preferred candidates should be actively instructing and hold a bachelor’s degree or be currently enrolled in a degree program.

‘The Savvy Flight Instructor’ now available from ASA

Brand-new flight instructors and seasoned flight school operators alike will find useful advice and plenty of industry insights in the second edition of The Savvy Flight Instructor, now available from Aviation Supplies and Academics. Author Greg Brown is a contributor to Flight Training magazine and writes the monthly “Flying Carpet” column. In addition to networking, pilot training, and customer support concepts, the new edition discusses selling pilot prospects via online marketing, social media, and other current concepts. The book is available in soft cover ($24.95) and digital ($19.95) versions. See the website to order.

Tennessee flight school set to open in July

Bomar Field-Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI) in Shelbyville, Tennessee, will be the site of a new flight school set to open its doors in July. Shelbyville Flight Academy is owned and operated by flight instructors Linda and Joe Roberts. The flight school participated in an open house on June 25 at the airport, along with local businesses Arion, Jabiru North America, and Mack Air, according to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette.

Training Trends

Long time no see

Help your customers stay current (and happy) by taking an active role in tracking their currency dates for flight reviews, recurring rental checkouts, and even solo endorsements, cross-country authorizations, and the time until a knowledge test or endorsement becomes invalid. Read more >>

Poll

Pass or fail?

In this week’s poll, tell us what your flight school’s pass/fail rate is. Take the poll >>

Results

In the June 14 issue, we asked how many CFIs you employ, including full- and part-time and independent flight instructors. Here are the results:

Marketing

No dumb blondes

If you were paying for a service, would you continue to smile and hand over money if the vendor insulted you? Probably not. Why, then, do some flight school operators think it’s OK to berate and humiliate customers? Read more >>

Quick tip

Hesitant to delegate work? Start slowly. For instance, spend a weekend away from the flight school and divide tasks among a few different employees. When you get back, analyze their performance. If they had problems or didn’t do the job you expected, sit down with them and find out where the problems occurred. See more tips here.

Safety

Training for emergencies?

Learning to recognize and manage emergencies is an essential part of flight training. The greater the margin of safety maintained during emergency drills, the less realistic and less useful the practice tends to be. On the other hand, the more closely training mimics a true emergency, the greater the risk that it could actually turn into one. Read more >>

Editor: Jill W. Tallman

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