May 17 2016 issue of Flight School Business

News \| Training Trends \| Poll \| Marketing \| Quick Tip \| Safety

Vol. 6-Issue 10- 05/17/2016



News Proposed rule would affect CFI certification, Part 141 flight schools The FAA published a proposed rule that includes a number of improvements to certification and training. The changes primarily affect Part 61 of the regulations. Instrument-only instructors would no longer be required to have category and class ratings on their flight instructor certificates to provide flight training. Additionally, Part 141 flight schools would be able to count graduates of “special curricula” courses toward certificate renewal requirements. The rule also includes changes pertaining to instrument currency and sport pilot certification and instruction. Read more >> Santa Monica flight school closes Justice Aviation, a flight school based at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) in California, closed its doors May 11. The city of Santa Monica agreed to pay the business $450,000. The city has denied three-year leases to other airport tenants. In recent weeks, the city had ordered Justice Aviation to pay landing fees that were doubled in 2013 and had concurrently served an eviction notice. Read more >> Trans States Airlines, Florida flight school strike transition deal Trans States Airlines has announced a partnership with Epic Flight Academy, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that will help aspiring airline pilots build hours to qualify for an airline transport pilot certificate. Candidates who complete private, instrument, and commercial single-engine training with Epic would qualify for a sponsorship to cover the costs of flight instructor certificates and multiengine training. Pilots would then work for Epic as flight instructors to build time to meet ATP minimums before transitioning to Trans States as first officers. Student creates FBO refueling startup company A Washington, D.C., area student has created a computerized refueling system to handle paperwork efficiently, safely, and less expensively. John Hill got the idea from working for a Leesburg, Virginia, FBO while he was attending George Mason University. The system is being beta tested at ProJet Aviation’s FBO in Leesburg. Read more >> Purdue Aviation, Tecnam announce partnership Fixed-base operator Purdue Aviation has struck a deal with the manufacturer of Tecnam aircraft to offer a sales center, flight school integration, flight training, and maintenance services at Purdue University Airport in Lafayette, Indiana. The partners say they’ll offer a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T for flight training and rental. Read more >> FBO closure puts Utah flight school out of business Leading Edge Aviation at South Valley Regional Airport (U42) in Salt Lake City, Utah, closed on May 15 after it was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the city. A new provider is set to take over, but it won’t offer flight instruction, according to Good4Utah.com. Forty FBO employees will lose their jobs, and more than 50 flight school students will have to seek instruction elsewhere. Leading Edge continues to operate an FBO and flight school at Logan-Cache Airport (LGU) in Logan, Utah. Training Trends Airline pilot training at the small flight school Aviation colleges and universities churn out thousands of prospective airline pilots per year. Does that mean small flight schools shouldn’t bother to get in the game? Not at all. Ed Helmick explains why your flight school can and should compete with the big programs. Read more >> Poll Maintaining your aircraft Who handles the maintenance for the aircraft at your flight school? Tell us in this week’s poll >> Marketing Build a better relationship with your customers Provide good customer service and your customers will stay loyal—bringing their dollars for advanced ratings, rental of your aircraft, and aircraft sales. Let’s take a look at some easy-to-implement ways to build those customer relationships and make them want to come back. Read more >> Quick tip Airplanes only make revenue when they fly. What can you do if a customer cancels a lesson or a rental? Keep a list of clients who might be available to fly on short notice. Encourage your flight instructors to find customers with whom to fly solo or dual when someone else cancels. Safety Low wing may equal lower risk on landing The high-wing versus low-wing debate is one of those questions you just don’t want to get into around an airport. But, as David Jack Kenny reveals, there’s evidence to support that low-wing aircraft are less likely to be involved in landing accidents than their high-wing counterparts. Read more >>
	Editor: Jill W. Tallman Member Tools: Send feedback \| FSB Archive \| Subscribe © 2016 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association \| 421 Aviation Way Frederick, MD 21701 \| Phone 800/872-2672 \| Fax 301/695-2375

News

Proposed rule would affect CFI certification, Part 141 flight schools

The FAA published a proposed rule that includes a number of improvements to certification and training. The changes primarily affect Part 61 of the regulations. Instrument-only instructors would no longer be required to have category and class ratings on their flight instructor certificates to provide flight training. Additionally, Part 141 flight schools would be able to count graduates of “special curricula” courses toward certificate renewal requirements. The rule also includes changes pertaining to instrument currency and sport pilot certification and instruction. Read more >>

Santa Monica flight school closes

Justice Aviation, a flight school based at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) in California, closed its doors May 11. The city of Santa Monica agreed to pay the business $450,000. The city has denied three-year leases to other airport tenants. In recent weeks, the city had ordered Justice Aviation to pay landing fees that were doubled in 2013 and had concurrently served an eviction notice. Read more >>

Trans States Airlines, Florida flight school strike transition deal

Trans States Airlines has announced a partnership with Epic Flight Academy, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that will help aspiring airline pilots build hours to qualify for an airline transport pilot certificate. Candidates who complete private, instrument, and commercial single-engine training with Epic would qualify for a sponsorship to cover the costs of flight instructor certificates and multiengine training. Pilots would then work for Epic as flight instructors to build time to meet ATP minimums before transitioning to Trans States as first officers.

Student creates FBO refueling startup company

A Washington, D.C., area student has created a computerized refueling system to handle paperwork efficiently, safely, and less expensively. John Hill got the idea from working for a Leesburg, Virginia, FBO while he was attending George Mason University. The system is being beta tested at ProJet Aviation’s FBO in Leesburg. Read more >>

Purdue Aviation, Tecnam announce partnership

Fixed-base operator Purdue Aviation has struck a deal with the manufacturer of Tecnam aircraft to offer a sales center, flight school integration, flight training, and maintenance services at Purdue University Airport in Lafayette, Indiana. The partners say they’ll offer a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T for flight training and rental. Read more >>

FBO closure puts Utah flight school out of business

Leading Edge Aviation at South Valley Regional Airport (U42) in Salt Lake City, Utah, closed on May 15 after it was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the city. A new provider is set to take over, but it won’t offer flight instruction, according to Good4Utah.com. Forty FBO employees will lose their jobs, and more than 50 flight school students will have to seek instruction elsewhere. Leading Edge continues to operate an FBO and flight school at Logan-Cache Airport (LGU) in Logan, Utah.

Training Trends

Airline pilot training at the small flight school

Aviation colleges and universities churn out thousands of prospective airline pilots per year. Does that mean small flight schools shouldn’t bother to get in the game? Not at all. Ed Helmick explains why your flight school can and should compete with the big programs. Read more >>

Poll

Maintaining your aircraft

Who handles the maintenance for the aircraft at your flight school? Tell us in this week’s poll >>

Marketing

Build a better relationship with your customers

Provide good customer service and your customers will stay loyal—bringing their dollars for advanced ratings, rental of your aircraft, and aircraft sales. Let’s take a look at some easy-to-implement ways to build those customer relationships and make them want to come back. Read more >>

Quick tip

Airplanes only make revenue when they fly. What can you do if a customer cancels a lesson or a rental? Keep a list of clients who might be available to fly on short notice. Encourage your flight instructors to find customers with whom to fly solo or dual when someone else cancels.

Safety

Low wing may equal lower risk on landing

The high-wing versus low-wing debate is one of those questions you just don’t want to get into around an airport. But, as David Jack Kenny reveals, there’s evidence to support that low-wing aircraft are less likely to be involved in landing accidents than their high-wing counterparts. Read more >>

Editor: Jill W. Tallman

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