News

Massachusetts flight school, FBO closes

The flight school at Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9) in Massachusetts closed its doors April 1, declaring bankruptcy three years into its current 10-year lease. King Aviation-Mansfield cited a shortage of flight instructors as a causal factor in the closing. Read more >>

Families sue Arizona flight school over Germanwings crash

The families of passengers who died in the March 2015 crash of Germanwings flight 4U9525 have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Arizona flight school that trained the pilot. First Officer Andreas Lubitz deliberately flew the airplane into the French Alps, killing himself and 149 others on board. The lawsuit claims Airline Training Center Arizona Inc., which is owned by Lufthansa, allegedly ignored warnings that Lubitz had depression when it accepted him into a training program, according to Law360.com. Lufthansa has compensated the families to varying degrees, according to German news organization Deutsche Welle.

King Schools to host EVAS online courses

King Schools will host an online course that trains professional pilots on how to use Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS) equipment. EVAS is a self-contained unit that provides a clear area so pilots can see flight instruments if they encounter smoke in the cockpit. In an agreement announced April 19, King Schools and VisionSafe Corp. said the EVAS course can be purchased through the King Schools website and purchasers of the EVAS product will receive two free course keys with each unit. The web-based course can be accessed online or through the King Companion App, available from the Apple App Store.

Pennsylvania college launches commercial pilot program

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and North Coast Flight School in Erie will offer a new commercial pilot training program in fall 2016. Students enrolled in the two-year program will take classes at Edinboro’s Porreco College, and ground and flight training at North Coast Flight, at Erie International/Tom Ridge Field Airport (ERI). Students who complete the program will leave with an associate’s degree in aeronautical science and will have obtained a private pilot certificate, instrument rating, and commercial certificate, according to GoErie.com.

Apus Air to open new facility in Kentucky

Apus Air, an El Cajon, California-based flight school that specializes in training international students, said it will open a new facility in Kentucky in the fall. The program will be located at the Owensboro-Daviess County Airport (OWB) in Owensboro, according to Kentucky New Era. Company officials projected they will train 150 students per year from Chinese and other airlines.

New flight school coming to San Bernardino

World Wide Wings, a Florida-based flight school, will open a new facility in San Bernardino, California, in the fall. The client base is international but primarily from China and India, a company official said. The San Bernardino International Airport Authority voted March 23 to overhaul an existing building at the San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) so that the flight school can operate there, according to the Highland Community News.

Training Trends

Closing a flight school after Sept. 11, 2001

Beth Niebuhr closed her flight school in the years following Sept. 11, 2001. That in itself is not unusual. What is unusual are the reasons she cited for shutting down the business—reasons not frequently heard in the flight training industry. Read more >>

Poll

Results

In the April 19 issue, we asked you whether you have an approved aviation training device for your flight school. Here are the results:

Marketing

Beyond pink: marketing to women

Women make up 50 percent of the population and represent a large chunk of disposable income—yet so often the aviation industry seems to pretend that they don’t exist. What would women like to see, and what kinds of products or approaches don’t work? Peg Ballou asked a group of women pilots for their opinions. Read more >>

Quick tip

How do you break in a new CFI? That is—a brand-new CFI, one who’s never taught before? Start by sending your newbie on a checkride with your chief instructor to see if there are any deficiencies. Before you let him or her work with students, have the CFI ferry aircraft to the maintenance shop. If you have a simulator, you can observe how the new CFI interacts with students on the ground. It’s all part of a process designed to help your new staff member get off on the right foot.

Safety

Bird brains

It’s nesting season. If your flight school airplanes are out on the ramp, and some birds take a liking to them, best not to let the birds move in. And it’s a good opportunity to remind pilots to always check for birds’ nests during a preflight. Read more >>

Editor: Jill W. Tallman

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