May 31, 2016, issue of 'Flight School Business' newsletter
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NewsAOPA’s 2016 Flight Training poll is liveThe 2016 Flight Training poll is live. The poll gathers feedback from your clients and gives you the chance to be nationally recognized in our Flight Training Excellence Awards, including coverage in Flight Training magazine and on AOPA’s website. The poll measures the performance of flight training providers through the categories of educational quality, customer focus, community, and information sharing. The poll closes Aug. 22. Send your customers to this URL >> GA groups urge Senate not to cap flight training for veteransIn a joint letter to leaders of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, 10 general aviation associations including AOPA urged the full Senate to reject calls to place limits on flight training benefits for veterans. “Given the pressing need for pilots in this country across all sectors, a cap would be counterproductive not only to veterans but to our nation’s economy,” the letter said. Read more >> Icon lays off workers, details new purchase agreementUnable to meet an ambitious production schedule, Icon Aircraft announced May 25 that it has eliminated 60 full-time jobs and 90 part-time and contract workers. The company said it will deliver 20 Icon A5 two-place sport airplanes in 2016, down from 175. Icon said it would release a revised version of its controversial sales agreement. Read more >> FAA fixes glitch in IACRA systemStudent pilot applications are back on track after the FAA fixed a glitch in its Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) system. IACRA now processes student pilot certificates for applicants with foreign addresses. With the fix, the agency says applications are processed within two weeks, and most within 10 days. Read more >> Glider instructor designs cockpit simulatorThe author of a series of glider instructional materials has designed a cockpit simulator with integrated flight controls to enable glider pilots to train at home, at a glider club, or at a commercial operation. Russell Holtz said a commercial glider operation can boost its revenue by training multiple students at once using a single flight instructor, or by providing evening or winter courses when actual flying would be impossible. Read more >> Father sues flight school over death of student pilotThe father of a student pilot who died in an October 2015 crash during a solo flight is suing the flight school and its parent company. Joseph Hughes died when the Piper Tomahawk he was flying crashed near Pickens County Airport (JPZ) in Jasper, Georgia. A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report found a negligible amount of fuel present in the left fuel tank and none in the right fuel tank. A time sheet recovered from the wreckage indicated that the airplane had flown 4.9 hours since its last refueling. The lawsuit alleges that Asterix Aviation was negligent because it did not ensure that the airplane was fueled before Hughes took it out, according to WSB-TV2. Training TrendsYear-round proficiencyHow do you get your customers to come in for proficiency training more than once a year? Consider the approach taken by Independence Aviation in Denver, Colorado, which will offer Cirrus pilots continuous monthly training that satisfies flight review and instrument proficiency requirements. Read more >> PollSummer campsSummer presents an opportunity to hold aviation camps for middle- and high-school students, and a chance to introduce a new generation to general aviation. Does your flight school offer summer programs for school students? Tell us in this week’s poll >> ResultsIn the May 17 issue, we wanted to know who handles the maintenance for the aircraft at your flight school. Here are the results:
MarketingShould you brand your airplanes?If you want to project a professional image, start with one small but important detail: putting your name on your flight school fleet. Ed Helmick says branding is not very expensive, and it demonstrates that you’re serious about your image. Read more >> Quick tipHow well do you understand the workings of your own flight school? If you are a CFI, take on one student in addition to running your business. Your flight instructors will be motivated when they see you on the ramp, preflighting an airplane, doing all the things that they do. SafetyTakeoffs are optionalA perfunctory preflight is not a good preflight. Don’t let your customers develop bad habits that could cause an accident sometime in the future. Read more >> |
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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 |
