March 21 2017 issue of Flight School Business

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VOL. 7-ISSUE 6-3/21/2017

TRAINING TRENDS

‘Nope, not today’: More avoidable reasons for checkride cancellations

Your customer arrives early for his checkride—or maybe he shows up two hours late. Does tardiness matter? In many instances, it means the checkride won’t take place. Designated Pilot Examiner Jason Blair shares three more reasons why some checkrides are over before they have a chance to begin. READ MORE ›

NEWS

FAA updating guidance for Part 141 training

The FAA issued a draft advisory circular that updates official guidance for the certification of pilot schools under Part 141 of the federal aviation regulations. Draft AC 141-1B clarifies procedures for obtaining Part 141 certification and includes a chapter on security requirements imposed on certificate holders by the Transportation Security Administration for the training of foreign nationals in the United States. READ MORE ›

Join AOPA at the Flight School Social at Sun ’n Fun

Meet members of the AOPA You Can Fly team during the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo and learn how they can help bring pilots to your school. The Flight School Social will be held 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at the AOPA Program Pavilion. Learn how AOPA is ramping up the Rusty Pilots initiative to help inactive pilots get back in the air. We’ll also offer a quick update on the 2017 Flight Training Poll and Excellence Awards. Refreshments will be served. REGISTER ONLINE ›

Helicopter show sees lift in training

Redbird Flight Simulations brought a new simulator to Heli-Expo, the Helicopter Association International’s annual meeting and trade show. The Redbird VTO is designed to help teach hovering and autorotations. In other training news, Sikorsky has partnered with Bristow Group to provide ab initio pilot training. READ MORE ›

Colorado instructor is 2017 CFI of the Year

Charles Orville Gensler has been named flight instructor of the year in the 2017 National General Aviation Awards. Gensler is chief flight instructor emeritus at Independence Aviation in Englewood, Colorado. READ MORE ›

Students at Virginia college revive aviation club

Students at William & Mary College, Williamsburg, Va., revitalized the college’s aviation club by offering a ground school in conjunction with Williamsburg Flight Center. The flight school provided an instructor to teach the ground school. Students who enroll in the ground school can sign up for flight instruction, and at least two students have done so, according to the college’s website

POLL

New opportunities

Does your flight school host special opportunities for learning? Take this week’s survey.

Results

In the March 7, 2017, issue, we asked for your input on renaming the Flight Training Poll. Here are the results:

<em>Flight School Business</em>

MARKETING

Spring training: Marketing for the season

Spring is officially here, no matter what the thermometer says. Your customers are yearning for blue skies. This is the time when you can rekindle their interest in aviation that has hibernated during these long, cold months. Ed Helmick has suggestions on how to get going. READ MORE ›

QUICK TIP

Flight reviews are a requirement, but that doesn’t mean they have to be routine. CubFlying.com, Auburn Municipal Airport (S50) in Auburn, Washington, advertises flight reviews in tailwheel aircraft to challenge clients to a new experience. The flight school’s website emphasizes that pilots don’t need a tailwheel endorsement to receive a flight review, and stresses the "romance of tailwheel flying and grass runways."

SAFETY

Bad habits, or bad luck?

Does your flight school foster a culture of safety? Let’s hope so. But it’s important to keep in mind that the most robust safety culture can only reduce risks, not eliminate them. Your job is to distinguish systemic weaknesses from a run of bad luck. READ MORE ›

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Flight School Business Editor:
Jill W. Tallman

Production Specialist:
Sylvia Horne

Advertising Production Coordinator:
Donna Stoner

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