January 23 2018 issue of Flight School Business

VOL. 8-ISSUE 2-1/23/2018

TRAINING TRENDS

Can you afford not to pay your CFIs more?

Flight schools are struggling to hire and retain flight instructors. Perhaps your flight school is struggling, too. Flight instructor Jason Blair says costs associated with turnover are probably much higher than you think. He shows you how a salary increase could affect your cost of business but decrease failure rates and reduce training times. READ MORE ›

NEWS

Government reopens

In an 81-to-18 vote, the U.S. Senate reached an agreement on Jan. 22 to end a three-day shutdown of the federal government and continue funding through Feb. 8. Nearly 18,000 furloughed FAA staffers returned to work Jan. 23 and resumed processing aircraft registrations, a function that was halted during the congressional impasse. READ MORE ›

Flight advisory issued for State of the Union address

The FAA has issued a flight advisory to make pilots aware of airspace restrictions and other temporary procedures that will be in effect on Jan. 30 when President Trump delivers his State of the Union message. Security measures will include modifications of the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area and the Washington Metropolitan Flight Restricted Zone. READ MORE ›

Discovery XL-2 out of hibernation

The Liberty XL-2—now the Discovery XL-2—has resumed production in Melbourne, Florida. Discovery Aviation, which bought the XL-2 design in 2014, has sold three airplanes to South Korea. The company has updated the two-seat IFR certified trainer with optional Garmin G500 avionics and STEC 30 autopilot, among other features. READ MORE ›

Family of missing student pilot sues flight school

The family of a California student pilot has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Van Nuys flight school that employed his instructor. The men, flying a Cessna 172, disappeared while on a flight that departed Catalina Island in May 2016. The family of Edmond Haronian alleged that Encore Flight Academy is negligent for Haronian’s presumed death because his flight instructor was “known to fly recklessly and had a criminal record that should have barred him from employment,” according to the Long Beach, Calif., Press-Telegram. An attorney for the flight school declined to comment because he had not seen the lawsuit.

Former airline pilot named acting head of FAA

Deputy FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell was named acting head of the agency following Michael Huerta’s departure on Jan. 6. Elwell is a former airline pilot who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and also flew a cargo airplane during Operation Desert Storm. READ MORE ›

Flight school moves to West Tennessee

Old School Aircraft has moved operations to McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) in Jackson, Tennessee. Formerly based at Humboldt Municipal Airport, owner Shane Richards said he wants to offer a flying program at a more competitive rate than flight schools in Memphis or Nashville. “There’s a lot of flight schools that offer a lot more expensive flight training, but we want the average working person who is still chasing that dream; we allow that dream to happen here,” Richards told The Jackson Sun.

POLL

CFI compensation

Has your flight school increased flight instructor salaries in the last 12 months? Tell us in this week’s poll.

Results

In the Jan. 9, 2018, issue, we wanted to know whether your flight school has equipped its fleet with ADS-B Out. Here are the results.

<em>Flight School Business</em>

MARKETING

Marketing trends for a brand-new year

Marketing professionals are rolling out the hot new trends for 2018. What if we told you that flight schools are already putting many of these tactics to work? READ MORE ›

QUICK TIP

Whenever a student pilot solos at Sporty’s Academy in Batavia, Ohio, a “solo alarm” signals employees to gather in the atrium to congratulate and welcome the pilot into the aviation community. How does your flight school celebrate solos?

SAFETY

Enhance your next seminar with ‘Safety to Go’

Want to liven up your next safety seminar? Download the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s award-winning seminar presentations and safety videos. Topics include “After the Crash”—handling an off-airport landing; “Chart Challenge”—real-world procedures and decision-making; “Cross-Country Challenge”—examining a range of interconnected safety issues; and much more. The multimedia materials are free to all pilots. Download from the website.

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Flight School Business Editor:
Jill W. Tallman

Production Specialist:
Sylvia Horne

Advertising Production Coordinator:
Donna Stoner

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