He’s ready. Are you?

The man I’m talking about sounds like a flight school’s dream, but he really exists. His name is Philip, and he has a blog (www.philipflies.com). He’s in Montana, living in a 1979 Allegro Bay RV pulled by a Dodge 440. He chose a Part 61 school because he “likes the concept of it.”

Philip used to be a construction consultant. He’s now a full-time student pilot. He passed his private checkride in August, after 51 hours of flight time. Now it’s on to the instrument rating and the commercial certificate. After that, he’s headed to Alaska.

Philip didn’t grow up wanting to be a pilot. He did realize, however, that the things that are important to him are things that an aviation career can bring him: travel, advancement, decent wages. He didn’t make this decision on a whim.

So what if this guy rolled into your flight school parking lot? Would you be ready for him?

He left behind a job, health care benefits, a company vehicle, and presumably a residence that isn’t on wheels.

Would you have the flight instructors to train him? Would you be able to provide him consistent training to help him work as hard as he can?

Would you have the fleet to fly him? Would your fleet be in good enough shape to fly him as much as he wants to fly?

Would you be able to match the dedication he brings each day? More important, would you be able to fulfill the faith and trust he has put into your business to get him to where he wants to be?

Could you be a resource for him outside of flying, knowing that he’s a stranger to your city and he lives in an RV?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, look at those areas where you might fall short. I suspect there’s a lot more like this guy coming down the road, and they’re just as likely to walk into your flight school as any other.

But if you’re not ready for these career changers, they won’t wait around for you. They’ve got goals, timelines, and plans. If you can’t help them, they’ll move on to the flight school that will.