Flight schools meet Career Day

Career fairs are an inexpensive way to promote your flight school. Usually at the high school level there is no fee at all; you just need to find out when the career day event is scheduled. Sometimes career fairs charge a fee for booth space, but it remains a very cost-effective method of flight student recruitment.

A career day booth obviously requires a table, a tablecloth to dress things up a bit and look professional, and an attractive display of what you are offering. Illustrate what kind of training material you are using and its advantages. Use a laptop computer to display videos of clients taking flights.

Show off your syllabus that constitutes a checklist and orderly progression of the building blocks to pilot proficiency.

You want to emphasize your commitment to quality flight instruction and safety, including your aircraft maintenance program. Most people do not understand what is behind your flight school operation. You want people to leave your booth comfortable with the understanding you are the best place to fly.

The question often comes up about training at a small flight school verses a major collegiate pilot training program. That issue has been addressed in “Airline Pilot Training at the Small Flight School,” which was published in the May 12, 2016, edition of Flight School Business. Basically, the collegiate flight training programs have a larger staff and higher operating cost. In addition, it takes longer to acquire the basic FAA pilot certificates and ratings in a collegiate program than at a small personalized flight school. A pilot will typically save about 20 percent on the cost of flight training and earn a private pilot certificate, instrument rating, commercial certificate, and initial CFI in a year to a year and a half. You then need to explain the value of building flight time experience an earlier age to progress to airline hiring minimums. In this era of pilot shortage, regional airlines will consider an interview with anyone if they are well prepared, either from a small flight school or a university program. Training time and cost are your answers at pilot career discussions. 

In addition to annual career day events, many high schools now have aviation curriculum programs and science, technology, engineering, and math programs that you can contact for a classroom presentation and question-and-answer session. High school instructors welcome experienced people in the aviation industry to bring real-world perspective to their students. You can ask if there is any aeronautical subject area with which you could assist their class. Sometimes our high school educators appreciate someone who can help explain flight planning and navigation or air traffic control services or other subject areas. You just must ask, or you will never open this door and the relationships it can create. This is another inexpensive way to meet potential students for your flight school.