September 15 issue of Flight School Business

Flight School Business

VOL. 10-ISSUE 19-September 15, 2020

TRAINING TRENDS

A place for passion

Business pundits have been known to throw shade at the flight school industry, saying owners are usually in it for the wrong reasons. Flight School Business editor Jill W. Tallman thinks there's still a place in aviation for passion, and she offers three examples of people who started a business or whose businesses are thriving despite downturns in the industry. READ MORE ›

NEWS

Aviation groups seek new pandemic relief from FAA

AOPA and six other aviation organizations asked the FAA to grant pilots and flight instructors new two-month grace periods for meeting proficiency, medical, and certification deadlines that would be impractical to comply with between October and December 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The proposal would include relief for flight instructors whose certificates expire in October, November, or December 2020. Previous relief provisions for CFIs facing certificate expiration were discontinued after June 30. READ MORE ›

FAA to open two workforce development grant programs

The FAA announced that it will soon accept electronic applications for two Aviation Workforce Development Grant programs that AOPA considers critical to general aviation's future. Notices published in the Federal Register outlined the programs' criteria and opened 15-day public-comment periods. READ MORE ›

Sun 'n Fun announces holiday flying festival and car show

A two-day event in Lakeland, Florida, will help quench the thirst of aviation enthusiasts who missed out on the annual Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, which was canceled earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Holiday Flying Festival and Car Show will take place December 4 and 5 and will feature numerous aircraft displays, a short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) competition, night airshow, balloon launch, a large airplane and car show, live music, and other activities on the Sun 'n Fun Expo campus at the Lakeland Linder International Airport. READ MORE ›

Pilots, aircraft owners buy Mooney International

A group of U.S.-based general aviation aircraft owners and pilots have taken majority ownership of the financially challenged airplane manufacturer Mooney International, pledging to support airplane owners, provide transparency, and make Mooney more competitive. The company, previously owned by Chinese investors, was mostly shuttered in early January with two partially completed aircraft still on the factory floor. READ MORE ›

West Virginia university breaks ground for flight school

Marshall University in Charleston, West Virginia, broke ground in August for the Bill Noe Flight School, which is expected to enroll 200 students when it launches in August 2021 at Yeager Airport (CRW). The school will offer a four-year bachelor's degree that will result in a commercial aviation certificate of single and multiengine aircraft. The university has purchased three airplanes, including two Cirrus SR20s, according to WVMetroNews.com.

Special editions remain available

AOPA still has refills of the "You Can Fly: Your Path to Become a Pilot" special edition of Flight Training available. Dozens of schools report exhausting the original 50 copies shipped with the countertop displays and have received additional copies. A small number of complimentary countertop displays remain available; all are provided at no charge to your school. Contact AOPA at [email protected].

POLL

Wet or dry

How does your flight school account for fuel when renting airplanes? Tell us in this week's survey.

Results

In the September 1, 2020, poll we asked whether your flight school is back to pre-COVID-19 business levels. Here are the responses.

MARKETING

Build a better relationship with your customers

Provide good customer service and your customers will stay loyal—bringing their dollars for advanced ratings, rental of your aircraft, and aircraft sales. Let's look at some easy-to-implement ways to build those customer relationships and make them want to come back. READ MORE >

QUICK TIP

How 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..

SAFETY

'There I was'...Bird strike at night

Longtime GA pilot Loren Kopseng experienced an alarming bird strike at night while flying his Aviat Husky out of North Dakota. Find out how he managed the emergency by listening to the latest episode of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's There I Was... podcast.

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Flight School Business Editor:
Jill W. Tallman

Production Specialist:
Sylvia Horne

Advertising Production Coordinator:
Donna Stoner

AOPA Advertising website