March 02 issue of Flight School Business

Flight School Business

VOL. 11-ISSUE 5-March 2, 2021

TRAINING TRENDS

Flight School Spotlight: Smoketown Helicopters

With money earned from selling fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market, Garrett and Jen Snyder launched a flight school that has survived economic turbulence and earned customer loyalty. They credit bringing maintenance in-house and investing profits back into the company for a large chunk of their success. READ MORE ›

NEWS

VFR charts now on 56-day cycle

As of February 25, "all Sectional Aeronautical, VFR Terminal Area (TAC), VFR Flyway Planning, VFR Aeronautical, and Helicopter Route Charts will be updated and continue to be updated every 56 days" to coincide with the publication dates of other en route, terminal, and supplemental chart products, the FAA said. READ MORE ›

FAA urged to release delayed airman certification standards

AOPA and other members of an FAA working group have called on the agency to resume releasing new volumes of airman certification standards that have been frozen since 2019 during a dispute over the federal government's administrative procedures. It's a bureaucratic snarl that has flown mostly beneath the flight training public's radar since the first of six published ACS volumes made its debut in 2016. READ MORE ›

CFI offers 'pay-what-you-want' program for tailwheel endorsement

Fly8MA.com's Jon Kotwicki is lowering the financial barrier to a tailwheel signoff with a pay-what-you-think-it's-worth formula to broaden private pilots' aviation abilities without denting their budget. Kotwicki, a CFI and backcountry aficionado who is passionate about delivering flight training above and beyond the minimums, feels that the knowledge gained from tailwheel training can increase pilots’ skills and safety. READ MORE ›

Working group making progress on DPE system reforms

The working group responsible for proposing ways to modernize the FAA's management of its designated pilot examiner network plans to present its package of recommendations this summer. The working group met in mid-February, focusing on goals of improving the selection, training, and deployment of the FAA's DPEs using a blend of systemic innovations and enhancements of the system’s existing framework. READ MORE ›

FAA launches forty-third annual GA survey

The FAA has launched its forty-third annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey. Pilots are urged to complete the survey, which is confidential, takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and is the only source of information on the GA fleet's activity in the previous year, such as the number of hours flown and the ways people use GA aircraft. READ MORE ›

GAO report reviews FAA's flight sharing policies

The Government Accountability Office released a report to Congress on the FAA's regulation of flight sharing—a practice that allows private pilots to share aircraft operating costs with passengers provided the pilots do not run afoul of prohibitions on engaging in "common carriage" for compensation. The report said that pilots found the advisory circular that includes guidance on how to conduct cost sharing "clear and useful." READ MORE ›

POLL

Fixed wing or rotary wing?

This week's Flight School Spotlight, Smoketown Helicopters, offers training in both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. How about your flight school? Tell us in this week's poll.

Results

In the February 16 poll, we asked if your flight school offers Valentine’s Day promotions. Here are the results:

MARKETING

Stage checks—they’re not just for training

Don't overlook the marketing value of something you're probably already doing every day at your flight school—stage checks. Ed Helmick explains how you can show customers that your flight school earns a higher pass rate with designated pilot examiners. READ MORE AND GET STARTED >

QUICK TIP

Employee turnover is a fact of aviation, but too much turnover can dramatically affect your business. If employees are quitting too frequently, it's time to ask why. Are you paying a competitive wage? Do you provide predictable schedules when possible? Perhaps most important, is your management style behind some of this turnover?

SAFETY

Minimum fuel versus fuel emergency

What does it mean when a pilot tells ATC that that you have minimum fuel? How about a fuel emergency? Air traffic controllers explain all in this video from the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

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Flight School Business Editor:
Jill W. Tallman

Production Specialist:
Sylvia Horne

Advertising Production Coordinator:
Donna Stoner

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