April 26 issue of Flight School Business

Flight School Business

VOL. 12-ISSUE 9-April 26, 2022

TRAINING TRENDS

Bean bags for Ukraine

A Virginia flight school raised more than $17,000 for Ukraine by hosting an event in which pilots could drop bean bags on ground targets. Aviation Adventures owner Bob Hepp said early coordination with the local FAA Flight Standards District Office was key in planning the successful event. (Photo courtesy Aviation Adventures. From left, Mike Stenzler flew an airplane while Gordon Landale and his daughters Amelia and Caroline tossed out a bean bag.) READ MORE ›

NEWS

FAA announces pilots can track medical applications in real time

The FAA has added a new feature to its online MedXPress process, allowing pilots to track their medical applications in real time. As of April 15, all new applicants signing into MedXPress accounts will be able to see their real-time application status in a dashboard. Pilots will no longer need to call the Office of Aerospace Medicine for updates. READ MORE ›

Tecnam to unveil new two-seat trainer

Italian manufacturer Tecnam will unveil its two-seat P-Mentor trainer, designed to take student pilots from private through instrument and commercial training in a single economical aircraft, later this month. The two-seat P-Mentor has a Rotax 912iSc engine, a constant-speed MT propeller, and Garmin G3X avionics. Options include an IFR navigator, BRS airframe parachute, and a handle that simulates retractable landing gear. The company said it has received fleet orders but wouldn’t reveal the buyers nor a price for the airplane. READ MORE ›

Pilots push for helicopter wake turbulence awareness

A group of helicopter pilots and aviation safety professionals have come together to research and share the importance of helicopter wake-turbulence safety with the aviation community. While long known to exist, the aerodynamic details of helicopter wake turbulence are not fully understood, or documented. Recent accidents and incidents inspired a new push to educate all pilots—both fixed-wing and rotorcraft—about the hazard created for nearby aircraft when helicopters are generating lift near runways and taxiways. READ MORE ›

Friends restore Cessna 150 to help young aviators

Friends, pilots, and A&Ps, Gilbert Perez of Sarasota Avionics in Florida and René Asencio, who works for Southwest Airlines in Texas, are restoring a Cessna 150 to help young people in Florida and Puerto Rico achieve their aviation dreams. READ MORE ›

Iris Automation pairs up with TruWeather Solutions for weather product

Safety avionics technology company Iris Automation announced a collaboration with micro weather data and analytics firm TruWeather Solutions that seeks to close a gap in weather data and forecasting for low-altitude weather awareness and forecasting. Ground-based computer vision sensors deployed by Iris Automation will include integrated weather stations, combining airspace awareness and collision avoidance support with local weather information from an array of new sources. Only 3 percent of the United States has accurate surface weather and cloud ceiling sensors in place, according to Iris Automation. READ MORE ›

POLL

Fundraising, volunteer, relief efforts

Does your flight school participate in any fundraising, volunteer, or relief efforts? Tell us in this week's poll.

Results

In the April 12, 2022, survey we wanted to know when your flight school’s busiest season is. Here are the results:

MARKETING

Instagram: Why?

Are you an Instagram expert? If so, then scroll on. But if you’re wondering whether you ought to add Instagram to your flight school's social media toolbox, take a dive inside this social media phenomenon and figure out if it's a good match for your flight school marketing efforts. READ MORE >

QUICK TIP

If your flight school is located anywhere but Florida, Arizona, or California, you likely have seasonal spikes of furious training activity interspersed with slow periods when the weather is poor. Understand that this is a fact of life for business, and you might have to maintain as much as a three-month cash cushion to get your company through. See more financial tips from Entrepreneur.

SAFETY

AOPA Air Safety Institute refreshes Safety to Go program

New downloadable PowerPoint presentations are available for the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Safety to Go program. The program provides popular seminar and webinar topics to the aviation community, including such topics as decision making, radio communications, emergency procedures, and collision avoidance. Each download comes with a complete PowerPoint presentation file and presenter notes to help deliver topics easily and effectively. New topics and materials will be added throughout the year. Access Safety to Go here.

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Flight School Business Editor:
Jill W. Tallman

Production Specialist:
Sylvia Horne

Advertising and Sales Specialist:
Donna Stoner

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