August 15 issue of Flight School Business
| VOL. 13-ISSUE 18-August 15, 2023 |
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TRAINING TRENDS
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| Seaplane pilots: Raise gear on positive rate |
| The Seaplane Pilots Association has created a video course that aims to instill an unfailing habit of raising landing gear immediately after every hard-surface takeoff in any amphibious aircraft. Accident data reveals pilots simply did not raise the landing gear after takeoff and before landing on water in 83 percent of all gear-down water landings. The association hopes to break the link in the accident chain that could lead to a gear-down water landing by putting forth the message: Positive Rate of Climb: Gear Up! READ MORE › |
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NEWS
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| CAU receives FAR Part 141 approval in Phoenix |
| California Aeronautical University’s Phoenix, Arizona, campus has earned FAR Part 141 approval, and that means it can offer a more structured curriculum that may save students time and money when working toward an airline transport pilot certificate. The Phoenix campus offers a bachelor's degree in aeronautics for students training for a career as a commercial pilot. CAU's California locations in Bakersfield, Ventura County, and San Diego already have Part 141 approval.
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| King Schools announces maintenance curriculum, test prep app |
| King Schools announced its new Cleared for Aviation Maintenance home-study course, designed to meet FAR Part 147 requirements for aviation maintenance technician schools and integrate with high school and college programs: "King Schools has a long history of preparing learning mechanics for their General, Airframe and Powerplant written exams," said co-owner and CEO Barry Knuttila. "In this new program, that test prep has been extended to include a complete mechanics training curriculum including all the knowledge and skills required in a Part 147 training program." The new material will be showcased, along with a new test prep app, at an aviation education symposium that King Schools will host September 21 and 22 in San Diego.
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| Sierra Charlie Aviation orders 50 Piper Archers |
| Arizona flight school Sierra Charlie Aviation is well on the way to refreshing a very large fleet, with an order for 50 Piper Archer TX aircraft announced July 26. The Piper deal followed weeks after the same school announced another order of 50 aircraft, with options for an additional 50, from Elixir Aircraft of France. Archer deliveries to the Scottsdale school will begin in 2026, and the school’s Piper Seminole Twin was on display at the Piper booth at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
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| ERAU chooses Diamond DA42-VI for fleet refresh |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will take delivery of 12 new Diamond DA42-VI twins in 2024, Diamond Aircraft announced. The four-seat aircraft are powered by a pair of piston Austro Engines that burn jet fuel, and they feature Garmin G1000 NXi avionics. "We are excited to extend our long-term use of Diamond DA42 Aircraft," said Ken Byrnes, Embry-Riddle's assistant dean and flight chair of aeronautical science. "Diamond’s commitment to the safety, quality, and technological advancement of their aircraft aligns perfectly with our core values."
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POLL
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| How will MOSAIC rules affect your flight school? |
| In July, the FAA released a proposed rule that would increase the size and performance capabilities of airplanes that can be flown by sport pilots. What effect will it have on your flight school? Tell us in this week's poll. |
| Results |
| In the August 1, 2023, issue, we wanted to know whether your flight school requires instructors to wear uniforms. Here are the results.
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MARKETING
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| Showcasing new technology gives flight school a media boost |
| Hartford Jet Center, Hartford, Connecticut, and Learn 2 Fly CT hit it out of the park when showcasing a new electric airplane for local news media. The story hit all the right notes for general aviation: cutting-edge technology and an airplane that flies on an electric battery that doesn’t run on aviation fuel. READ MORE > |
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QUICK TIP
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| Do you sell headsets? Rather than keeping them in a no-touch display in a glass case, you could emulate headset manufacturers at airshows by placing a pair where prospective buyers can try them on for size and comfort. Or, allow students to demo a pair during a flight lesson—a security deposit could be held while the headset is out of the office, which could then be applied toward the price of a new headset if the student decides to go ahead with the purchase. |
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SAFETY
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| 'Ask ATC' series helps pilots with controller communications |
| Do your customers struggle with talking to ATC? The AOPA Air Safety Institute’s “Ask ATC” series tackles how to call up a busy controller, how to get a fast-talking controller to slow down, and several other topics in bite-size videos that any nervous pilot will appreciate. View the series online. |
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