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How many CFIs do you need?

A CFI approached a flight school applying for a job and was told they had already hired all the flight instructors they need. That raises the question: How many flight instructors does a flight school need?


The obvious answer is a flight school needs enough instructors to meet the training needs of the school’s students. However, if a flight instructor told you he would bring in three new students, would you hire that instructor? What about two new students? Would you hire the instructor? What about one new student? If you had someone who would bring students to your business, of course you would consider hiring that instructor. So, what would be your threshold to add another staff instructor?

What would you do if a new instructor asked to be hired for two weeks and he would bring in four new students? Some people are very good at sharing their excitement and enthusiasm about flying airplanes for fun and profit. That is exactly how Ron Smart started the Utah Valley State College aviation program almost 30 years ago. He arrived at the college and asked if he could start an aviation program. The answer was yes, if you can find the students for the course. A couple of weeks later, Smart had a list of 20 students who wanted to sign up for the aviation course. The college is now Utah Valley University and operates 25 single engine and multiengine airplanes for flight training. All because one person said, “I will go out and find flight students for this school.”

Many years ago, an aviation student at the flight school where I was chief flight Instructor was in the business of providing sales training seminars. I asked the student to give a sales training program at a CFI staff meeting. Recognizing that our CFI staff are our front-line contacts with new and continuing students, I thought then and I am more convinced today that sales training is essential to every business, including flight schools. That first training meeting started a series of quarterly CFI staff meetings regarding sales techniques and phraseology. Our flight instructors learned a great deal about selling themselves, as well as signing up new student pilots. The sales training contributed to the school becoming the largest flight training business in the state.

I also believe that for the benefit of student flight instructors, schools preparing students to become CFIs should include sales training as part of the curriculum. New instructors would learn to talk about investment in training rather than the cost of training. That would apply to recreational and business flying, as well as career-oriented flying. After the typical introductory flight, it is not just a matter of saying, “let me know if you want go up again.” It is a matter of proposing a choice, “For our next flight, what would work best for your schedule, morning or afternoon?” Those are examples of little things that make a difference in signing up prospective students at your flight school.

In your home area, you certainly can find someone in the sales training business to help you. Real estate sales and automobile sales are two businesses that put a lot of importance on sales training. You might even trade a flight lesson or two and end up with a new student. Remember, every new student brings new word-of-mouth advertising. Keep in mind that you do not want to hire just a certificated flight instructor—you want to hire someone who will be a salesperson for your flight school.

You need as many flight instructors as possible to sell and grow your business.


Ed Helmick
Ed Helmick has been a flight instructor since 1988. He formerly managed a flight school in Spanish Fork, Utah, as well as schools in Scottsdale, Arizona; and Honolulu, Hawaii.

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