January 02 issue of Flight School Business
| VOL. 14-ISSUE 1-January 2, 2024 |
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TRAINING TRENDS
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| AOPA President Mark Baker reflects on 2023 |
| How was 2023 for general aviation? According to AOPA President Mark Baker, 2023 was an extraordinary year and, more important, a safe one. Baker sat down with Kollin Stagnito, AOPA senior vice president of media and marketing, to discuss the initiatives that held the association's focus and efforts in 2023, including unleaded aviation fuel, the expansion of BasicMed, and increasing the number of designated pilot examiners. READ MORE › |
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NEWS
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| When you need to clear Customs |
| Does your flight school offer border crossing trips or training? If so, be sure to alert your customers to a webinar hosted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and CST Flight Services. "Morning Coffee with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection" will be held January 6 at 9 a.m. Eastern time. Topics will include best practices, common penalties, and tips to follow when clearing Customs, as well as a look at the Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS). Sign up at the FAA website. |
| Congress passes short-term FAA extension |
| Congress has passed a second short-term extension that will push the FAA reauthorization deadline to March 8. Initially expected by September 2023, the much-anticipated five-year reauthorization bill has been stalled since the summer because of ongoing negotiations in the Senate over provisions related to pilot training hours and retirement age. President Biden is expected to sign the extension into law. READ MORE › |
| Vashon Ranger to be rigged for Able Flight |
| Clayton Smeltz is working with Vashon Aircraft and Able Flight to create hand controls for a Vashon Ranger so that the airplane can be flown by people with disabilities, Able Flight announced recently. The nonprofit Able Flight hopes to add one additional equipped aircraft to the fleet it uses to train scholarship recipients to become sport and private pilots, and is raising money for that purchase. READ MORE › |
| LIFT Academy announces record enrollment |
| Leadership in Flight (LIFT) Academy, a flight school owned by Republic Airways, said in December that it welcomed its largest class in its five-year history. More than 65 students enrolled in LIFT Academy's career pilot program, joining another 365 students training at facilities in Indianapolis; Galveston, Texas; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. LIFT Academy students train in Diamond DA20 and DA40 single-engine aircraft and Diamond DA42 twin-engine aircraft, according to Aero Crew News. |
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POLL
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| Do you attend aviation industry gatherings? |
| Does anyone at your flight school attend aviation industry gatherings such as FSANA's annual conference or Redbird Migration? Tell us in this week's poll. |
| Results |
| In the December 19, 2023, issue, we wanted to know how your flight school celebrates a new private pilot certificate. Here are the results.
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MARKETING
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| Copywriting no-nos and how to avoid them |
| Are you the one who writes the advertising and social media content for your business? Get off that blank page and produce strong content to bring in new customers. William Woodbury provides six tips to show you how. READ MORE > |
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QUICK TIP
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| When is it time to expand your flight school? What signals will tell you the time is right? Amanda Aldea, co-owner of Carolina Sky Flight Training, says it's when you have good marketing and sales flows in place, solid leads, and a solid conversion rate from leads to sign-up. She discusses other factors in this video from AOPA's You Can Fly. |
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SAFETY
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| New installment of Beyond Proficient: IFR Series tackles icing |
| The AOPA Air Safety Institute has released the latest installment of the Beyond Proficient: IFR Series. This installment focuses on strategies to mitigate airframe icing risks. The video reviews preflight considerations to avoid in-flight icing and what to do when encountering icing conditions in flight. View the video. |
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