January 16 issue of Flight School Business
| VOL. 14-ISSUE 2-January 16, 2024 |
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TRAINING TRENDS
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| What data are you putting out there? |
| The data you put out publicly as a flight training provider may be used against you if things go badly. Are you keeping it up to date? Jason Blair tells the cautionary tale of a flight school whose maintenance records were scrutinized by a local TV news station after an aircraft accident. READ MORE › |
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NEWS
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| Redbird Flight Simulations wants pilot input on state of flight training |
| Redbird Flight Simulations wants to know what pilots think about the current state of flight training. The company is conducting an online survey, and respondents' answers will help the flight training community identify and analyze trends, priorities, strengths, and challenges. The survey closes February 23. Complete the survey at the website.
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| Washington man sentenced to eight months in prison for laser strikes |
| A man in Washington state will serve eight months in prison for two counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. The man was indicted in February 2023 for laser crimes reported in November 2022. He pointed a blue laser at the cockpit of a two-seat aircraft on final approach at Arlington Airport. The pilot's eyes were damaged by the beam, but he managed to land safely. The same man on the same day pointed a laser at a four-seat airplane being flown by a student pilot. The flight instructor on that airplane was able to get pictures showing the origin of the laser light and also photographed how it obscured the sight of the pilot, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
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| California flight school seeks to keep business license |
| Sling Pilot Academy in Torrance, California, has filed a temporary restraining order to prevent the city of Torrance from blocking renewal of its business license. Sling is in danger of losing its license after the city took action to curb aircraft noise, including voting to ban touch and goes and reinstating a 1977 resolution that caps the number of flight schools at six. Sling is the seventh flight school at that airport. Sling says it’s trying to be a good neighbor, but it does have 200 full-time students. The flight school's owner also launched a campaign called Fly Friendly LA, which involves a group of flight schools and aircraft operators that pledge to fly more quietly and teach others to do the same, according to Spectrum News 1.
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POLL
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| Results |
| In the January 2, 2024, issue, we wanted to know if you attend industry-specific meetings or get-togethers. Here are the results.
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MARKETING
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| Let your customers tell your story |
| Credible testimonials can do more to bring in new customers than just about anything. William Woodbury outlines how you can get these valuable promotions, how you can use them, and what not to do when creating testimonials. READ MORE > |
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QUICK TIP
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| How can you hang on to flight instructors in today's hectic hiring environment? Amanda Aldea, co-owner of Carolina Sky Flight Training, says her flight school embraces and supports the goals of airline-minded CFIs. Competitive pay and bonuses for completing university student semesters are two other strategies Aldea discusses in this video from AOPA's You Can Fly. |
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SAFETY
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| ASI releases new Real Pilot Story: 'Trouble Over Paradise' |
| When a Cessna Caravan pilot suddenly suffers severe pain on the right side of his head, a resourceful passenger pulls him from the cockpit and contacts air traffic control for assistance. Find out what happened next from the two Florida air traffic controllers who recount a memorable day in May 2022 when they guided the accidental pilot to a safe landing. View the AOPA Air Safety Institute's newest Real Pilot Story: Trouble Over Paradise here. |
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