News

Internet scam targets flight instructors

Flight training professionals beware. A new scam uses email to contact flight instructors saying that a group of foreign students wants to train with them in the United States this summer. The scam email requests the instructor to submit a proposal of what the training program would entail. After that, a second email is sent requesting banking information to make a direct deposit for the program. Read more about this email scam and how to avoid it.

Bill could fix California flight training fiasco

When the California legislature passed the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, one of the unintended consequences of the bill threatened to devastate the state’s flight training industry. AOPA staff worked with the National Air Transportation Association, other aviation organizations, and the state legislature in 2010 to delay the act’s implementation for the flight training industry until July 2011. But another, more permanent, fix is in the works. State Sen. Jean Fuller authored a measure to exempt certain FAA-approved flight instructors and flight schools from the act. Read more >>

SUNY Farmingdale expands fleet

Farmingdale State College, State University of New York, has added two new airplanes to its fleet. The Piper Warriors will be used as part of the college’s aviation degree program. SUNY Farmingdale also ordered a Piper Arrow in the deal, which will be delivered sometime in the future. According to a Piper representative, this sale is further proof of the company’s commitment to the flight training segment of the market.

EVENTS: As part of its ongoing Flight Training Student Retention Initiative, AOPA will host a series of regional forums with flight instructors to learn more about how to improve the training experience. The first meeting will be held May 25 in Fairfield, New Jersey, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Fairfield. Future meetings will take place later this year in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, and Orlando. Visit the Flight School Business website to learn more and register for these important events.

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Training Trends

Do light airplanes equal light maintenance?

The decision to jump into light sport training and put an LSA on the flightline isn’t an easy one with the relatively high cost of acquisition. And with maintenance being an unknown, costs are seemingly hard to predict. Questions also remain about how well these airplanes hold up to the rigors of training. We talk to two flight schools that have offered to LSA to answer some of these ongoing questions. Read more >>

Become an efficiency expert

These days, we look to trim budgets any way we can. Being one of the largest costs of doing business, airplanes are a logical place for flight schools to look. And there are a surprising number of places where we can do some belt tightening. Saving fuel is one obvious area, but taking good care of the airplane through proper management of the staff is important as well. Make sure your CFIs are treating the airplanes well and passing on those techniques. Read more >>

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Poll

LSA and you

When it was first introduced more than five years ago, the light-sport airplane rule was touted as a revolution to the industry. Now that things have had time to settle, Flight School Business wants to know how it’s working for you. Give us your thoughts in this issue’s poll.

Student financing an issue

The results from last issue’s poll confirms what most know already—the lack of available financing for students is a major issue. Almost three-quarters of you said your students want financing and that it’s not available. That leaves only 25 percent who said financing was available. Interestingly, only a small portion of those schools that offer it have students who take advantage.

Marketing

Groupon’s rules of engagement

By now you’ve likely heard of Groupon, the Internet deal service that offers consumers deep discounts on various products and services. But have you thought about it for your flight school? Like any new venture, it’s important not to jump right in, but rather to make sure that Groupon’s rules are in line with what you’re offering. We break down the basics. Read more >>

Capital Matters

Reap the rewards

You probably have some type of rewards credit card for your personal use, but what about your business? There are many great options out there, and by charging everyday items, your points and bonuses will rack up incredibly fast. How you use those rewards is up to you, but one way is to reinvest in your business. Read more >>

Safety

No need to fly

For all the dangers we talk about in aviation, one that we give nary a thought about is controlling an airplane on the ground. How hard can it be? Study the accident data, and it’s apparently a lot harder than it looks. Ground accidents are both frequent and—in most cases—preventable. Knowing the risks is the first step in preventing the flubs. Read more >>

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Editor: Ian Twombly

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