FSANA NEWS
 2018 Annual Conference Topics and Speakers Announced
FSANA is pleased to announce that its 9th Annual Flight School Operators Conference will take place in San Diego from February 12-15, 2018.
This conference will again bring together flight school operators, vendors, training suppliers, government agencies and professionals from the training industry to share tools, resources and ideas on how to improve business practices in the field of flight training.
The conference will be held at the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa on Mission Bay. Plan ahead and book your travel early with special room rates for attendees.
Room reservations
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KEEPING IN TOUCH
A Message from FSANA's President -
The transition from Fall to Winter is a wonderful time of the year as we approach the Holidays. For many flight training providers, it is also when they sit down and review and plan for the new year to come.
The five (5) core functions of all businesses include:
- Planning
- Organizing
- Staffing
- Directing
- Controlling
Successful companies and organizations of all sizes take the time to review and update their business plans. This is a time for reflection on how and/or why various segments of their plans work well or require adjustment.
We are reminded on a regular basis that flight schools are in the people business. How a new prospect is greeted from the first time they step into your business world will be a key factor in their decision making process when it comes to where they will spend their hard earned funds.
The most successful organizations place a high degree of emphasis on people and the delivery of a consistent quality customer service experience.
FSANA is humbled when we hear from our members who are already booked solid for 2018 AeroCamp and are considering adding more weeks into their schedules. FSANA is proud of programs that create added value for both our members and their customers.
Winter is also when many of the best flight training providers in the Americas and foreign countries come together to learn and absorb high levels of knowledge transfer about their industry.
FSANA is pleased to see schools of all sizes come together, collaborate and share how to improve their industry. It was just a few years ago that flight schools were pretty much flying solo with very little social dialogue between themselves. We see that culture continuing to evolve for the better.
In February 2018, FSANA is hosting our 9th annual flight school operators conference. (
Click here for more info) The conference committee has developed an outstanding set of topics with a quality team of speakers. Attendees are in for a great event with a wide selection of important topics.
Attendees have told us that the workshops alone are worth the cost of time and money to attend this once a year event.
FSANA continues to offer a membership dues money back guarantee to all members who operate one of our many programs during the year. We can do that because our programs work and they attract new customers on regular basis.
We encourage all flight training providers to become members of FSANA. Together with our members, we continue to help shape and evolve the
"Business of Flight Training."
On behalf of the board and staff, we look forward to seeing you in San Diego. May your Holidays be happy, joyous and full of goodness.
Bob Rockmaker, A.A.E.
President & CEO
FSANA
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TRAINING NEWS
Survey Results About Expected Wait Time for Practical Tests
Last month FSANA surveyed members and others within the training industry to get a better understanding of what the expectations of a wait period for an FAA practical test should be. The results of this are important for us to share with the readers of this newsletter.
While some areas of the country are experiencing very long waits for some practical tests, in some cases nearly two months, we wanted to get a better understanding of what the industry thought was a "reasonable" period of time to wait when scheduling tests.
Certainly, when a survey such as this is conducted, the risk is there that all the respondents will indicate that the absolute shortest period of time is all that is acceptable. Fortunately, the respondents to the survey took the direction of not responding to what an idealistic expectation would be, but a realistic approach to the survey.
The results of this showed that for most tests, the majority of respondents expected that a test would be scheduled in less than 14 days. This expectation climbed for CFI initial and specialty tests such as Glider or Sea-Plane ratings. Less responded on average that a scheduling time period of less than 7 days was required, but naturally even fewer thought it reasonable that scheduling should take any longer than 21 days.
This is valuable information for the industry and the FAA as we all work to build testing system response capacity to serve the needs of the training industry that doesn't hinder the ability of students to make progress in their training.
FSANA thanks all of those that responded to this survey and will be using the data to continue conversations with the FAA to help alleviate backups of practical testing in some affected areas.
Below you will find the results of this survey in more detail and on each question that was answered:
FSANA also captured individual comments on many of these questions and, while those comments were committed to be kept anonymous and not publicly reported, we are reviewing them carefully and addressing some of the concerns raised further those comments in future discussions additionally.
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TRAINING NEWS
Canadian Flight School Aviation Chooses ALSIM
ALSIM just announced the sale of a refurbished AL200 MCC simulator to Montair Aviation, a flight training school located in Pitt-Meadows, near Vancouver, Canada. This will be Montair's second AL200.
Due to its generic configuration, the AL200 can easily be reconfigured to simulate a wide range of aircraft training, making it a crucial part of Montair's Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (IATPL) course. The course has trained hundreds of pilots that now fly for airlines around the world.
Montair Aviation's director of Flight Operations,
Blair Parrant, says, "We are pleased to add our second ALSIM AL200-MCC to our fleet of simulators. With the current pilot recruitment demands, being able to provide high quality, efficient simulation training is a must. After our first AL200-MCC purchase in April 2016, our team knew when it came time to acquiring an additional simulator we wanted it to be another ALSIM. It's simplified instructor control unit, highly realistic flight control functions, and diverse fleet selection make this unit a great addition for our team."
About Montair Aviation
Montair Aviation has been teaching aspiring pilots from around the world since 1995. The company was established with the goal of both future professional and pleasure pilots to a skill and knowledge level well beyond the average flight school. Montair is one of a select number of flight schools around the world to receive approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to train future Chinese airline pilots, in addition to authorization from Transport Canada to deliver Integrated ATPL courses--the highest level of professional pilot training course available in Canada.
The company has trained and graduated hundreds of current airline pilots, from dozens of countries. Montair is continuing to expand and strengthen, allowing it to excel at educating competent and effective pilots to the needs of an expanding global aviation community. More information about Montair Aviation at
www.montair.com
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FSANA NEWS
 Simhawk Launches Annual Simulator Training Survey
Simhawk Inc. announced the launch of its first Annual Simulator Training Survey. The survey is open to all flight operations and individuals that utilize flight simulators for training. It will provide the first ever overall view of customer satisfaction in the industry, analyzing customer satisfaction as well as availability, pricing, and a number of other dimensions.
"There are more training options available than ever before and our survey is aimed at helping buyers compare their experiences of doing business with different simulator operators and training providers," said
Chris Weinberg, CEO of Simhawk. "The survey will also help sellers gain insight into how their customers feel about doing business with them and how their products and services compare to others."
The survey consists of 13 questions and an optional section where participants can provide detailed information on different aircraft types. All participants will receive a summary of the survey results, and those that provide detailed information on at least one aircraft type, that they operate, will receive a full version of the survey results.
The survey can be accessed at
www.simhawk.com/survey until November 30, 2017, and results of the survey will be made available to participants in early 2018.
About Simhawk
Simhawk the world's first and only global flight simulator marketplace that matches buyers and sellers of flight simulator time and training. Customers that need to buy simulator time or training services can find the best available options, without having to contact multiple providers. Simhawk also provides simulator operators and training service providers with a cost-effective way of selling excess capacity and availability to a global network of customers. For more information about Simhawk, visit
About Simhawk.
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TRAINING NEWS
Hillsboro Aero Academy Student Recreates Historic 1936 Flight
Catheline (Kate) Leoni a fixed-wing student at
Hillsboro Aero Academy in Portland recreated a historic 1936 flight from England to New Zealand in a Douglas DC3 in 2012.
Her adventurous spirit has led her to become a candidate for yet another recreation of a historic flight, this time under the banner of Vintage Air Rally, where together with her partner Patrice Boucau, she plans to represent France. If selected the pair plan to fly an authentic vintage 1943 Piper Cub J3. This year the Vintage Air Rally will select 15 teams to fly from Argentina to the US covering some of the planet's most scenic landscapes, including the wilds of the Amazon rainforest, the mountainous regions of Columbia, the Panama Canal, and the volcanoes of El Salvador. The penultimate stop in the trip, that will hug the western shore of South and Central America, will be Havana to celebrate the pilot's endeavors before finishing in Florida where the trophy will be presented. The Vintage Air Rally will travel the 9200 miles from March 1 to April 14, 2018.
The brainchild of
Sam Rutherford, a British Army helicopter pilot, the Vintage Air Rally was inspired by keeping the pioneering roots of aviation alive. Catheline (Kate) shares the distinction with Sam Rutherford, the founder of the Vintage Air Rally, of also being a helicopter pilot. Catheline's aviation career began when she joined the French Army's Light Aviation unit where she became a commercial helicopter pilot.
Catheline has attended and trained to become an airplane pilot at Hillsboro Aero Academy for the past eight months and has been admired by her colleagues and instructors for her determination and pioneering spirit. "We are so honored to have someone like Catheline here at our flight academy, stated
Jon Hay, president of HAA. "She personifies the culture we strive for-lots of grit, passion, drive and a multi-cultural perspective-we are so very proud of her."
About Hillsboro Aero Academy
Hillsboro Aero Academy is one of the largest helicopter and airplane flight training academies in the United States. With a fleet of over 90 aircraft, Hillsboro Aero Academy flies in excess of 70,000 flight hours per year from its three campuses in Oregon. During its 37 years in business, the company has training thousands of pilots, and its graduates fly for operators worldwide. To learn more about Hillsboro Aero Academy, visit
www.flyhaa.com.
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Be Recognized as a FSANA Supporting Partner
FSANA is a dynamic trade association that represents the interests of flight training providers. Our members are motivated and successful business operators that provide flight training in the United States and foreign countries. Your company, or a company you know, is encouraged to support FSANA in its achievements by becoming a "Partner."
FSANA's core platforms include:
- Helping flight training businesses operate successfully and profitably;
- Increasing the pilot population;
- Working with other aviation and aerospace industry associations and companies to promote quality flight training pipeline development;
- Providing programs and services that will assist FSANA members to better serve their customers and local communities;
- Promoting best practices in the flight training community;
- Reducing the general aviation incident and accident rates;
- Engaging both youth and adults to explore aviation and aerospace.
For their part, FSANA Partners receive year-round brand exposure in both print and electronic platforms in multiple channels and a host of other benefits.
To learn more, please contact
Debbie Sparks
, vice president, at
dsparks@fsana.com
or
561-767-6826.
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Central Florida Airport Seeks Flight School
Private airport 2FA6 with 4,170 ft. long improved turf runway seeks flight school to locate onsite to provide flight instruction to local demand. New hangars being built, can buy or rent new hangar to operate. 2 miles from Florida Turnpike and 5 miles from
I-75 near Wildwood.
Airport one mile from growing area near The Villages adding 200 homes per month - great location for kids AeroCamp, many affluent grandparents to sponsor their grandkids.
Flight Instructor Sought
Flight instructor needed to head up innovative light sport flight school on the New Hampshire seacoast. Full time position with salary plus flight time. Respond to 978-764-2988.
Flight Instructor Sought
Wanted CFI for 141 flight school, added ratings a plus, but not required.
When not instructing, right seat on Navajo available for qualified applicant.
Respond to Moyer Aviation, Inc. Pocono Mts., Pa. 800-321-5890
vern@moyeraviation.com.
Charter Captain Wanted
Wanted Captain for 135 charter operation in Northeast. Flying Navajos & Seneca Minimum 1500 TT, 200 MEL.
Respond to
Moyer Aviation, Inc. Pocono Mts., Pa. 800-321-5890
vern@moyeraviation.com.
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We want feedback from the readers of this newsletter! Tell us what is important to you
as a school owner, manager or chief flight instructor. We will share comments received
in an upcoming edition of
Flight Schools News eMonthly
.
Send your thoughts to info@fsana.com.
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Email Feedback Concerns about FAA Practical Tests to:
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Click on images to download sample Aero program brochures
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