COVID-19 Related Resources for Flight Training Providers
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As the COVID-19 effect continues to develop, FSANA is working to collect and provide links and resources that are useful for flight training providers. We will continue to share these with you as we encounter them and share them both on our website and in our communications.
At this time, the links and notifications below are some that we have found that may be of use depending on your operation and local restrictions that are in place.
4/17/2020* -
CISA
Updates memo to better include flight training
Version 3.0 of this memo came out somewhere in the second week of April although* the dates still show as March 28th on the document. Of note, this version specifically included an update that includes "flight instructors" as essential workforce.
4/4/2020 - FAA Issues "Information for Airport Sponsors Considering COVID-19 Restrictions or Accommodations"
"Prohibiting certain flights (e.g., certain locations, types of aircraft, and types of operations): As is normally the case, actions such as these may violate Federal law and the airport’s grant assurances, unless approved in advance by the FAA (and, in some cases, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) as well). To seek such approval, the airport sponsor should contact the applicable FAA Airports District Office to discuss the matter."
3/17/2020 - Part 141 Training Interruptions Related to COVID-19 and Applicable Deviations to Order 8900.1
The FAA has offered a deviation memo for FAA Part 141 training providers to better accomodate for distance learning in parts of the approved TCOs.
FAA Dedicates Web Page for FAA COVID-19 Relief For Certificate Holders: Policy Deviations, Exemptions, and Rule Changes
Visit the following link for regular updates to deviations and policies:
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Useful COVID-19 Related Links
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FSANA Members COVID-
19 Conference Call
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On April 15, FSANA hosted a members call which included industry professionals who provided insight and education with respect to COVID-19.
FSANA President Bob Rockmaker opened the call and set the stage for the state of affairs in the flight training industry. It is estimated that between 35%-45% of the flight schools in America are open and conducting some level of business. Most are operating at between 10%-25% of normal lift capacity.
The presenters covered topics of interest including legal, finance, insurance and operations.
Topics were selected based on feedback from both FSANA members and non-members.
Leading off the call, attorneys Mark Aurand from
Greater Good, LLC. and Greg Winton from
The Aviation Law Firm discussed the concepts of executive and stay-at-home orders. There is a lack of consistency across the United States and some flight schools have engaged legal guidance to help them navigate in their community. For some schools, simply being able to open the doors for administrative purposes has been very important.
There has been success on this front which was detailed on the call. The attorneys indicated that each situation is being handled on a case-by-case basis in consideration of attempted local limiting factors.
Next topic was the CARES Act and potential applicability for flight training operations. Andy Kahn from
Concannon Miller and Company provided elements that a flight training provider would need to know to apply and qualify for a loan or grant. While these funds are currently depleted, a flight training provider might be able to take advantage of this advice in a second round of funding that appears to be coming.
On April 17, FSANA members received a
PPP electronic expense tracking sheet prepared by Concannon Miller and Company. The expense tracking sheet will help ensure businesses that they are in compliance with the CARES Act procedures. PPP funds can be forgiven or turned into loans which need to be paid back.
Marci Veronie from
Avemco Insurance and Jason Wissmiller from
Regal Aviation Insurance briefed call participants on several insurance considerations that have surfaced since COVID-19 appeared on the scene. They provided discussion related to continued insurance coverage and ramifications possible from some business practice decisions a flight training provider might be considering.
Chris Erlanson from
Nashville Flight Training and Joel Davidson from
Aeroguard Flight Training Center then provided differing perspectives based on schools that were closed versus open. Each had interesting points and suggestions which a training provider should consider for their business models.
The call lasted approximately an hour and a half and will be followed up with future calls and communication from FSANA and its resources to help training providers through this time.
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COVID-19 Discussions in the Flight Training Industry
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The future of aviation and aviation training is something that many are speculating about right now. FSANA will continue to provide information to our members and support the flight training community. You are why we are here and we are here to be a resource and an ally for the providers of flight training.
The aviation industry has experienced uncertain times before, but it has persevered. As we all work to make the best of the situations, we wanted to share with you a couple of discussion points that we have encountered in the last couple of weeks.
AOPA: Airlines Go from Boom to Bust - So Much for that Pilot Shortage
In a recent article, an article published by AOPA speculated that,
“What had been the hottest job market for pilots in 60 years just went up in smoke. Thousands of airplanes have been parked, terminals are empty, and an entire industry has been flipped upside down in less than a month, thanks to the corona virus pandemic.”
It goes on to postulate that,
“Sadly, as of this writing, we're only in the beginning of what will likely be a long road to recovery for passenger airlines as well as many other businesses associated with travel. And the recovery may never get to the level it was prior to the virus. People will likely remain skeptical of being in close proximity to one another for quite a while after this epidemic. If true, the passenger airline industry may not recover fully anytime soon.”
This is certainly a grim perspective. But read the entire article for yourself before going too far into the reapers realm.
Responding specifically to this article, a FSANA member, Thrust Flight in Addison, Tx wrote an article on their school blog.
Thrust Flight: COVID-19: Fear Mongering in the Aviation Industry
They noted that,
“They [AOPA] must certainly have earth-shattering data to make such a sensational claim, considering their position as a protector of the industry. The pandemic has certainly hit the industry in a big way, but to put the last nail in the coffin of the entire industry there must be some sort of data, studies, or hard evidence to substantiate such claims… right?”
The post went on to say,
“Articles like this can be found all over industry-friendly websites. Headlines such as “Should We Worry About the Future of the Airline Industry?” and “How Coronavirus Will Change Aviation In The Next Decade” are widespread and apparently they are getting clicks, because they keep coming.”
This is a good warning to all of us in the aviation training industry that no-one has a crystal ball. There will be changes, but speculation and rash decisions may not be a wise course to follow.
The article continued to lay the case that there will be a continued need for pilots and that while there may be changes up and down in the industry to some degree, it is highly unlikely that any wide scale long term crash is going to be experienced.
Silent Skies- Regional Airlines Impacted by COVID-19
from Tyler Tenbrink, Director of Recruitment at Piedmont Airlines and FSANA Board Member
The sky over the United States, and yes, the world, is quieter than it was a month ago. Airports around the country are populated with more airline employees than passengers as we shelter in place and wait for this global pandemic to pass. Many are comparing the onslaught of corona virus and its effect on our industry to the aftermath of September 11. The lessons of 2001 will serve us well as we rebuild over the next decade. When the dust settled from the terrorist attacks, the regional airline industry emerged as a solution for struggling mainline carriers to reduce costs. The regionals’ ability to provide lift with smaller and more efficient aircraft provided a lifeline to the industry. However, this came at a price; pilots at regional airlines were paid substantially lower than their counterparts at their mainline partners. What the airlines didn’t know or didn’t forecast was the effect this would have 14 years later.
On average, regional airline pilots were making a base salary of $22,000 a year. Wages couldn’t cover the high cost of obtaining the ratings that are required to fly for a commercial airline. Parents and students did not want to take on the substantial cost of training with seemingly little return on investment. Many students did not complete their ratings or did not start them at all. We now call them the “lost generation” of aviation. They found employment elsewhere and built careers in other industries. This set the stage for the pilot shortage that began in 2013.
Fast-forward to 2020. Regional airline recruiting departments, until a month ago, were scrambling to hire enough pilots to fill their summer schedules. An influx of retirements, the 1500 hour rule and a missing generation of aviators made that difficult for some companies and impossible for others. By February, there were whisperings of regional airlines, unable to meet the demand for pilots, shuttering their operations.
In March, the world changed once again. Overnight, airline operations and pilot recruiting machine came to a halt. Airline flight schedules have been reduced 60-80% which in turn, reduced the need for pilots and aircraft... Regional airlines that once incentivized pilots with bonuses and fringe benefits, are now offering incentives for voluntary leaves of absence. Tran States Airlines, Compass Airlines and RavnAir Alaska have shuttered or canceled all flying, citing COVID-19 as the primary reason. Many regional airlines are parking jets due to the lack of public demand for flights.
COVID-19 will undoubtedly change the industry landscape forever, however, we can use the lessons of the past to emerge leaner and more efficient. We can also focus on mentoring student pilots so we don’t lose another generation in aviation. Even though we are uncertain of how this will all shake out, pilot recruiting leaders are digging in their heels. We are not losing sight of the fact that we will still have to continue to replace an enormous amount of pilots at some point, albeit later than we were forecasting two months ago. This will be an opportunity for airlines to re-set and improve on their recruiting strategy, programs and relationships with flight schools and partners alike.
Many regional airlines introduced a number of pipeline programs for aspiring pilots in the last five years. These programs will continue to be the lifeblood of pilot recruiting departments across the regional airlines. Even though the future is unclear, we are still focused on guiding and hiring future pilots though the relationships and programs we have forged with flight schools over the years. We are coming up with creative ways to engage students virtually in hopes that they will someday come to the airlines. The silver lining is that the country will always need air transportation, and with air transportation comes the need for pilots and training.
Right now we need to ride out the storm with each other. Ask questions, and we will tell you what we know, when we know it. We encourage your students to do the same. Regional airlines are still trying to gauge a path forward, and we may again feature prominently in recovery. The industry will change, and there may be heartbreak for some. But we can learn from the past, and we will get through this.
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FSANA Guidance on Health Practices
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Based on CISA and CDC guidance, FSANA encourages all flight training providers to become fully aware of what will soon become the new normal with respect to health safety in the workplace.
Schools and businesses that remain open should be deploying all possible tools and best practices in order to keep people safe. These health practices will remain active for months and years down the runway.
Providing the highest level of health safety is critical for staff, customers and supply chain vendors who come in contact with your business. FSANA encourages all flight school owners, managers and support staff to take this very seriously because this virus and perhaps others could be around for a long time.
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12 Things To Do While Your School is Closed
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By Debbie Sparks and Chris Erlanson
FSANA Board Members
So it happened. You are officially closed.
Over the past month, we’ve seen it more than we could ever imagine. The governor of your state issues a Statewide executive order and before you know it your doors were closed. You’re not the type of business who wants to get on the news for “bucking the system” or for being a rebel. So, as you would never imagine you’re closed and this caused significant financial stress. Your cash flow came to a screeching halt and you’ve laid off all of our office staff and mechanics. Sound familiar yet? You’re not alone.
This is a different time, so this calls for a different strategy.
As a flight school owner, this is a moment for all of us to remember who we are. Our business is taking care of people so now is the opportunity for you to take a deep breath and take care of your students in some unique ways until you reopen.
Here are 12 things we’ve discovered every flight school should do at this time.
#1 - CHECK ON YOUR PEOPLE - Have you called every customer? Have you called every instructor? Have you called every vendor? Are you calling and checking in to see if there are needs you can help with including groceries, a pharmacy run, a mental health checkup or just simply have a conversation? Maybe there is a way you can assist them in filing for benefits? Assure them you are doing everything possible to bring their valued services back as soon as possible, but above all - BE A FRIEND. Remember, you’re in the “people” business.
#2 - GROUND SCHOOL - How much ground school are your instructors teaching at this time? It’s probably not enough. You probably have students on your roster who have been so focused on flight training that they don’t have their written completed. Many flight schools have figured out ways to take advantage of this time and provide instruction through ZOOM, Google Duo and even Discord (if you don’t know what those terms are, just ask your millennial instructor…..they know). When we keep students ENGAGED, we keep students RETAINED.
#3 - ONLINE VIDEO GROUND - This is different than #2, but have you checked out some of the packaged video courses available? Jeppesen, ASA and KING SCHOOL all have excellent tools available for flight schools who can resell their online ground school. Schools that really have it figured out know how to utilize #2 and #3 together. Remember, you’re not creating ‘test takers’, you’re creating aviators. Nobody gets enough ground. Nobody knows everything about aviation. There’s plenty of opportunity to learn.
#4 - FAA WINGS - Again, here’s another opportunity to learn that doesn’t cost anyone anything. Have you shared WINGS with your students? We’re hearing of flight schools who are taking advantage of the WINGS program with their students as a contest for free lessons and books when they reopen. Sure, it doesn’t generate income but it keeps Aeronautical Decision Making UP and insurance costs DOWN. Again, plenty of opportunity to learn.
#5 - SOCIAL MEDIA - Keep those social media posts going! Sure you’re not showing a photo of that latest student who soloed, but there are plenty of interesting articles and past photos you can post. Facebook traffic is at an ALL TIME HIGH since everyone is sitting at home. Show the world that you’re still wanting to fly and keep your students and staff ENGAGED
#6 - PILOTEDGE and HOME SIMULATORS - These are excellent resources you can encourage your students to utilize. It’s been great getting students involved to continue practicing their radio skills and at least having students attempting to keep their skills engaged. Redbird Simulators has an excellent program called G.I.F.T. where we are hearing students continue their flight training while at home.
#7 - ANSWER THE PHONE - Sounds simple, but don’t forget to forward the phones to your home or mobile number. You’ll be surprised how many inbound calls you will continue to receive. People are sitting at home surfing the internet and looking for answers. If they call and you answer, you might be surprised to sign up a new student. Some flight schools are creating a waiting list of students ready to jump in the second the doors open!
#8 - UPDATE YOUR POLICIES and PROCEDURES - When was the last time you looked at your safety manual? Perhaps it’s time to start a Safety Management System at your school? Are your renter’s agreements updated? Does your flight school operation’s manual reflect your requirements for health measures?
#9 - CLEAN UP - Is this a time to clean and sanitize your facilities and aircraft? Carpet cleaning is especially easy during this time. How clean is your accounting right now? Does anyone owe you money? What about that parts cabinet that’s been a mess for years? Think about those cleaning projects you’ve been putting off and make use of this time.
#10 - BROADEN YOUR FUTURE - Is it time to become a 141 school? What if you signed up with the VA for military students or SEVIS to accept foreign students? How about Systems Awards Management (SAM) so that you could provide training for law enforcement and government agencies? This downtime would give you an excellent opportunity to begin expanding your operations in ways you never thought. If you need help with that, FSANA can point you in the right direction - email
info@fsana.com for more information.
#11 - BREATHE - There, we said it. Just breathe. Do you realize that you’re walking through a time that there has been no training for. No college course, business book or masterclass has prepared you for an event like this. FSANA has yet to speak with any school who has it all figured out and no one expects you to have all of the answers. Your role as a flight school owner right now is to simply breathe. Take long walks, pray, meditate, read, play music, just do whatever you need to do in an effort to clear your head and form your next strategy. Don’t put the weight of the world on your own shoulders. That’s someone else’s job.
#12 - PREPARE TO OPEN - You and your students want to be open. Why not start planning today? Order supplies today so they will be on hand at your opening. Perhaps you should put in an order for masks, wipes or Lysol? Maybe there’s a new form you will have students sign to protect yourself from liability? Plan today for what that opening week will look like!
Again, students who are ENGAGED are RETAINED. We can’t say that things will “Go back to normal” as normal is now defined as history. However with proper thought you can be one of the flight schools that survived the greatest economic disaster of all time. Best of luck and don’t forget to wash your hands!
Debbie Sparks serves as Vice President of the Flight School Association of North America and the President of Flight Academy Advisors, a company that helps flight training operators develop a solid foundation and business strategy so they can be successful. More information is available at
www.FlightAcademyAdvisors.com.
Chris Erlanson serves as Vice President of the Flight School Association of North America and President of Nashville Flight Training, a part 61 flight school based at Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee. More information is available at
www.NashvilleFlightTraining.com.
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Pilot Records Database - NPRM Published
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The FAA is proposing to require the use of an electronic Pilot Records Database (PRD) and implement statutory requirements. The PRD would be used to facilitate the sharing of pilot records among air carriers and other operators in an electronic data system managed by the FAA. Air carriers, specific operators holding out to the public, entities conducting public aircraft operations, air tour operators, fractional ownerships, and corporate flight departments would be required to enter relevant data on individuals employed as pilots into the PRD, and this would be available electronically to those entities. In addition, this proposal identifies all air carriers, fractional ownerships, and some other operators or entities that would be required to access the PRD and evaluate the available data for each pilot candidate prior to making a hiring decision.
You may review the NPRM and comment here:
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FAA Releases New Animation @ Runway Safety Simulator
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The FAA is happy to release the newest animation to the Runway Safety Pilot Simulator. This animation, “The Anatomy of a Wrong Surface Event” is the first in a three part series focusing on causal factors for wrong surface events, such as the incorrect runway or taxiway approaches, landings, or departures. Specifically, this episode highlights the importance of guarding against certain human factors and maintaining situational awareness.
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Next Annual Flight School Operator Conference Scheduled For March 3-5, 2021
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This year's Annual Flight School Operators Conference just finished a couple weeks ago, but we have confirmed the dates for next year.
The FSANA Annual Flight School Operators Conference will be returning to the Rosen Plaza in Orlando, Florida. Much more information will be coming in the upcoming months, but for now, you can start planning to lock your calendars for
March 3-5, 2021.
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The WINGS Industry Advisory Committee Announces 2019 Sweepstakes Winners
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The WINGS Industry Advisory Committee (WIAC) today announced the winners of the 2019 Paul and Fran Burger $10,000 WINGS Sweepstakes.
Ten flight instructors and pilots won cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500. The 2019 sweepstakes expanded to all pilots and flight instructors after the success of the 2018 campaign, which had been available only to members of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI). During 2019, additional strategic partners joined, furthering the effort to build support for the sweepstakes and proficiency training. These organizations are, Flight School Association of North America (FSANA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
The impetus for the campaign came from the simple fact that nearly everyone in general aviation knows someone who has been killed or injured in an accident. So often pilot error was the cause of the worst accidents that, with adequate training, might be avoided. “More than 20 years ago I personally experienced a tragedy where four close family friends were killed, including two young adults,” WIAC Founder Paul Burger said. “Since then I have donated a substantial amount of energy, time and money in support of general aviation safety so that fewer friends and family have this same experience.”
Radek Wyzykowski, Manager of Flight Proficiency at EAA and founder of the EAA Proficiency365™ initiative, said “the WINGS sweepstakes is yet another valuable tool in reaching the broader aviation community about the benefits of proficiency training. In recent years, EAA has made proficiency training a significant focus for the association and the WINGS program is an important element of our initiative.” Bob Rockmaker, president & CEO of FSANA, the Flight School Association of North America, added, “I am pleased that the WINGS Sweepstakes program is taking off and helping to recognize people within the general aviation industry who help promote aviation safety with the common goal of eliminating fatal accidents in the general aviation segment.”
Lauretta Godbey, WIAC co-chair and Executive Director stated, “Over the period between 2014 and 2018* fatal accidents in general aviation aircraft averaged 380 deaths per year. That equates to 7.3 deaths every week. While the number of fatalities saw a reduction from the previous five years it remains an unacceptable number. This is what the WIAC wants to change through our contribution to other outstanding industry efforts with this sweepstakes as an added incentive for aviators to seek proficiency training.”
For information on the 2020 WINGS Sweepstakes and a listing of 2018 and 2019 winners, please visit
www.mywingsinitiative.org.
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The WIAC is a volunteer coalition of industry experts, experienced pilots and flight instructors, professionals such as attorneys, business owners, entrepreneurs, and interested private citizens dedicated to GA safety. The WIAC’s sole purpose is to support and increase awareness of and participation in the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program. WINGS is a coordinated series of training and educational material based on primary accident causal factors that plague the GA community and designed to facilitate reduction of accidents in these areas.
The sweepstakes is the result of a coalition of four key national aviation organizations, the AOPA Air Safety Institute, the FAA Safety Team, NAFI and SAFE. All agreed to use this opportunity to reinforce each organization’s goals to increase aviation safety by creating a culture for all aviators to seek lifelong proficiency training. In 2018, Hartzell Propeller joined in support as the sweepstakes national sponsor. For a video overview of the sweepstakes and endorsement by Captain Sully Sullenburger visit
http://www.faasteamtv.com/WINGS/
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ASA Offers Reduced Prices on Distance Learning Solutions During COVID-19 Social Distancing Efforts for Flight Training Providers
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In an effort to help flight training providers, ASA is offering schools, instructors, and students ways to continue their study while still practicing safe distance recommendations. The ability to study and exchange information remotely should relieve some of the burden students and educators are experiencing during this difficult time. ASA's online training products simplify distance learning, and provide instructor tools to oversee student remote ground school progress.
In a recent release, they noted that "for a limited time, Prepware School (regularly $295.00) will be offered to qualifying schools for FREE and Prepware Online (regularly $39.95 for any student database) has been reduced to $19.95. One hundred dollars has been taken off Online Ground School courses bringing the price of Private Pilot Online Ground School down to $79.95, and Instrument Pilot Online Ground School , down to $99.95."
Flight training providers may choose to leverage opportunities such as this to keep their students going and get some reduction in training products costs at the same time.
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Paul and Fran Burger Wings Sweepstakes Cash Prizes Total $10,000 for 2020 Edition
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FSANA is encouraging flight providers, flight instructors, and students completing training and pilot certificates or ratings to be a part of the FAA WINGS Program, a part of the FAA Safety Team, and complete FAA Wings activities and/or full Wings phases.
The best part, by doing so participants can enter into the 2020 Fran and Paul Burger Wings Sweepstakes for cash prizes totaling $10,000.
The Wings Sweepstakes mission is to reduce the nation's accident and incident rate by increasing pilot participation in the WINGS FAASTeam
Pilot Proficiency Program. The
WINGS program has courses based on real world accident and incident causes so flight instructors, pilots and student pilots get training that can truly make a difference.
Click here to learn more about the Wings Sweepstakes.
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST FROM THE INDUSTRY
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FLIGHT SCHOOL BUSINESS EXCHANGE
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University Air Center Flight School, Gainesville Florida
Looking for Certified Flight Instructors-Instrument for a full time busy flight school. We fly Piper Warrior, Cessna 172 (G1000), Cessna 182 (Garmin glass), Cessna 210 and Piper Aztec. We have the option of time as flight instructor then move into the Caravan for Part 91 operations then to our Charter department flying Citation Jets. Come join the UAC team! Email resume to
PamL@universityaircenter.com
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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, Pocono Mountains, Pa. 800-321-5890 or
vern@moyeraviation.com
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Charter Captain Wanted
Wanted Captain for 135 charter operation in Northeast. Flying Navajos & Seneca Minimum 1500 TT, 200 MEL. Respond to Moyer Aviation, Pocono Mountains, Pa. 800-321-5890 or
vern@moyeraviation.com
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Tell us what is important to you as a school owner, manager or chief flight instructor. We will share comments in an upcoming edition of Flight Training News. Send your thoughts to
info@fsana.com
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FSANA SUPPORTING PARTNERS
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V I S I O N A R Y
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P A R T N E R S
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D E V E L O P E R
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P A R T N E R S
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B U I L D E R
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P A R T N E R S
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L E A D E R
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P A R T N E R S
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The above organizations are annual supporters of the FSANA mission and work of the association and its members. The follow organizations join our Partners in supporting FSANA's 2020 Flight School Operators Conference.
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C O N F E R E N C E
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P A R T N E R S
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Established in 2009, the Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) is the first and only association of its kind dedicated solely to the flight training industry. FSANA represents flight schools, firms that provide products and services to the flight training or aviation industry, and other supporting partners.
The Mission of the Flight School Association is to support, promote and advocate for the business of flight training; to provide knowledge, programs and services that help its members thrive and better serve their customers and communities; to foster best business practices; to educate and inspire youth; to increase the global pilot population; to improve general aviation safety; and to work in alliance with the aviation and aerospace industry.
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