FSANA NEWS
 
FSANA Ambassador Jessica Cox to Speak on "Conquering Perceptions and Limitations" at Mid Island Air Service

On May 1, FSANA Ambassador Jessica Cox will be joining visitors to the Mid Island Air Service facilities in Ronkonkoma, New York, to speak about how "the way people think has a greater impact on their lives than a physical limitation," using her own experiences at conquering perceptions and limitations as an example.
 
If you are going to be near the MacArthur Islip Airport on that day, plan on joining them from 6:30-7:30 pm to hear Jessica speak. There is no charge for this program, but advanced registration is requested. Click here to register.
 
For more information about the Mid Island Air Service event, click here for the event flyer.
FSANA NEWS

Learn to Fly logo May Is Learn to Fly Month

Learn to Fly Month is just around the corner. Throughout the month of May, the non-aviator public is being invited to come out to their airport/heliport to explore the wonders of flight along with the aviation and aerospace industry. Flight schools across the country are expected to be offering special Learn to Fly Month programs for the public that may include open houses, family aviation days, introductory ground schools, and local air tours. The public is encouraged to pick a day in May to enjoy their airport and visit a nearby flight school facility. 

Mario Andretti Gets Behind Learn to Fly Month   Andretti race photo

Mario Andretti is helping promote Learn to Fly Month as Honorary Chairman and spokesperson. Mario believes that aviation offers a unique and rewarding career option and encourages "young people, whether male of female, to really look at the potential that there is out there for a career in flying." 

Flight School Alert 

All flight schools across the country are invited and encouraged to participate in Learn to Fly Month, not just FSANA members. If you haven't set anything in motion for this initiative yet, it isn't too late! FSANA is providing this set of six free tools intended to help flight schools and others interested in promoting Learn to Fly Month. Please take a moment to check them out and incorporate them into your own Learn to Fly Month events. 
  • "Ideas for Flight Schools" (PDF) ... A one-pager of how to create a fun and exciting event(s) at your business
  • Customizable press release template for your flight school or organization (DOC) 
  • Color photograph of Mario Andretti (PDF) ... Credit: Courtesy of Flight School Association of North America
  • Learn to Fly Month poster with Mario Andretti (PDF) 
  • Learn to Fly Month logo graphic for print (PDF) 
  • Learn to Fly Month logo graphic for web (simply "grab" the above graphic)
FSANA encourages all flight schools and others in the industry, including the supply chain and trade associations, to be involved. To find out how to participate, contact Debbie Sparks at 561-767-6826 or send an email to info@fsana.com
Regal Aviation Insurance ad
FSANA NEWS
 
FSANA at WAI in 2017

FSANA attended and met a wonderful group of aviators and future aviators at the 27th annual WAI conference. People of all ages stopped by the FSANA booth to chat and exchange information. The WAI event attracts a diverse group of attendees who are involved or looking to become involved in the aviation industry. 

One of the youngest to stop by was 9 year old Afton who along with her mother were checking out all the WAI booths. They were learning about the many aviation career paths for young people to consider as part of the career planning process.
TRAINING NEWS
 
Ninety-Nines to Award 2017 Karen Johnson Solo Scholarship 

The Ninety-Nines will award a $3,000 Karen Johnson Solo Scholarship to provide a young woman (age 16-20 at any time during 2017 calendar year) who wants to learn to fly with financial support for flight training through first solo and beyond. In addition, the winner will receive a King School flight training course to prepare for the written exam and check ride. The scholarship will be awarded at the July 25, 2017 Aviation Appreciation Dinner at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. The deadline for applications is July 1, 2017. For additional information, a scholarship flyer and scholarship rules visit: http://kjsoloscholarship.com.

For Aviation Appreciation Dinner information and ticket reservations visit:  http://www.99soshkoshdinner.com.

The Ninety-Nines are grateful to the Ventura County chapter of the Ninety-Nines, Clay Lacy and the King School for their support of this scholarship and to Ennect Event and Elliance for hosting the scholarship web site.

The scholarship honors the memory of Karen Johnson, the Ventura County 99s Chapter Chair who perished in 2013 while flying frost control in Delano, California.

The Ninety-Nines, Inc. is the International Organization of Women Pilots,
a non-profit organization founded in 1929 by Amelia Earhart and 98 other women pilots. Currently spanning the globe with nearly 5000 active female pilot members, its goals are to advance aviation through scholarships, education and mutual support while honoring the unique history of women in aviation. The organization owns and operates two museums; the Museum of Women Pilots at its Oklahoma City headquarters and the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas. For more info  www.ninety-nines.org.
TRAINING NEWS

FAA Airport Sponsor Assurances

Airports that accept FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) public grants are responsible for ensuring that airport tenants are treated fairly as part of the day to day affairs at all federally obligated airports.

FSANA has seen an increase in activity with respect to businesses, mostly flight schools who have or are experiencing challenges to remain at some airports. Over the past decade, more and more airports have been updating their airport "Minimum Standards" which form the core foundation on how and what a business must do in order to become a tenant of the airport. Many airports retain special consultants who sometimes create a set of minimum standards that are almost impossible to meet for the typical flight school or small aviation business operator.

Most flight schools do not operate large turbine aircraft yet some airports establish minimum standards that preclude a small business from starting and/or operating at the airport. In some airports, the value of a flight training operation is not highly regarded because the aircraft are smaller, they generate less fuel sales, and they increase traffic that is not "high dollar". But without these training operations many airports would see significant decreases in airport operation numbers, and the overall industry will see less pilot training availability. Airport sponsors and operators should be advised and educated on why a flight school is important to their community.

Establishing airport tenant rates and charges along with fair minimum standards that are based on all levels of General Aviation (GA) are very important in today's economic climate.
The GA industry is currently classified as all aircraft except for military and scheduled airline operated aircraft.

A private Boeing 777 operated under FAR 91 and/or 135 is considered a GA aircraft according to the FAA. These large aircraft require substantially larger hangar and/or ramp space and carry 6,600 gallons of jet fuel as compared to a single engine Piper Warrior which has a fuel load of around 50 gallons.

Both aircraft have equal rights at our nations publicly funded airports. There are several FAA documents that aviation business operators should be familiar with as they begin to negotiate a new or existing airport lease.

The FAA's sponsor Assurances include that airport sponsors require their tenants who sub-lease on their airport to adhere to the FAA's Sponsor Assurances.

The GA family covers a wide range of flying machines. Perhaps an expanded definition of the GA industry would be helpful going forward.

1. GA Light     -  GAL (single and multi- engine piston aircraft)
2. GA Medium - GAM (single and multi- engine turbine aircraft under 6,000 lbs)
3. GA Heavy    - GAH (single and multi- engine turbine aircraft over 6,000 lbs)

GAL and GAM aircraft do not require large, high ceiling, large cubic hangars for their aircraft. Airport minimum standards should accommodate all segments of the GA family.

For more information about some of the FAA Guidance on Airport Assurances, review the following documents:



CFI Boot Camp ad
TRAINING NEWS
 
FAA Offers Deviation of DPE Policy to Allow Examiners More Lattitude in Conduct of CFI Practical Tests

FSANA and other industry representatives have been working over the past year with the FAA to consider changes in examiner policy or authorizations that while not reducing quality or safety of practical test provision would increase throughput for the flight training community.

This week, the FAA implemented one of the requests the industry group made and has issued a deviation from FAA Order 8900.2 that previously limited examiners from conducting any additional (either full or partial) practical tests in the day that an initial CFI (either full or partial) practical test is being administered.

The deviation now allows an examiner to conduct a CFI initial practical retest or continuance and a second non-initial CFI practical test in the same day. This may seem like a small change, but it offers examiners more open "slots" that they are able to provide the flight training community. This is especially valuable in high volume training locations around the country or in locations where good weather days are scarce.

FSANA and the working group appreciate this first change of those that have been requested and look forward to working on more potential positive changes.

To see the text of the deviation, click here for more information.

FSANA NEWS
 
AeroCamp National Marketing 
 
FSANA is pleased to announce that promotion and advertising for AeroCamp will be reaching over 5 million print readers in 2017. The number of print impressions does not include E platforms that are connected with the print segment.
 
While these will be going out in other publications, we wanted to share with you what they will look like.

 
Click the image to see a full-size version PDF of the advertisement
Here is one of the many national print advertisements that will appear in USA Today,  Flying magazine and Trade-A-Plane.
 
FSANA participating flight schools are already booking AeroCampers for 2017 before the promotions have even kicked off. This is a continuation of an effort that these schools have begun over the years to bring youth to the industry while increasing their profitability.
 
Schools that offer AeroCamp programs are experiencing higher than average margins and are simultaneously attracting new customers who remain long after AeroCamp is completed.

AeroCamp is a great way to introduce young people to aviation and aerospace while simultaneously bringing non-aviation types to the flight school and airport/heliport. As the program grows, FSANA will continue to promote the program in an effort to drive more participants to those schools that are offering AeroCamp programs. 
 
This national level marketing is done as an association to help all of the member schools offering this program. As our members support our association, it is our goal as an association to promote the members and their service offerings.
 
Learn more about AeroCamp at http://www.fsana.com/aerocamp.

TRAINING NEWS

PrecisionHawk is Lying About Beyond Visual Line of Sight. Why We Should Care?

Some exaggeration has come to be expected in the world of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). But recent claims by PrecisionHawk, a company that provides agricultural sUAS and associated software, have crossed the threshold of acceptability. PrecisionHawk's website now self-proclaims:

"THE ONLY SERVICES FIRM APPROVED BY THE FAA TO FLY DRONES BEYOND VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT"

This is patently false. FAA Part 107 - Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations prohibits the operation of sUAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). PrecisionHawk was issued a waiver for Part 107.31 "Visual line of sight aircraft operation." This waiver states that "sUAS operations may be conducted outside the visual line of sight of the remote Pilot in Command (PIC)." However, it goes on to stipulate that:

"a Visual Observer (VO) must be used whenever the sUA will fly beyond the range" of the Pilot in Command.

This is by definition Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS), not BVLOS, a critical distinction of which PrecisionHawk itself is well aware. PrecisionHawk received permission to operate sUAS outside the view of the pilot as long as Visual Observers are prepositioned to watch the aircraft and airspace. No one has been approved to fly BVLOS by the FAA. But a number of sUAS operators have been permitted by the FAA to use Visual Observers to extend visual range. In some cases, this has been accomplished with 'chase aircraft' in order to actually fly sUAS at long range.

BVLOS operations will eventually make possible remote surveillance, delivery, inspection, emergency response, racing, filmmaking and many other sUAS activities. Widespread BVLOS in the national airspace will forever change aviation. The waiver for limited EVLOS allows PrecisionHawk to do none of these things. In making this misrepresentation, PrecisionHawk places its own interests above those of the aviation community and threatens progress for which many have labored. They have falsely claimed an exclusive imprimatur from the FAA for BVLOS for commercial advantage, seeking to mislead the public by stating "if you have large tracks of land or areas you need to cover PrecisionHawk is the only firm that can service your project."

PrecisionHawk is doing drone enthusiasts, the aviation community at large, and the general public a disservice. PrecisionHawk's leadership should cease its use of false and misleading statements on BVLOS drone flights. The FAA must intervene to avoid confusion and the appearance of endorsing a single company for BVLOS. And the drone community must promote ethical behavior if the public at large is going to trust sUAS in their national airspace. The future of our industry depends on it.
 
*Note: This content was sent to FSANA unattributed and we wanted to share it with you. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of FSANA or its staff.
TRAINING NEWS

Pilot QuickStartâ„¢ Flight Training Program Integrates Redbird Simulator to Enhance Initial Experiences for Flight Training

Launched in April, the Pilot QuickStartâ„¢ flight training program (http://www.pilotquickstart.com/) is now available to any flight school to enable them to attract new students, improve student retention, and increase flight school revenue.

"We originally developed this early-stage flight training program for use at our own flight schools The idea was to integrate the advantages of using a Redbird simulator to enhance the initial experiences a student has with flight. The Redbird simulator allows the student to experience the basics of flight in the simulator environment, without being overwhelmed by the cockpit of an aircraft in flight, which we found discouraged or turned off many new students" explains Tom Cargin, owner of Alpha Pilot Academy and Air Associates. "The results were so impressive, we decided to make the program available to other flight schools."

"We had been using the Pilot QuickStart program at two flight schools for over a year. We could tell we were attracting new students; and unlike most programs targeted at new student acquisition, it was actually contributing a nice profit rather than losing money. It was self-funded marketing. But the real surprise came when we went back and analyzed the data on these new students," explained Ray Kollar, consultant and developer of the program. "We found that the Pilot QuickStart program had more than doubled student retention. This is unheard of in the flight training business. Typically more than 70% of students drop out and never obtain a pilot's certificate. We estimate the Pilot QuickStart program contributed an additional $2,000 per student start to the flight school. And created a lot more satisfied pilots!"

May is Learn to Fly Month - Pilot Quickstart is a great way for flight schools who utilize a Redbird simulator to gain an edge in attracting and retaining students!

We developed a version of the Pilot QuickStart program that any flight school can easily integrate into their curriculum. It's a turn-key solution. The flight school pays an initial set-up fee to connect to the Pilot QuickStart web site. From there, everything is automated for the flight school and the student.

Students and Instructors are very enthusiastic about the program and the results. So are flight schools. The program is "experiential" for the student - fun, exciting and rewarding. Their enthusiasm and early success is invigorating for the Instructors. And the financial results are invigorating for flight schools...

Learn more about the program at PilotQuickStart.com

Pilot QuickStartâ„¢ training from the student's perspective

The program consists of five sessions - four sessions in a flight simulator and a graduation flight in the plane. All of the self-study content and learning aids are provided on the Pilot QuickStart web site. Participants in the Pilot QuickStart program know what their goal is from the beginning - on their graduation flight, they will be able to "start the plane, taxi, take-off, fly to a near-by airport, line up with the runway, and perform an instructor- assisted landing." They also know the program provides them with a solid foundation and context to learn more if they decide to continue on with flight training. This is their Intro to Flight Training 101.

A Turn key solution for your flight school - we couldn't have made it any easier

We made it extremely simple for flight schools to integrate the Pilot QuickStart program into their flight training curriculum. All a flight school needs to do is to add a link to the Pilot QuickStart site on their web site. When potential students click on the link, they are directed to the Pilot QuickStart site where they can learn more about the program and enroll (purchase). When they purchase, the proceeds (minus a small transaction fee) will automatically be transferred to the flight school. The student will immediately be granted access to the online, Pilot QuickStart Training Center where they can begin their self-study work. They will also receive a welcome letter with instructions on how to contact the flight school to schedule their five training sessions. The flight school will receive an eMail confirmation of the new student enrollment.

"We made a fully-automated, turn-key solution for the flight schools," explains Kollar. "All a flight school has to do to get started is pay a one-time start-up fee of $1,900, we manage it from there. We provide a half-day training session for their staff to teach them how to conduct the five Pilot QuickStart sessions with the students. The start-up fee also covers all of the set-up required to connect the flight school's web site to the Pilot QuickStart site and the e-Commerce functions."

Interested Flight Schools should contact:

Ray Kollar
Phone: (316) 768-7172
FSANA ENGAGEMENT
 
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. 

 
 
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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TRAINING NEWS LINKS
US State Department Approves $1 Billion [Spartan Aviation] Pilot Training Contract For Iraqi Air Force

Ex-Airport FBO in Suit Vs. County, Board

NATA, AOPA Spar Over FBO Fees

AOPA Battling Excessive FBO Fees - FBO Consolidations Contribute to Unfair Pricing

AOPA Offers Flight School Certification (Part 141) Improvement

Boeing Adds Three New Schools to its Pilot Training Network 

Saudi Academy of Civil Aviation wins membership of Global Aviation Training Office

California Flight School Shutdown Leaves Dozens of International Students Without Options

Western Michigan University To Offer Flight Training in Florida

Costly Aviation Tech Program Seeks to Regain FAA OK - and Students

American Flyers Closing Santa Monica Flight School

New Flight School to Open at Moore County Airport

Averett Partners with Piper for Training Aircraft

Local School To Offer Pilot Training In Ozarks

Envoy to Expand Pilot Training Staff to Meet Demand

Textron Aviation Piston Aircraft Feature Garmin G1000 NXi Avionics at Sun n Fun 2017

Tennessee FBO Changes Hands

AIN FBO Survey 2017: Worldwide Results

American Aero FTW: A Next Generation FBO
U.S. HOUSE AND SENATE

Find Your U.S. Congressman  

 

Find Your U.S. Senator 

 

U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee 

 

U.S. Senate Aviation Subcommittee 

 

US Senate Education Committee 

 

US House Committee on Education and the Workforce 

Click on images to download sample Aero program brochures
AeroCamp brochure
AeroParty brochure
AeroSolo brochure