FSANA is working for you as an association, with a new effort underway for a first annual highly focused flight training industry advocacy day on the Hill in Washington, DC.

The flight training business sector has long gone without specific and focused representation in Washington, DC, relying on others to "include our concerns" in broader aviation discussions.

This special day on the Hill with legislators will provide for in person discussions about the flight training industry and how vital our industry is to the aviation sector and the broader transportation industry sector. FSANA is going to take the lead on breaking into this sector and helping our concerns and needs get more visibility before our nations elected leaders.

FSANA members and non-members will be invited to come together with Legislators from the U.S. House and Senate for a kickoff evening reception. The next day, attendees will be on the Hill with talking points aimed at improving the flight training system in the United States.

Dates and more details for the event are being selected and more information will be available soon.

FSANA is pleased to announce that the 3rd annual Designated Pilot Examiners (DPE) Symposium is March 12-13, 2024. The Symposium will be at the B Resort and Spa.

The event will again bring together current and future DPEs along with the FAA. Topics about examiner best practices, how to become an examiner, how to work with flight schools, and much more will again be discussed. The quality of information and educational sharing is high level and attendees are provided with loads of insights, all aimed to help the DPE community to improve their knowledge and quality delivery of airman practical tests.

The program, attendee registration and room reservation information will be available toward the end of December. For now, mark your calendars if you are a current or future DPE and want to engage more with the DPE community.

Airman practical testing is experiencing above-average non-start, practical flight test rates. The core elements that comprise every practical test include:

Reports from DPEs indicate that on average between 25%-30% of all airman practical tests never get to the start line.

The FAA is working to onboard more DPEs but the FAA (and many of us in the industry) continues to get reports that far too many applicants are not able to proceed with practical tests due to training documentation issues.

The FAA continues to hear too many examples of candidates showing up for practical tests missing endorsements, missing logged ground training, lacking experience required to qualify for a particular certificate or rating, or arriving with aircraft that are not able to be confirmed are in an airworthy condition.

Each time a DPE has to send an applicant away for these and many other reasons, a checkride slot is wasted. Those slots are critical for the entire industry to maximize the throughput of pilot certification efforts.

Flight training providers are encouraged to use checklists to verify all required information and experience is present for an applicant to proceed with a test. Best practices include "folder audits", final reviews of aircraft documents and airworthiness before they are sent to a practical test and verification that all required documents are available to present during the practical test qualification efforts.

DPEs aren't asking for these things to be jerks, they are asking for them because it is their job to ensure that a pilot is properly qualified for a test they are going to take. Too many CFIs and applicants take the effort of properly documenting experience requirements as an afterthought and miss things. For CFIs, it is part of their job. A quality flight training provider makes sure that the recommending CFI is doing this part of their job seriously. When done correctly, it will ensure that a flight training provider's students are able to proceed forward with scheduled test events.

Doing this also fosters a good relationship with DPEs providing services. Presenting a well-organized, complete, and well-documented training record can make it much easier for a DPE to qualify the applicant and proceed to the actual test. Most DPEs will actively work to come back to training providers who do this part of their job well.

Congressman Lance Gooden has recently introduced the "Wings for Veterans Act." The program will award grants to 10 flight schools for comprehensive training services, which include tuition, flight training fees, provision of books, training materials, equipment, and other educational resources necessary for veterans to attain various aviation certificates and ratings.

“With the ‘Wings for Veterans Act,’ we are recognizing the potential of our veterans and providing them with tangible support to pursue successful careers post-service," said Congressman Gooden. "Veterans possess a unique set of skills and discipline that make them excellent candidates for aviation careers. This program is not only an investment in our veterans but also the future of our nation's aviation industry."

Robert Rockmaker, president & CEO of FSANA stated, "FSANA fully supports the Wings for Veterans Act and appreciates the good work of Congressman Gooden".

The legislation stipulates that participating flight schools will be responsible for soliciting applications from veterans, ensuring that applicants meet the definition of an eligible veteran, and enrolling selected individuals in appropriate flight training programs.

To learn more about this bill, visit the press release.

The FSANA 2024 Annual Conference and Trade Show and 15th Anniversary celebration is slated for February 21-23, 2024 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

David Morse with CAE, Conference chairman along with Amanda Aldea from Carolina Sky Flight Training, Conference Vice Chair are working with a great team of people to create an extra special event since it will also be the 15th Anniversary of FSANA.

FSANA's 2024 conference will again help raise the bar for the flight training community. Bob Rockmaker, president & CEO commented, "The aviation industry is seeing very serious changes post COVID" and it is almost like the years that followed the October 24, 1978 passage by Congress of the Airline Deregulation Act".

Evolution is a common word today in both the airline and general aviation segments. We are getting very close to the real-time world of George Jetson according to Rockmaker. Soon, people will be able to Uber by EVTOL across the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey in 8-10 minutes. Or cross the LA Basin in 8-10 minutes. Various companies are stating that fares will be between $50-$80 for a one-way trip.

The 2024 Conference and Trade Show is where current and future flight school owners and operators, managers, chief instructors and others along with a major portion of the supply chain come together to meet and discuss the state of flight training. They exchange and learn together in a collaborative process which yields positive results for all attendees.

Several FSANA committees will be meeting on February 21, 2023 at Caesars Palace. The committee meetings are open to everyone who makes it to Las Vegas. Below are the meeting times.

AeroGuard Flight Training Center, a global leader in providing career-focused flight training, is excited to announce a recent aircraft expansion deal with Piper Aircraft where it will receive 90 new Piper Archers.

With this deal, AeroGuard will almost double its fleet in size, bringing it to over 200 aircraft. This order signifies AeroGuard’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for pilot training across the globe and in key markets within the U.S., Middle East, India, and East Asia.

Joel Davidson, CEO of AeroGuard Flight Training Center, shared “We are thrilled to sign this

agreement with Piper Aircraft to bring 90 new Piper Archers to AeroGuard’s fleet. This

investment represents our commitment to providing our airline partners’ student pilots

with every resource they need to succeed while experiencing the highest quality flight

training in the world. With these additional aircraft, AeroGuard has the capacity to

welcome hundreds of new airline cadets to our pilot training programs.”

You can learn more about this major flight training aircraft deal by clicking here.

In a recent report from the National Airspace System (NAS) Safety Review Team (SRT) reported to the FAA that "the current erosion in the margin of safety in the NAS caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable."

This is of obvious concern to the entire aviation system along with the safety concerns of the training community. FSANA will continue to monitor how these concerns proceed forward through the air traffic organizations and how any developments may affect safety in the training realm.

You can see the full report by clicking here.

The International Aerospace Accrediting Commission (IAAC) headed by Thomas Kube, executive director, will piggyback its Spring 2024, "Seeking Accreditation Workshop" with the FSANA 2024 Annual Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas. The all-day IAAC workshop is being held on Tuesday February 20. Independent of the FSANA conference, it requires a separate registration fee.

For more information, contact the IAAC at 480-451-7205 or tkube@iaac.aero