Through discussions with members, suppliers, government officials and hotel management, the FSANA board and staff have decided to reschedule the 2021 conference. FSANA is committed to the value of an in-person conference and is making this change to not cancel, but to reschedule the event to provide this value as our country goes forward with its battle to manage Covid-19.

NEW DATE: August 18-20, 2021

SAME LOCATION: Rosen Plaza in Orlando, Florida

We apologize to anyone unable to make the new date, but feel the move will make for a better conference for all who attend or exhibit. We expect that we may have our largest attendance ever.

The 2021 conference will set the stage for the strong rebound that is already taking hold in the flight training arena. FSANA is dedicated to the pursuit of helping flight schools achieve their goals. Our ongoing advocacy for the training market continues to help create the next generation of aviators.

Please visit https://www.fsana.com/conference.php for the latest information on the 2021 conference.

The rescheduling will give everyone a chance to save $200 off the regular registration rates. New dates will be posted on the website along with updated attendee registration information.

Attendees who previously registered under the conference SPECIAL rate will be credited based on the revised Early Bird date.

Aside from reminding everyone at our Orlando conference to be COVID smart (masks, social distancing), our host hotel, the Rosen Plaza, has gone to great lengths to assure everyone's safety at every turn and will continue to make this effort for our rescheduled conference dates. Rosen's Covid Commitment

Guests who prefer to phone in their reservations can call the hotel Reservation Center at 800-627-8258. Conference group name is Flight School Conference. Callers may also use group code 70073.

FSANA staff, board and conference committee members have worked hard to put together a productive and beneficial slate of content for the 2021 conference. The conference program is available to view and registration is open.

Want to sponsor or exhibit at this year's conference? Click the following link for more info:

2021 Sponsor/Exhibitor brochure (.pdf)

Every year for more than 50 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized aviation professionals for their contributions to general aviation in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance/avionics, and safety.

Recipients of the 2021 National General Aviation Awards are:

2021 Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year

Ronald Jay Timmermans, Orlando, Florida

2021 Aviation Technician of the Year

Michael Colin Dunkley, Coshocton, Ohio

2021 FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year

Adam Timothy Magee, Swisher, Iowa

The FAA will present individual awards to each National Honoree in July during EAA AirVenture 2021 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Their names will be added to the large perpetual plaque located in the lobby of the EAA AirVenture Museum. In addition to being recognized at AirVenture and highlighted in the aviation media, National Honorees also receive gifts provided by sponsors and contributors.

“I am very excited to announce the selection of the National Honorees for the 2021 General Aviation Awards,” said GA Awards board chairman Sandya Narayanswami, “These awards highlight the important role played by these individuals in promoting aviation education and flight safety,” she added, “The awards program sponsors are pleased that these outstanding aviation professionals will receive the recognition they so richly deserve before their peers in Oshkosh.”

For more about the 2021 winners, visit: http://www.generalaviationawards.com/news/

Take a moment and imagine this scenario: A new customer has just walked in the door. You may have heard it a hundred times, but this potential student says that all too familiar phrase, “I want to learn how to fly!”

How do you meet that person’s excitement when you’ve had another day running a flight school and perhaps you don’t have the same level of enthusiasm? If you’re not careful, you could lose one of the most important relationships you’ve ever had – THE CUSTOMER.

Oftentimes, new customers walk in the door of your flight school already having done hours upon hours of research – reading your website, reading the FAA and AOPA’s website and seeing how your website compares. They may have read Facebook and Google reviews or called other flight schools in town. In effect, they’ve already chosen your flight school and today is the big day. They “mustered up the courage” to come see you and start their lessons.

In this moment, you can do one of two things: LISTEN and understand what the customer’s “dream” is. Or start SELLING and risk losing that potential student.

Are you listening? At our school, we call this “Compassionate Sales.” It’s not really selling. It’s listening to customers and how they talk about their dream of learning to fly.

Think back years ago. You were that kid. You walked up to a pilot. You thought he or she was a god. When the pilot asked, “Hey, do you want to learn to fly?” all you could do was nod your head. You couldn’t even talk because you were so excited.

Now is your chance. Listen. Customers have a dream. Maybe their dream is to work for an airline one day. Maybe the dream is to fly their mother out for a hamburger. Maybe their dream is to fly cargo at 4 a.m. in IFR minimums during a snowstorm (sounds more like a nightmare). No matter what, that new customer has a dream.

So now comes the big question: What are YOU, as a flight school, going to do to help make those dreams come true?

Let’s start by talking about what you DON’T do:

1. Don’t start teaching and lecturing just yet. LISTEN. You have two ears and one mouth.

2. Don’t make any more barriers to entry. Customers don’t need you to tell them how hard it is and all the difficulties of becoming a pilot. They’ve probably read 10 articles already that explains that. If you listen, you’ll probably find they’re up for the challenge.

3. Don’t tell them how expensive flight lessons are. They already know that. Chances are they’ve applied for a scholarship or asked their grandma for a loan.

4. Don’t tell them how your flight school is BETTER than the flight school down the road. Unless they ask why you’re better than the competition, chances are they are sure your school is where they want to train. Again, they’ve done lots of homework.

5. Don’t start speaking in aeronautical acronyms. Don’t tell them that the FAA requires them to get their VFR ticket through a DPE but only after they study the ACS and memorize A-TOMATO-FLAMES and focus on the POH of the 172. They probably have no idea what that means.

Now let’s talk about what you DO:

1. FIRST LISTEN, then talk. Two ears. Eye contact. The customer has something you need to hear.

2. Spell out everything. This is your moment to take time and educate. GO SLOW. If you want to have this student stay with you 40+ hours, then take 20-30 minutes and communicate with the student.

3. Know your 60-second “elevator pitch.” As this potential customer asksyou about your flight school, don’t get caught flat-footed. Be ready to give 3-4 core points about why someone should learn to fly with you. Convey who you are and what you do. These could include location, scheduling, and the quality of your instructors.

4. Speak to their dream. You were listening, weren’t you? If they want to go to work for the airline, tell them you have a relationship with an airline. If they want to get a hamburger with their mother, show them a list of great restaurants they can fly to. If they want to haul cargo at 4 a.m.... You get the point.

5. Tell them it’s hard, but they have you and your team to get them to their dream. People want to know that they have an advocate. People want to know that someone hears, understands, believes and will help them accomplish their dreams.

Now, go answer the door. Customers are waiting, and they have a dream.

________

________

Helicopter Association International (HAI) began over 70 years ago as a group to promote and advocate for the helicopter industry. While HAI maintains that role today, the association also makes significant and robust contributions to safety programs for the industry.

HAI’s vision is an industry with zero accidents, and in pursuit of that goal, its initiatives address safety across the continuum of helicopter aviation, including airframes, technology, and the people who use them.

“Over the past six months, with key stakeholders, HAI has completed a top-to-bottom review of our safety programs,” says James Viola, president and CEO of HAI. “We’ve strengthened our collaboration with industry partners and refocused our safety efforts on providing tangible resources for the helicopter community, including those targeted at helping pilots avoid or recover from IIMC, one of the leading causes of the accident discussed in the Feb. 9 National Transportation Safety Board hearing. As a result of this review, we’re ready to present several new elements in HAI’s safety program today.”

With human performance issues as a causal factor in the majority of aviation accidents, HAI believes that the best way to improve safety in our industry is by helping people to become safer pilots, maintenance technicians, operators, and aviation professionals.

“We believe that we can lower the industry accident rate significantly by addressing human factors,” says Viola. “HAI continues to promote a 360-degree approach to reducing accidents, one that addresses culture, processes and training, and the appropriate use of technology to reduce aviation risk.

According to the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), unintended entry into instrument meteorological conditions (UIMC), also referred to as inadvertent entry into IMC (IIMC), consistently ranks as one of the top causes of US fatal helicopter accidents. In 2019 alone, UIMC accounted for 33% of fatal helicopter accidents and 21 fatalities, accentuating the urgency of addressing this problem.

HAI is proud to support today's release of 56 Seconds to Live. This UHST-produced video portrays a pilot’s rapid loss of control over the aircraft after attempting to continue VFR flight into IMC. Helicopter safety experts say the film does not exaggerate the dangers of UIMC.

“US accident statistics reveal that a helicopter pilot operating under VFR who unintentionally continues flight into IMC will very likely lose control of their aircraft and be dead within an average of 56 seconds,” says Nick Mayhew, industry co-chair for the USHST. “We must join industry stakeholders to do everything we can to reverse this alarming and unacceptable trend.” Mayhew hopes the film will spur pilots and operators to strengthen their training and procedures aimed at UIMC prevention and recovery.

Click here to view the 56 Seconds to Live video.

HAI also has several other new programs under development, with rollouts scheduled for this Spring. They include:

HAI has partnered with a commercial provider, NGFT Solutions, to expand the scope and accessibility of its legacy FRAT program into an expansive suite of free, customizable safety tools optimized for mobile and offline use. A transition to the new application is planned for the second quarter of 2021. Additional details are available at NGFT.com.

A robust hazard reporting program is considered essential to improving safety, and small helicopter operators with limited resources sometimes struggle to field these programs. HAI has partnered with the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) to provide HAI members with an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) that provides third-party support for the reporting of aviation hazards and events. This program will be introduced to members by March of 2021.

Click here for more information about HAIs efforts.

The WINGS Industry Network (WIN), previously known as the WINGS Industry Advisory Committee (WIAC), announced the winners of the 2020 Paul and Fran Burger $10,000 WINGS Sweepstakes. Ten flight instructors and pilots won cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500. In its third year, the WIAC and the sweepstakes has garnered strong support from the FAASTeam, industry and individuals dedicated to GA safety.

A hardy congratulations go to the 2020 winners!

The $10,000 Sweepstakes will continue, however it will offer new ways to win. In the meantime, the WINGS Industry Network is in the early stages of development to introduce many more ways to attain the highest safety levels possible.

More on the new organization as available. Stay tuned.

For information on the 2021 WINGS Sweepstakes and a listing of 2018, 2019, and 2020 winners, please visit www.WINGSIndustry.net/sweepstakes

For more information, contact:

Lauretta Godbey, Managing Director

WINGS Industry Network

240-457-7308

The Federal Aviation Administration’s 43rd annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is now underway, reporting on calendar year 2020. The GA Survey is the only source of information on the general aviation fleet, the number of hours flown, and the ways people use general aviation aircraft.

Data from this survey are used by governmental agencies and industry to:

The FAA and industry need accurate data on a broad range of aircraft. Your participation is voluntary, but we need your help. We encourage everyone who is contacted to respond to the survey so that all aviation activity is represented.

Participants that are selected will receive an email or postcard invitation asking them to complete the survey online. A mail survey is sent to those not completing online, which includes a postage-paid return envelope.

Yes! It only takes 10-15 minutes to complete the survey, which you can do online or on a survey form that will be mailed to you with a postage-paid envelope. Or, call Tetra Tech toll-free at 1-800-826-1797.

Visit http://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/general_aviation.

FSANA has been collecting DPE names who have expressed a willingness to travel to help flight training providers secure practical tests since our last newsletter.

This list is published on the FSANA website and is kept up-to-date with contact information, so if you are a flight training provider who is finding a challenge of scheduling DPEs in your local area, feel free to reach out to these individuals and you may be able to have them help serve some of your local testing needs.

This effort is being made in general, but also as many DPEs have self selected to delay a return to providing practical tests during the effects of COVID-19 periods and in some locations. FSANA will continue to hep provide this information as the flight training industry continues to move forward with both new and existing students in all phases of their training.

If you are a DPE who is not on this list but would like to be, please let us know by emailing us at info@fsana.com with your email and phone number and we will add you.

As the flight training industry moves forward amidst various COVID-19 effects, FSANA will continue to providelinks and resources that are useful for flight training providers.

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.

CISA Updates memo to better include flight training

"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."

The FAA has offered a deviation memo for FAA Part 141 training providers to better accommodate for distance learning in parts of the approved TCOs.

Visit the following link for regular updates to deviations and policies: