FSANA PROGRAMS
Training International Students - A Unique Part of the Training Community
Most flight schools have a unique position within the United States to offer flight training to foreign nationals. My law practice intersects the areas of aviation law and immigration law. I am a pilot and also an immigrant. I am originally from Canada and have a Canadian private pilot's license, of course in Canada, it is required to demonstrate spins, and spiral dives for the PPL. Now that I am also a US CFI, CFII, MEI, I can state that the United States is the best country in which to train pilots. Our system is second to none when it comes to structure, content and it provides a pedagogical framework to help students achieve success in a logical and structured manner. Of course, the United States is one of the most cost effective countries in which to receive flight training. This combination of factors makes the United States an awesome place for foreign pilots to train.
However, if a student is not a United States Citizen, a student is subject to the Immigration Laws. The Immigration Laws are the most complex laws next to the IRS Code. The Immigration and Nationality Act along with the regulations are the most complex and convoluted in our system of jurisprudence. Most foreign nationals will come to the United States on a non-immigrant student visa. Normally an F-1 or M-1 visa. The F-1 visa is normally allotted for post secondary educational institutions and the M-1 is allotted for post secondary vocational educational institutions. The flight school offering international flight students training must offer Part 141 training in order to issue the I-20 which is required before a student can get the appropriate visa to their school.
A foreign national student goes through an immense security background check before entering the United States. The US Consulate normally vets the student after an I-20 has been issued and visa can be approved. The background check is extensive. This is largely due to the fact the 12 out of the 14 hijackers of 9/11, the so called Musclemen, had immigration violations but were still permitted to enter the United States. Of course today, with our concern around aviation security, this would more than likely not occur. Once here, the student must comply with the conditions of the visa, which is to study flight training.
Over the next several months, I will be discussing the intricacies of training international flight students. The bureaucratic red tape, the TSA requirements, the difficulties and the benefits that this endeavor entails. We will also discuss what options a flight student has at the end of their training to remain in the United States. However, training foreign nationals can be a lucrative endeavor for any flight school and is a worthwhile endeavor.
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FSANA NEWS
Webinars for FSANA Members
FSANA continues to increase the value proposition for association members.
Soon, members will be able to participate in both webinars and audio conferences on a wide selection of topics. The first of these is likely to be from the above writer and focus on the details of providing international flight training by U.S. flight training providers.
Delivering quality subject matter is another added benefit of being a member of the trade association. It is our goal to provide this content to our members. While this content will not be available to all individuals, it will be available to FSANA members. If there is no other reason for instructors or flight training providers to be a member, then this is it.
FSANA continues to bring members timely programs and information, all designed to further support the
"Business of Flight Training". We will be working to provide a full suite of webinars for members that we will be announcing as they become available.
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FSANA PROGRAMS
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Gail Mancuso receives the Moyer Leadership Award |
FSANA Recognizes Contributions by Members and Chairman at Conference
FSANA took the time to recognize the contributions of two special individuals at the 2016 International Flight School Operators Conference that took place in February in Orlando.
Gail Mancuso was given the FSANA Moyer Leadership Award to recognize her work as an individual who has demonstrated consistent and focused mission driven leadership within their flight training organization. The award is named for Vern Moyer, President of Moyer Aviation who was supportive of and one of the visionaries involved with the founding of the Flight School Association of North America.
Gail consistently demonstrates leadership at her operation and within the flight training community. Her operation was the first AeroChapter program provider.
Gail is the Vice President of
Mid-Island Air Service Inc.
on Long Island.
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Chairman Greg Hayes recognized for his two years of service as FSANA Board Chariman |
FSANA also recognized FSANA Board Chairman, Greg Hayes, of Erie, PA for his two years of service as the Board Chairman.
Without the service of board members such as Greg, the work of FSANA would not be possible.
Greg is one of the original board members of FSANA who came together in April of 2009 in Philadelphia to discuss the potential formation of a flight school association. His work since that day and as Chairman has helped build and develop the organization to what it is today. Without his work and the work of others on the board, the organization would not be able to provide the services that are currently available for members.
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TRAINING NEWS
 CATS Seeking Subject Matter Experts to Help Develop Practice Test Suite
Computer Assisted Testing Service (CATS), one of the authorized providers of FAA Knowledge Tests, is seeking help from FSANA members.
CATS is developing a practice test suite to help prepare student pilots to take the Private Pilot - Airplane written test. They are looking for experienced flight instructors who are interested in working on the project. The work will help students and fellow instructors for years to come.
The project will be to produce high-quality questions that reflect current aviation realities, as well as the new Airman Certification Standards. The questions will make sense of student wrong answers, and give targeted feedback that will help student pilots learn to fly. CATS knows they can do better than a list of learning statement codes, but they can't do it without you.
The project will take about five months (April to August 2016) and will take up to about 50 hours of effort for each subject matter expert (SME). No travel is required, and much of the work can be done on your own schedule, at your convenience. They will even provide compensation upon completion of the work.
If you are or someone you know would be a good SME for this CATS project, please contact
Anne Thissen-Roe of CATS (Comira): athissenroe@comiratesting.com.
When contacting CATS, please complete and include the
SME Background Questionnaire.
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TRAINING NEWS
FAA Privatization and Budget Considerations Could Affect Training in the United States
While currently tabled, efforts to privatize Air Traffic Control (and any other functions of the FAA) have recently been discussed in the House and Senate, the discussion is not going away.
Coupled with FAA funding bills (which are critical to the continuing operation of the FAA), some members of Congress have taken the opportunity to add efforts to privatize portions of the roles filled by the FAA traditionally.
Strongly supported by airlines and airline representatives, the efforts have currently stalled, but will not go away.
To fully understand the issues at hand, it is important to understand how the funding of the FAA structure is developed, maintained, and operated. The system that the FAA operates is the safest air transportation system in the world that processes more traffic than anywhere else in the world. Making changes to this, has the strong potential to make negative impacts.
While airlines are strongly in support of the privatization proposals, indicating that since they "transport the most passengers" in the aviation system, their interests are economic driven. They may not necessarily represent the best interests of passengers or other users of the aviation system.
Any privatization of the aviation system has the potential to introduce user fees (or other costs) for operators of flight training or personal and business flight operations. These operators may not rise to the level of economic power to influence any changes in the system on the same level that airline representatives can.
We challenge you as members to learn more about the funding structure for the FAA and contact your representatives to express your concerns about changes proposed.
You can learn more about the budgets that support the FAA by reviewing the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Established in 1970, the Trust Fund finances investments in the airport and airway system and, as funds are available, covers the operating costs of the airway system.
FSANA will monitor any potential proposals to the funding structure for the U.S. aviation system and provide updates to members.
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TRAINING NEWS
Ninety-Nines To Award 2016 Karen Johnson Solo Scholarship
The Ninety-Nines and EAA will award a $3,000 Karen Johnson Solo Scholarship to provide a young woman (age 16-20 at any time during 2016 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 during the WomenVenture activities at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh on July 27, 2016. The deadline for applications is July 1, 2016. Additional information, a scholarship flyer and scholarship rules can be found at http://kjsoloscholarship.com.
The Ninety-Nines are grateful to Lightspeed Aviation Foundation, the Ventura County chapter of the Ninety-Nines, EAA 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.
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TRAINING NEWS
Airman Certification Standards (ACS)
Becoming Effective June 15, 2016
Get Ready for the ACS - Airman Certification Standards! These represent e
xciting improvements are on the horizon for airman testing and training.
Effective June 15, applicants for the private pilot certificate (airplane category) and the instrument rating (airplane category) will use the corresponding airman certification standards (ACS) in lieu of the practical test standards (PTS).
Developed by an FAA collaboration with a diverse group of aviation industry experts, the ACS is an enhanced version of the PTS. The ACS integrates and clearly defines the aeronautical knowledge and risk management elements that support each PTS skill task. It also incorporates today's PTS "special emphasis" items into the appropriate ACS task. The ACS thus offers clear guidance on what an applicant must know (SKILL), consider (RISK MANAGEMENT), and do (SKILL) to qualify for certificate or rating.
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MARKETING NEWS
Why Marketers Should Keep Centennials in Mind
by Andrew Corselli, Associate Managing Editor
Centennials make up nearly a quarter of the population, and by 2020 this number will balloon to 40%.
Marketers looking to cultivate long-term revenue and loyalty should consider a new demographic: centennials.
Centennials, also known as Generation Z, are between 13 and 18 years old and born around the turn of the century. They already make up nearly a quarter of the population; by 2020 this number will balloon to 40%. Centennials were born with technology pervading their everyday lives and don't remember a time when a connected world wasn't at their fingertips-which explains why the group's average attention span is an estimated eight seconds.
New research from PowerReviews shows that influencing centennial conversation is a facet marketers must leverage to succeed-especially in this technological age. Technology is embedded into the lives-and demands-of centennials. Their expectations are sky high, and they often want a two-way dialogue with retailers. So, marketers targeting this generation must focus on engagement; centennials are likely to eschew those brands from their shopper journeys that fail to do so.
Starting the shopping journey
Growing up in one of the worst recessions on record makes a group more resourceful and practical when it comes to spending money. Indeed, nearly three quarters of centennials say they take their time with most purchases by researching price, reading reviews, and reviewing different brands. Also, two thirds say they prefer to save money for the future rather than make impulse purchases.
How centennials browse for products:
Converting centennial browsers to buyers
The research shows that online reviews are more valuable to centennials than saving money or other perks; almost a third (32%) of centennials rank online reviews as more important than a brand name (8%) or free shipping (4%). While 95% read reviews, 64% of centennials read at least four reviews before making a purchase. And one third of centennials say they would not buy a product if they couldn't first ask questions about it.
Although brand name may not carry the same cache as reviews, it does trump price. More than half (57%) of centennials are likely to spend more on a well-known brand than purchase a lower-priced item from an unknown brand.
Tips for attracting centennials
PowerReviews findings highlight four ways that marketers can capture centennials' interest.
Emphasize quality and differentiation: Centennials crave quality information over price, so make sure to promote reviews that boast the best qualities of your product as opposed to bragging about low pricing.
Engage early online: With nearly all shoppers conducting research online, marketers need to tailor their website for research and purchasing purposes. Helpful product information, descriptions, sizing, reviews, etc. are paramount.
Bolster your online presence: Centennials are using desktops and mobile phones as a key part of their shopping journey; ensure your website is mobile-friendly for easier navigation.
Start real conversations: Of the centennials who have written reviews, 89% say they hadn't subsequently been contacted by the brand. Positive or negative, a review is a golden opportunity to engage with the customer.
To view the article as originally published in Direct Marketing News, click here.
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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
, Director of Business Development, at
dsparks@fsana.com
or
561-767-6826.
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Flight School Seeking Investment Capital
An
established
and successful Part 61 and 141 flight school is seeking $1M-3M investment capital for new enterprise start-up. Qualified parties please call 863-327-6880.
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Flight School for Sale in Ohio
Interested in expanding your flight school or taking on a new location? How about buying a flight school for the first time? A flight training operation in Ohio may be the opportunity for which you are looking.
The operation is a successful flight training business with two owned aircraft and multiple leaseback aircraft, a large client base, a FBO business and maintenance services.
The operation has simulators and operates both FAR Part 61 and 141 training curricula, is SEVP approved, has VA approval, and operates a PSI testing center.
Interested parties should Contact John Bonfiglio CPA at 440-461-6227.
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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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Inviting the Best
Aircraft Operators
in the Business to
Join Our Network.
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Click on images to download sample Aero program brochures
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