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

2021 Conference Program and Registration (.pdf)

Click here to book your Rosen Plaza room reservation online. If you prefer to phone in your reservation, call Rosen's Reservation Center at 1-407-996-9700 to secure a reservation. The name of the group is listed as Flight School Conference.

2021 Sponsor/Exhibitor brochure (.pdf)

FSANA continues to share the culture change with respect to the annual goal of having a Zero GA Fatal Accident goal for the GA community. The goal helps set a higher bar for all Airmen no matter what type of flying machine they operate.

There is not one flight school owner, operator or manager that would establish anything but a "Zero Fatal Accident" goal at their flight training organization. The same holds true for all modes of transportation including rail, land and sea.

Airman certification in the United States is something conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and it is something the agency takes very seriously. Much of the actual certification of pilots is not done directly by FAA staff, but by designees of the FAA. These are experienced individuals who meet and exceed minimum qualifications requirements, have been trained, receive regular oversight, and are trusted with upholding the standards of certification for airmen.

In the case of pilot certification, the vast majority of certification events are conducted by Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs). These are pilots who are also certified as instructors who are given the privilege of administrating practical tests for airmen. A part of this privilege is the ability to charge for their services. These DPE's represent the United States government and the Administrator of the FAA, currently Steven Dickson.

Jay Kitchens, FAA Designee Branch Manager recently noted to Bob Rockmaker, FSANA President & CEO that "The FAA fully recognizes the value and experience that the DPE community brings to the aviation industry. The FAA will continue to improve our internal processes concerning designee management. DPEs are a highly valued resource that we depend on to get the job of airman certification completed. We never like to terminate a designee. This is a loss of a resource to the FAA and the aviation community."

DPE's are not employees or contractors to the FAA. They serve at the pleasure of the FAA and have a huge responsibility. With the granting of this privilege however, the FAA also has the ability revoke said privilege at any time, with, or without need for cause. This leaves DPEs in an interesting position if they choose to base their personal financial income generation on this type of work. In the eyes of some, it is an unstable bargain.

Well run businesses rely on a stable work and regulatory environment and the creation of consistent brand awareness. This poses a challenge for some in the DPE community who have concerns about the stability of their work privilege.

FSANA is bringing this up because there have now been at least two publicly viewable terminations of DPEs in the United States recently that have made some press. In one case, notifications were sent out that some applicants would need to be retested. In a second case, a Youtuber in the aviation community is spreading content that questions the FAA's termination of the "well respected" examiner.

FSANA is not here to question the FAAs termination of either of these, or other DPEs at this time, but has been fielding questions from within and outside the aviation training community about why the FAA would be terminating "good DPEs". That characterization is a biased one, and only the FAA and the DPEs involved will know all the details of each case, but what FSANA does know is that the FAA terminates very few (typically less than 10) DPEs "for cause" each year and it does so only after clear facts are present that warrant it.

What FSANA is interested in however, is that the review process and termination, and/or appeal of such a termination process, is less clear and may need some added transparency and bolstering.

In the case of one DPE who FSANA did have discussions with, the reason for their termination was not evident in the Designee Management System (DMS) even to that individual and their legal representation. Even after an appeal process, the attorney representing the DPE was not clear what they "should be appealing."

This leaves a desire for a better process that more closely aligns with review processes and potentially some peer review inclusion when a DPE is terminated. The current appeals process requires further review so that all parties are treated in a fair and equitable manner.

The FSANA lead industry working group which formed three years ago recently met a few weeks ago to continue discussions regarding systemic improvements on the table for airman practical testing with the DPE segment. This topic is a part of that effort.

In discussions with the FAA's Designee Standardization Branch Manager, Jay Kitchens, he highlighted that there "are currently efforts in our branch to increase involvement at our national level with review and consideration of any DPE termination efforts to allow for an outside review that goes beyond just a local FAA office staff." He went on to note that, "it is always important for us to make sure any decisions for designee termination take into account real actions and any potential safety concerns, not personality conflict or other non-job related considerations. When we have trained and put in place a DPE, we will always first work to provide training if a DPE is willing and and able to correct any identified discrepancies. This helps the entire system improve, become safer, and best leverages the resources the FAA has invested time and training in for future airmen testing services."

FSANA agrees with this approach and looks forward to additional involvement when tough decisions about termination of DPEs is required by Jay's team in Oklahoma City.

In a broader sense, FSANA and FAA team members have continued to discuss airman testing needs and the FAA teams have been continuing to respond with positive regulatory and policy guidance.

During a working group meeting on November 18, 2020, Jay Kitchens, FAA Designee Branch Manager updated the attendees on several topics.

Highlights of this discussion included that:

The FSANA lead national working group looks forward to continuing to work with the FAA staff on critical issues relating to airman testing and certification. We encourage any interested parties with concerns to share them with us so we can include them in future discussions. And, as always, if you hear a story out there, the FAA isn't always the bad guy. Many times they are doing hard work that is required and they may know, as Paul Harvey always noted, you might need to know "The Rest of the Story" before you make any judgements.

If you would like to share any concerns or ask questions, feel free to reach out to us at FSANA. We know that some are concerned about sharing such concerns. Know that if you prefer, any such conversations can be kept confidential with FSANA staff and deidentified with any discussions we may have with other industry or FAA representatives.

FSANA is getting some reports that some states are again attempting to implement restrictions that would limit the ability of flight training providers to provide in person flight training as new rounds of restrictions and limitations again are put in place in many states.

In Michigan, FSANA is aware that most of the collegiate flight training operations have been forced to stop providing in-person (including in aircraft) training due to a new effort by the Governor to have instructions issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The orders issued required all in-person collegiate instruction to be terminated for at least a new 3-week period. This forced most colleges in that state to the decision to shudder their flight training operations at least temporarily. The effects on students in the stoppage of their training is significant in how it stops their progress in training, reduces proficiency, and increases their costs of training as they will need to restart and and again become proficient. It also affects the incomes of instructors and training providers and the overall financial stability of the collegiate flight training programs. These state based orders directly effect federally conducted flight training because many of the training providers are state funded schools. The precedents set here are obviously concerning to all in the flight training community.

In some cases, we are hearing concerns, especially where customers may be across nearby state lines, that state restrictions may limit customers ability to train without being subjected to "quarantines" when going to or from training and home. The practical concern here is for people who go to a state and then need to return to another state after receiving training and may be subjected to "return quarantines" due to state restrictions. This could be a functional limitation for customers who need to travel across state boundaries for training.

FSANA is seeking any information about negative impacts flight training providers have experienced or are experiencing. Please contact our offices with any examples or concerns and FSANA will continue to fight for flight training providers to keep providing safe methods of training to keep their business going and their students making progress as we have been doing since the beginning of the effects of COVID-19 throughout the United States.

Please contact our office via email at info@fsana.com or call us directly to share any information or to discuss if we can recommend or direct you to any resources that may be of help in mediating effects.

American Airlines is expanding its preflight testing program for domestic travel. The first airline to introduce preflight testing within the United States, American will provide access to LetsGetChecked for all domestic flights to states and territories with COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The deadline for submitting nominations and applications for the prestigious 2021 National General Aviation Awards has been extended to December 31, 2020.

For over 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, and safety.

The national Certificated Flight Instructor, Aviation Maintenance Technician, and FAA Safety Representative Honorees will receive an all-expense paid trip to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. During AirVenture they will receive recognition from the FAA Administrator, attend a dedicated ceremony with high-ranking FAA officials, have their names added to the perpetual plaque in the EAA Museum, and will be honored at an awards luncheon where they receive gifts donated by GAA's industry sponsors.

Application forms and complete details of how to create an application packet can be found at http://www.GeneralAviationAwards.com/nominations.

Please don't delay! Help recognize “the best of the best” by nominating that truly exceptional flight instructor, aviation maintenance technician, or FAASTeam representative for one of these prestigious awards (or apply for one yourself).

Double Eagle Aviation in Tucson, AZ has taken delivery of their first Vashon Ranger R7 flight training aircraft. Jim White, Double Eagles long time Manager and one of the best in the flight training business first learned about the Vashon at the 2020 FSANA Flight School Conference.

Double Eagle is one of the early creators of the 3 week private pilot course for people who want to earn their FAA Private Pilot Certificate in a short window of time.

The R7 is a stable machine with good visibility, gentle flight characteristics and a Vso stall speed of 41 knots. All R7's come fully equipped with a Dynon glass panel avionics suite, ADS-B in and out, transponder and autopilot. The R7 comes with a Continental 0-200-D engine and comes equipped with a rugged set of tricycle landing gear.

Vashon has done a good job with this aircraft and the price point was another reason for taking a serious look at the R7 according to Jim White.

Double Eagle, currently at Tucson International airport is relocating in January 2021 to Ryan Airfield. The move will provide more space for customers and school administration as they continue to grow their business. The facility will include 20 new shade ports.

Applications for AOPA's You Can Fly program 2021 scholarships opened on December 1 with categories for high school students, teachers, primary flight training, and advanced ratings. The 2020 program awarded 124 scholarships totaling more than $1 million.

The deadline for scholarship applications is Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

Thanks to the generosity of the Ray Foundation, 80 exceptional high school students, ages 15 to 18, each will receive a $10,000 flight training scholarship to pursue a private, sport, or recreational pilot certificate. This scholarship program is a component of the AOPA You Can Fly program, a collection of initiatives working to building a larger, more vibrant pilot community.

As part of the AOPA You Can Fly program and thanks to the generosity of the Ray Foundation, up to 20 teachers will be awarded flight training scholarships of $10,000 each to pursue a private pilot, sport pilot, or recreational pilot certificate.

Current AOPA members, including AOPA AV8RS, who are at least 16 years of age on February 14, 2021, are eligible to apply for a flight training scholarship of $2,500 to $7,500, to be applied to training for a private pilot, sport pilot, or recreational pilot certificate.

Current paid AOPA members with aviation career aspirations are encouraged to apply for an advanced flight training scholarship, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, to pursue one of the following ratings or certificates:

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) recently published its annual report. This report offers critical overview of data, statistics, adn trends surrounding the regional airline industry. This industry is critically linked to the flight training community as the next progression point for many individuals employment trained at many providers of flight training around the country.

The report highlights that regional airlines:

To read the full report, visit:

ALSIM, the 26-year-old global flight simulator manufacturer, has opened a brand-new production facility in order to meet growing demand. Located next to its historical factory in Le Loroux-Bottereau, approximately 230 miles SW of Paris, ALSIM currently has clients in more than 50 countries.

The new facility is fully equipped with modern installation allowing ALSIM to produce up to 10 simulators at the same time. The reorganized and more synergized production, similar in design to larger aircraft manufacturers, now incorporates the hardware engineering team, enabling smoother and more efficient work. This, in turn, ensures greater manufacturing reliability and further increases simulator quality.

"Upholding our spirit of innovation at ALSIM, we remain fully engaged in offering simulators at the cutting edge of technology. We are continuously reinventing ourselves and our devices and this new production facility marks an important milestone in our company’s development and a significant industrial advancement,” says Jean-Paul Monnin, CEO.

More about Alsim at: www.alsim.com.

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: