Ok I'd like to hear from anyone who has started a sport pilot school
or is thinking of starting one....
I'm in the process of starting one at the Orlando-Apopka airport (X04)
and would like insight from all those before me...and if I can help
those that are looking to do the same I'd be happy too.
I received my CFI-SP in the AMD Zodiac 601, and will be taking
delivery of the Zodiac 650LS shortly.
How is everyone advertising, or are they. The one school I worked
with doesn't do any, all their traffic is walkin...
Starting a Sport Pilot School?
Moderator: drseti
Best advice I can give is be open on hours and days when people are not working.
weekends and evenings are our most busy times.
There is a pretty good base of people out there that know about sport pilot. Amazingly most have said they saw it in the Popular Mechanics articles and some other news media over the last few years.
Print up some realistic flyers. Can be just black and white. showing the airplane, needed materials, where to get them, hours needed, available schedule, and example of how the payments would come over learning to fly for a few months.
Have the airplane available for simple 20 min rides to see if they like it. Keep them cheap and simple. Load them in, get in the air and let the student try to fly it a little.
I also do pay as you go for most students. Check or cash after every lesson. If they want to pay in advance I limit it to $2000. No running tabs and paying later.
Keeps everyone from being too far behind or having extreme credit card bills.
Since I am open 7 days week daylight hours I keep a very large calendar from Staples on the desk. Everyone is welcome to walk in and write themselves in or check the schedule. I keep a phone directory if anything is conflicting. If I take a call for a reservation I write it on the calendar. Very simple and easy to understand.
we have fog in the mornings so sometimes we're on a 2 hour delay schedule. It happens and we just note that and keep going. In fog season I don't schedule anything earlier than 9AM.
Instructors I pay $30 per hour based on billable time to the students and also charge the same. They can charge more for instrument or anything special. Your area may vary.
1099 as independent contractor .
The students have the option of paying the instructors directly and just paying me the airplane rate. Only sales tax on the airplane in PA. not on instructor.
The instructors are free to hunt down students or schedule with them as long as it gets on the master calendar.
Students are not contracted in and are free to take instruction at any airport they choose. I encourage it to allow them to fly different airplanes to see what fits.
This is supposed to be fun and educational. I try and keep it that way.
I don't try to be a pilot mill. Most SP students are older or have some medical problem. Many are retired and former managers and bosses. they are not used to being a student of anything so it is a new experience for them. I tell them it's not a race. When they are ready we let them go.
The emphasis at our school is on short and off airport landings, VFR pilotage navigation, weather avoidance, aircraft systems, maintenance, cross country navigation with emphasis on no radio operation and where to expect other airplanes. This gets them so they can fly in any weather up to the capabilities of the airplane, land anywhere possible, get from A to B without busting airspace or getting in the way.
After that everything else is all add on stuff and if anything fails they just go back to their original training.
When you get your airplane try advertising in the local paper and calendar of events a "hot dog social" get a grill and a bunch of dogs. Show the airplane off on the ramp and have lots of literature to hand out. It will get the local market going.
Just the sight of the cub in the pattern every day has brought a lot of local people in. At the very least all the kids who come to the airport know it well.
Another effective technique is paint the bottom of the airplane with a big smiley face on one wing. Does not have to be yellow but can be matching the airplane.
If you're being noisy and they don't know why seeing the big smiley seems to disarm people. A local sign shop can make a vinyl one for your. Make it as big as possible.
this was an alaska trick I saw used on very loud 185's
weekends and evenings are our most busy times.
There is a pretty good base of people out there that know about sport pilot. Amazingly most have said they saw it in the Popular Mechanics articles and some other news media over the last few years.
Print up some realistic flyers. Can be just black and white. showing the airplane, needed materials, where to get them, hours needed, available schedule, and example of how the payments would come over learning to fly for a few months.
Have the airplane available for simple 20 min rides to see if they like it. Keep them cheap and simple. Load them in, get in the air and let the student try to fly it a little.
I also do pay as you go for most students. Check or cash after every lesson. If they want to pay in advance I limit it to $2000. No running tabs and paying later.
Keeps everyone from being too far behind or having extreme credit card bills.
Since I am open 7 days week daylight hours I keep a very large calendar from Staples on the desk. Everyone is welcome to walk in and write themselves in or check the schedule. I keep a phone directory if anything is conflicting. If I take a call for a reservation I write it on the calendar. Very simple and easy to understand.
we have fog in the mornings so sometimes we're on a 2 hour delay schedule. It happens and we just note that and keep going. In fog season I don't schedule anything earlier than 9AM.
Instructors I pay $30 per hour based on billable time to the students and also charge the same. They can charge more for instrument or anything special. Your area may vary.
1099 as independent contractor .
The students have the option of paying the instructors directly and just paying me the airplane rate. Only sales tax on the airplane in PA. not on instructor.
The instructors are free to hunt down students or schedule with them as long as it gets on the master calendar.
Students are not contracted in and are free to take instruction at any airport they choose. I encourage it to allow them to fly different airplanes to see what fits.
This is supposed to be fun and educational. I try and keep it that way.
I don't try to be a pilot mill. Most SP students are older or have some medical problem. Many are retired and former managers and bosses. they are not used to being a student of anything so it is a new experience for them. I tell them it's not a race. When they are ready we let them go.
The emphasis at our school is on short and off airport landings, VFR pilotage navigation, weather avoidance, aircraft systems, maintenance, cross country navigation with emphasis on no radio operation and where to expect other airplanes. This gets them so they can fly in any weather up to the capabilities of the airplane, land anywhere possible, get from A to B without busting airspace or getting in the way.
After that everything else is all add on stuff and if anything fails they just go back to their original training.
When you get your airplane try advertising in the local paper and calendar of events a "hot dog social" get a grill and a bunch of dogs. Show the airplane off on the ramp and have lots of literature to hand out. It will get the local market going.
Just the sight of the cub in the pattern every day has brought a lot of local people in. At the very least all the kids who come to the airport know it well.
Another effective technique is paint the bottom of the airplane with a big smiley face on one wing. Does not have to be yellow but can be matching the airplane.
If you're being noisy and they don't know why seeing the big smiley seems to disarm people. A local sign shop can make a vinyl one for your. Make it as big as possible.
this was an alaska trick I saw used on very loud 185's
-
Jim Stewart
- Posts: 467
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:49 pm
Establish a close relationship with the designated light sport examiner in your area. Insure that *all* of your instructors know exactly what is expected of them to produce a student that will pass his practical the first time. Nothing will turn off a 40-60 year old student faster than failing a test he was told he should be ready to pass. And he won't have any qualms about telling others about his frustrations.
IMHO, the designated examiner is the weakest link in the whole light sport program. In my area, of the two examiners, one has had his certificate suspended twice and the other is so busy running maintenance classes he doesn't have time to do tests.
IMHO, the designated examiner is the weakest link in the whole light sport program. In my area, of the two examiners, one has had his certificate suspended twice and the other is so busy running maintenance classes he doesn't have time to do tests.
I agree with the DPE comment. That is the first thing we did when we opened our doors 2 years ago. We have received a number of students that game to us because they trained at another school but couldn't complete the ticket because no DPE. That is insane!
I also recommend seeking out older more experienced instructors. Maybe some retired guys.
I also recommend seeking out older more experienced instructors. Maybe some retired guys.
This is a great little thread. I was recently told by an out-of-area EAA fellow that I should get my Sport CFI. Since the closest available CFI I could find was nearly a two hour drive away, I could have a captive audience. No other facilities except a fellow in St. George, UT who does powered parachute training.
I just need the students and interested pilots to afford a plane.
I just need the students and interested pilots to afford a plane.
go for it. Get your SP CFI first. Print up business cards with your contacts and info, Print some simple sheets with some information.
Then advertise a "town hall meeting" to see what interest there is. sit them down and explain in real terms the cost, what you can do with a SP rating, where you will be located, payment terms, what insurance is needed, hours of operations etc.
If you can get a SP airplane at a local airport to show off it would help.
You'll quickly get an idea of what type of school you need to make and what type of flying everyone wants to do.
Then advertise a "town hall meeting" to see what interest there is. sit them down and explain in real terms the cost, what you can do with a SP rating, where you will be located, payment terms, what insurance is needed, hours of operations etc.
If you can get a SP airplane at a local airport to show off it would help.
You'll quickly get an idea of what type of school you need to make and what type of flying everyone wants to do.
I agree with what was said above. In fact that is pretty much how I got things started some time ago....just go out and talk to potential students and aircraft owners. You would be surprised how many people are interested. And when you have a location picked out talk with the FBO about having an open house and bringing the community out to check out the "Sport Pilot License" and the "LSAs"....Free food will bring lots of people out!
Adam
CFI-SP, Light Sport Repairman - Maintenance, Rotax Cert.
Orlando, FL
CFI-SP, Light Sport Repairman - Maintenance, Rotax Cert.
Orlando, FL