Tag: Instrument pilot

COVID 19

COVID 19

And we’re back. It’s a new world we’re living in with this virus reeking havoc on the aviation community. Now more than ever flight training is a great opportunity for those wanting to get up in the sky and possibly have a career once the airlines and other flight operations start picking up their hiring.
Most recently I was based out of Los Angeles international airport with my part 121 airline operator. Aviation was great, things were moving quickly and the job market was a pilot’s paradise. Within a month during March 2020, we saw the collapse of a massive industry. Not just ours but many other industries around the world. The great thing about flight training is it seems to be a stable rock in the aviation sector. Men and women that were once flying passengers across the country or across the pond that hold their flight instructor certificate, are now falling back on their teaching skills to help the next generation of pilots prepare for a world of private flying or commercial operating.
So once again flight training couldn’t come at a better time for those seeking to get off the ground and earn their wings!

Get Flying!

Get Flying!

The start of a new year is always a good time to revise your bucket list or “to do” list. For some that may be starting or finishing up your private pilot license. For others, it could be that flight review or instrument proficiency check to keep you current. Regardless of where you are at, don’t put it off. We can help with the following:

  • Aircraft pick up and drop off.
  • Private & Commercial License
  • Instrument Rating
  • CFI Rating
  • Biannual Flight Review
  • Instrument Proficiency Review
  • Mountain Flying
  • Safety Pilot
  • Insurance Check ride

Give a call: 801-560-7872

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Face lift for AOPA’s website

Face lift for AOPA’s website

Many of you already are aware that AOPA is beta testing their new site. It certainly is a nice face lift to the original version. The drop down tabs make it easier to navigate or even “pre navigate” a category without actually leaving the page you are on. I’m a big fan of this feature as I get rather impatient when I go to a new page only to have to go back and keep searching for the desired link.

Flight planning tools are well organized and easy to find. Keep in mind that some links will take you into the original website format. I found a few glitches when I did this such as screens not loading, which by the way, they’d like you to squawk any flaws. Overall I think it will make navigating their site more friendly and if nothing else more pleasing to the eye. Have fun and explore.

http://beta.aopa.org/

Just for Flight Instructors

I said this is just for Flight Instructors so stop reading now Private Pilot person! Just kidding, please do read especially if one day you hope to be teaching in the cockpit.

I recently had the experience here in Utah of dealing with the Department of Consumer Affairs. Now this was not a negative experience by all means but a learning experience for me. I hope to pass on this information to help other instructors/future instructors be prepared.

I am a contracted, independent instructor. That means that flight schools, flying clubs, aircraft owners, etc, hire me to teach in their planes. As an instructor, I take my job seriously and therefore professionally as well. Thus I have a LLC entity as my business structure. I also have things that every instructor should have: a specific business email (not a personal one that all my friends have), a website, blog (optional), a dedicated phone number and a business banking account (it’s much harder to write off pilot supplies when you purchase them via your personal account).

Recently the Utah Department of Consumer Affairs sent me a letter thinking I was a flight school that charge tuition and took up front fees. Keep in mind that as I write this, every state may be different on their regulations. They were pleasant to work with and I simply had to fill out an exempt application stating I was not a Part 141 school that accepted payments in advance for training. Here in Utah we have had some shoddy flight schools file bankruptcy and get sued after accepting tens of thousands of students’ loan money and not providing the training they promised.

So in a nut shell, if you are a current CFI or planning on becoming one, check with your local government to see where you would fall under and if you may  need to establish your position in the aviation training community.