Monday, August 11, 2014

WingsOfun.com BLOG #56: August 4, 2014 ~ "Are Discovery Flights a Waste of Time?" and "What's Unique About Aircraft Tires?"




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WingsOfun.com BLOG #56: August 4, 2014
 



WELCOME PILOTS

     Be sure to check out our lively discussion on our Facebook page regarding the FAA not allowing aircraft homebuilding in rented hangars built with federal funds. Join the discussion at: http://tinyurl.com/woffb


~TC Freeman
 
“Keeping the fun in flying!"

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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #56 ~ Why Aircraft Tires Are Unique
 
 
 
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ARE DISCOVERY FLIGHTS A WASTE OF TIME FOR FLIGHT SCHOOLS?

By TC FREEMAN


            I had one of those brain-storming sessions where I was racking my brain trying to think of unique ways to get more people into flying. Fresh ideas to bring more potential pilots into the fold is a necessity in light of the realities of the fact that there were 10 million less flight hours  being flown over the past 10 years; not to mention the overall declining pilot population. One of my ideas was to invite the community out for a “Learn to Fly” event where interested parties can learn about flying and flight schools, plus sign up for a discovery (introductory) flight lesson. When I pitched this idea to a respected flight school owner he said, “We don’t do discovery flights.” Needless to say this comment grabbed my attention.

Ideally, when two or more participating flight schools are involved in this type of event, my role would consist of being the unbiased host, discussing the cool things about flying and moderating the event. Another role would be to ensure that the various flight schools on the airport “played fair” by outlining the benefits of their respective flight school in a venue where nobody tries to “out-do” the other schools. The last thing you would want is a flight school representative saying, “Don't fly with Brand-X because they are a bunch of dangerous cowboys.” Personally, I believe it is possible to coordinate an unbiased introduction of the flight schools and then allow the customer to make the final decision.

You might imagine my deflated feeling after proposing this idea to a flight school managers and his response was, “We don't do discovery flights.” Due to his successful business background I decided to dig a little deeper by asking the question, “Why?” His answer was based on tracking whether discovery flights translated to full-fledged student pilots that complete a pilot’s license (certificate). The bottom line is that for this flight school very few discovery flight customers translated to legitimate student pilots. As harsh as it sounds, this experienced flight school owner determined that discovery flights taxed time and resources that would be better spent on qualified students - salesmanship 101. In other words, when a customer contacts this flight school and says, “I want to learn how to fly,” that’s great news. Perhaps the psychology of verbalizing the desire to become a pilot makes for a better customer. In contrast, if a customer calls up the same flight school and states he or she would like to go up to “try it out” or “wants an airplane ride,” then the answer is, “I’m sorry we can’t help you.”* While my personal opinion may differ on some key points, I appreciate the time this flight school owner took to challenge my conventional beliefs.

My father, who was my flight instructor, suggested new pilots take as many discovery flights as possible. His opinion was that this was a great way to get some valuable flight hours at a reduced rate while getting to know various flight instructors. If a person is going to spend a lot of time shoulder-to-shoulder with a flight instructor it's best to have a good personality fit. While perhaps not a viable business model, I personally think this is a great thing for potential students to embrace. If a customer chooses one flight school from day one then there is no opportunity to compare its services with another.

While not offering discovery flights is an interesting perspective, there is nothing keeping a customer from paying regular rates for a first flight lesson then venturing onto other area flight schools. As my father would say, “Don’t forget to take your logbook on all discovery flights,” because all flight time is valuable even if you haven’t decided on a specific instructor and flight school.

Perhaps the psychology of having customers verbalize their commitment to learning how to fly is one way to counteract the 85% drop out rate. However, I do wonder about the typical scenario in which a spouse purchases a discovery flight as a gift for their spouse. After the flight it’s obvious from the mile-wide smile that the aviation hook has been set. However, after a closer examination of the total cost they ultimately decide that the price is too much for the family budget to bear. While the family can’t afford it at this time doesn’t mean that they will never be able to afford learning to fly. I’ve seen customers come in for a discovery flight and fondly mention that learning to fly was added to their “bucket list” after flying over a decade or two prior. 



*Many customers initially ask for an airplane ride, which can put flight schools in a tricky spot regulation wise. In-order to stay away from entering into charter aircraft (FAR 135) territory a flight school representative will explain the differences between a discovery flight and a charter flight.

About the author:
TC Freeman has been flying since he was a teenager and is now an aviation speaker and author. Being employed as an Aviation Safety Specialist for state government, he has a passion for spreading the thrill of flying just for the fun of it via the website, www.WingsOfun.com.

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“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.”

 
~TC FREEMAN

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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:

“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.


With the issue of sequestration, the shut-down of many Air Traffic Control Towers is a possibility. Regardless, it is important to know how to safely and efficiently operate at Non-Towered Airports. In this audio book TC Freeman discusses; straight in approaches, dealing with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.


(Run time: 34 minutes)

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NEWS FROM THE WEB

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*FAA Administrator comments on the pilot medical reform status at Oshkosh.


*Boeing launches initiative to stem pilot shortage worldwide (Smart Brief)
*First-ever GoFly Scholarship presented at Oshkosh (GA News)
Note: Contact your elected officials to support pilot issues that matter to you. To find your senate representatives go to: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS FROM THE WEB ~ Homemade Air Conditioner DIY - The "5 Gallon Bucket" Air Cooler! DIY- can be solar powered!
 
Non-air conditioner equipped aircraft can be a bummer for pilots and passengers accustomed to modern creature comforts. I’ve seen “drink cooler” versions of this homemade air conditioner for aircraft, here’s another take on making a budget version from a five gallon bucket.  The smaller size and less expensive design could be advantageous for small aircraft.
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