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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
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NEW PRESENTATION
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Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #56 ~ Why Aircraft Tires Are Unique
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Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
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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
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
No new developments at this time but feel free to discuss OP: Fly NC
with fellow pilots at:
Stamp NOTAMS (See the previous stamp NOTAMS)
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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
Brought
to you by:
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING
eBook by WingsOfun Media
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
*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.
Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
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