Starting a Flight School

Business Overview:

Starting a flight school is a great idea for an entrepreneur with flight instructor certification or anyone looking to capitalize on their fascination with flying. To soar high among the birds and the clouds is a dream many people have and flight schools make that dream a reality by offering private flying lessons. If you are already a certified flight instructor (certified by the FAA), opening a flight school is a fun way to share your training with flight students. If you are not a pilot or are not certified to teach, you can always hire certified instructors to work for you. Keep in mind that instructors are only allowed to teach to the level at which they are certified. For example, an instructor has to be IFR (instrument flight rules) certified to teach at night or in foggy conditions. A pilot without certification in a two-engine plane can only teach in single-engine planes. If this sounds like a fun business idea but you’re still unsure how to start a flight school, travel to nearby cities and talk with the owners of flight schools there. Just be sure that your business will not be in direct competition with theirs. Once you have a good idea of your business model, you need to purchase at least one plane, preferably two or three. Look for well-maintained used aircraft since they can be just as safe as new aircraft at a fraction of the price. Start out with a single-engine Cessna or Piper as those are two of the best “starter” aircraft for instruction purposes. Next you’ll need to find a location for your business. An office at the airport is ideal but if you live in a rural area you may be able to use an abandoned field runway if it’s FAA approved. You don’t need to rent hangar space; your aircraft can be tied down outside. Insurance is important in this business as you will need it for your planes, your instructors and your clients. You should have all students sign a waiver prior to going up but you still need to be covered in case of an accident. You’ll also need to have a maintenance contract with a shop certified to work on aircraft. Look for one that’s near your planes so you don’t have to worry about transport. You’ll find that this business is easily scalable; you can start with one instructor and one airplane and add to your staff and your fleet as your client list grows.

A Day in the Life of a Flight School Business Owner:

If you are the instructor, you will meet appointments at your office or at the airport, depending on the level of your students (substantial on-the-ground study and test preparation is necessary at certain points in the training process). You will spend your day instructing your students either in the air or on the ground. If you have a staff of instructors working for you, you will stay in the office, field calls, schedule planes/instructors and market your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals interested in obtaining a pilot’s license.

What You Need to Start:

• Flight school business plan
• Airplane(s)
• Office
• Access to airstrip (airport or rural field runway)
• Certified flight instructor(s)
• Insurance
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• This is an excellent business opportunity for a certified flight instructor.
• It’s rewarding to help others realize their dream to be able to fly.
• If you’re not a certified flight instructor, you can hire one or more to work for you.
• A flight school is a fun atmosphere.
• You get to be around airplanes and other pilots all day and do what you love.

The Bad:

• Start-up investment is high and aircraft maintenance is costly.
• You’ll need several regular students/customers to make money with this business.

Resources:

• Flight School Association of North America
• National Association of Flight Instructors
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article “Sky-High Careers: Jobs Related to Airlines”
• Wikipedia on Flight Training

About The Author

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