How busy is your flight school?
 

Hey guys,

How busy are flight schools right now? Trying to see what the effects of COVID are. I've been working at a 141 school for over a year. There is so little work at my school that I'm going in once a day for 3hr a day. You guys think its because students are afraid to get COVID? Are people reluctant to enter the industry because of the economic ramifications from COVID on the airline industry?

Curious on everyones thoughts

I manage a Cirrus Training Center so our situation is likely different than most. 99% of our clients are learning to fly as a hobby or for their personal travel needs. Very few are training to become professional pilots. From March 15th to mid-June, our flight training operations were down 95%. Since reopening and flying with masks, enhanced cleaning procedures, reduced hours, etc, our operations have returned to about 80% of our normal business. We have seen an increase in new clients interested in learning to fly so they have an alternative to traveling on commercial airlines.

I have spoken with friends at 141 schools that specialize in professional pilot career paths, and they all seem to be doing fewer operations. Some students have been unable to travel to the United States because of travel bans, and others have postponed training due to the negative impacts of COVID on the airline industry.

I can only speak for the school I work as a CFI for (the ever controversial LIFT). Operations are full speed ahead now. There are some COVID related procedures relating to being around the building, but we are basically back to full capacity.

I just recently jumped ship from Auburn training to ATP. Auburn took a break and resumed training May 26th and has been going since then. AFAIK from my friends back in AUO it's running through some hiccups right now but they are training and very active. I won't get political here, but basically anywhere you go with a primarily conservative training base/leadership it's safe to say you'll see fewer COVID safeguards and as a result more "normal" busy flight training. From my experience in Auburn it definitely ticks both of those boxes haha...

If I'm not mistaken they pay approx. 22-23ish per hour for PPL students and 24 or 25 if you are a CFI w instrument students. Multi pays 26 if I remember correctly.

Im down in Florida and yeah our COVID precautions are just taking peoples temp, mandatory masks inside the building, and staff disinfecting stuff. Schools still slow though. We're getting signups just not at the pace we used to, and we've lost some instructors because of it

Are the instructors that you’re losing managing to find other flying jobs or are they bailing on the industry until this all recovers?

Difficult to know honestly. I have heard of flight schools postponing new hires, some CFI's were able to find work at other schools, some went to fly pt. 135

I attend a part 91 flight school in central Virginia. The CFIs are still booked solid. Plenty of folks getting their private & instrument ratings. Still a few of us pursuing commercial and ME ratings with a goal of going career. About half a dozen of us students to split time with. Plenty of fresh blood walking through the doors looking to get started.

I hope it keeps up, I'd like a job myself once I'm done with my commercial work.

Central virginia? Does this flight school have the initials AA?

L3 furloughed and laid off a lot of instructors in Florida