FSANA NEWS
FSANA Welcomes First Youth Member
FSANA is pleased to welcome Christian Tabacco from Mount Sinai, New York as the first youth member of the association. Christian was introduced to aviation and aerospace during his first year of AeroCamp Basic at Mid Island Air Service on Long Island during the summer of 2014. He continued his involvement by participating in the AeroCamp Advanced program offered by Mid Island Air Service later that summer.
FSANA Youth members receive a variety of benefits including a youth newsletter. They also are able to participate in the FSANA AeroChapter program that was launched in January 2015.
The entire general aviation industry agrees that there is a growing need to increase the number of certificated pilots in America. One of FSANA's core objectives is to help attract and create new pilots along with introducing people to the flight and aerospace industry.
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FSANA INDUSTRY RELATIONS
FSANA Exhibits at 2015 Women in Aviation Conference for First time at Dallas Convention
For the first time, FSANA had the opportunity to take part in the annual Women in Aviation (WAI) conference by exhibiting at the recent event in Dallas, TX. Attending WAI for the first time was a wonderful opportunity to showcase FSANA and the programs that FSANA offers members.

The FSANA booth was staffed by Lisa Campbell (FSANA Vice Chairman) and with her daughter, Ilissa Skinner. Lisa and Ilissa had an opportunity to talk with many visitors to the booth, many of them accomplished and passionate female aviators who contribute to the aviation industry in significant ways across the globe. While the show started off with a rare blanket of snow in Dallas, it did not damper the excitement inside the conference. FSANA representatives had an opportunity to answer questions about FSANA's various programs including AeroChapters and AeroCamp.
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FSANA INDUSTRY RELATIONS
FSANA Heads to Sun N Fun in April - First Time Exhibiting at the Yearly Fly-In Event
The Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) will be exhibiting at the 2015 Sun 'N Fun event in Lakeland Florida from April 21-26, 2015. As the association grows and its programs become more active, we recognize the importance of being at this event to become more visible to the public and our members. FSANA welcomes visitors to its display area to learn more about the association, to talk about our activities, and to enter a raffle for a chance to win a ride in a beautiful Stearman bi-plane operated by Tailwheels Etc, Inc. based at the Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport. FSANA President & CEO, Robert Rockmaker noted, "We are excited as an association to make our first official attendance as an exhibitor at Sun 'N Fun and look forward to sharing our programs and activities that are aimed at attracting new people to explore the world of flight and the diverse aerospace industry with attendees."
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Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Releases Report Detailing Training Statistics for Foreign Training Students
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement maintains the U.S. Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) that manages the permissions for non-US citizens receiving flight training in the United States every year.
A recent report from the SEVP program details where students come from, where training providers are, and how many students are actively engaged in training. Some of the statistics listed below are from other branches of the U.S. government.
Some highlights include:
- There are 6,149 M-1 Visas for flight training. These are Visas issued to foreigners attending non degreed flight training schools.
- TSA receives approximately 35,000 requests to begin flight training each year.
- There are an estimated 7,000-10,000 people engaged at any given time in a foreign flight training program in America.
- There were 120,285 student pilots in America as of December 31, 2013 according to the FAA. It is estimated that the foreign flight students comprise approximately 8.3% of the total student pilot count based on a total of 10,000 foreign flight students.
Much of the U.S. SEVP data is normally shared by only by written request, however, some public data is also regularly made available. Requests of other data can be made through an official FOIA request by visiting www.ice.gov/foia and click on "File a FOIA/PA Request" on the right-hand side, and following the directions listed. The ICE FOIA office will then route your request to the appropriate SEVP data unit for processing.
Information noted above and much more is available in a public report that SEVP produces. To view more details of the report,
click here.
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 SIMULATORS IN TRAINING
by Tracy Cook
Vice President - Marketing and Sales Precision Flight Controls, Inc.
The exponential increases in computer speed, memory and networking bandwidth over the last decade have led to the development of significant advancements for general aviation training. Not only have ATD's themselves improved, but tools that have been developed for the cockpit are also being replicated in Aviation Training Devices.
Electronic flight bag software such as ForeFlight� is now compatible with many brands and levels of simulation systems. ForeFlight provides geo-referencing of aircraft (and now simulators) on its charts and plates. The ability to integrate these types of products into ATDs enables mastery without the expense of learning them in the aircraft.
Other new technologies include live ATC service for simulators. The foremost of these services is PilotEdge�. The PilotEdge� system utilizes live controllers and is available fifteen hours a day, seven days a week. The system provides virtually any service available in the real world to simulators. Included are clearance delivery, ground control, tower, departure, enroute, arrival, flight following, progressive taxi, emergencies, etc. Back-channel communications are also available to enable sophisticated custom training scenarios. Other aircraft in the airspace can also be seen and heard which adds yet another level to the realism in busy airport environments. The immersive quality of PilotEdge� must be experienced to be believed. PilotEdge� is especially useful when training non-English students to speak with correct aviation phraseology. The service is swiftly being applied in commercial and military environments, but was originally developed for the general aviation training market. PilotEdge� is compatible with most brands of ATD's, whether commercial or home-based.
As technologies continue to develop with breakneck speed, many great simulator-based products will continue to expand the GA training envelope.
For more information on ForeFlight� visit
www.foreflight.com.
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FLIGHT TRAINING AIRCRAFT
Discovery Aviation Announces Production of the New and Improved Discovery XL-2 Underway
Since acquiring the Liberty XL-2 in April 2014, the Discovery Team has worked diligently to return the XL-2 to production. With most of the Liberty XL-2 team joining us, vendors and suppliers approved and the Type Certificate and Production Certificate transferred, we would like introduce you to the new and improved Discovery XL-2!
CLICK HERE - Discovery XL-2 Specs & Standard IFR Equipment
Over the past year we have continued to receive a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for the XL-2. There is no doubt that the Part 23 IFR Certified XL-2 is the best aircraft available for modern pilot training requirements. The XL-2's key benefits remain the same - low cost of acquisition, operation and maintenance, FADEC, and it is a great airplane to fly. The XL-2's global appeal and acceptance continue to make it the trainer of choice for today's flight training organizations, who are focused on efficiency.
CLICK HERE - Discovery XL-2 Features & Benefits
Additionally, the Discovery XL-2 is one of the most technologically advanced training aircraft available. The XL-2 is now available with the new Garmin EFIS system, optimized to train professional pilots.
CLICK HERE Discovery XL-2 Panel with Dual Nav/Coms
With this news, we are prepared to begin accepting orders for the Discovery XL-2. The first deliveries are scheduled to begin this May. Orders will be accepted and delivery slots assigned from the date the deposit is received.
In addition to this exciting news, we would like to also offer two of our heritage XL-2 demonstrator aircraft to the market place. Each aircraft will be available within thirty (30) days from receipt of order with current annual inspections and factory new warranties. They are available with their current avionics package or an upgrade to the new Garmin EFIS system.
Sales inquiries can be made via email at sales@discavia.com.
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Thomas Edison State College Seeking Course Developers/Mentors for Aviation Management Degree
Thomas Edison State College is seeking course developers/mentors (online instructors) for our Aviation Management degree. Mentors at Thomas Edison State College are not full or part-time employees, but are independent contractors. Thomas Edison State College mentors are expected to meet the challenges of the pedagogies of adult and distance education and understand how to foster student learning at a distance.
Minimum Qualifications:
* Masters degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
* At least two years of higher education teaching experience is a requirement for consideration.
* At least two years of experience in the use of Web-based educational tools.
Experience in Moodle is preferred. We do not train mentors for online course mentoring.
We are currently seeking mentors in the discipline of Aviation to facilitate our Aviation Management area of study coursework. Courses include; Aviation Safety, Airline Management, Airport Management
Airline Finance and Economics, Aviation Law, Airline Marketing and Customer Service, International Operations, Crew Resource Management. Candidates selected would develop the course and then once completed be the mentor for the course going forward.
Please email a cover letter along with a current C.V. to the Office of Mentor Services at
mentors@tesc.edu. Please reference the specific content area in the subject line in your email.
Approved mentors will need to obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Candidates must be legal U.S. residents
Application Information
Contact: Human Resources
Thomas Edison State College
Email Address:
mentors@tesc.edu
Thomas Edison State College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.
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Phoenix Aviation Managers Inc.
Becomes Old Republic Aerospace, Inc.
Working to develop more options for customers in the aviation industry, Phoenix Aviation Managers, Inc. provided notification this week that they would be changing their name effective May 1, 2015 to Old Republic Aerospace, Inc. Phoenix Aviation Managers, Inc. has been a subsidiary of Old Republic International Corporation (ORI), a chicago-based Old Republic International Corporation is an insurance holding company whose subsidiaries market, underwrite and provide risk management services for a wide variety of coverages, principally in the property and liability and title insurance fields. One of the nation's 50 largest publicly owned insurance organizations, Old Republic has consolidated assets of approximately $17.0 billion.
The company stated that the purpose of the change is to better reflect their expanded capabilities to the global aviation marketplace while also aligning the company's brand identity with that of the parent company.
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FLIGHT TRAINING REGULATIONS
FAA Announces Small UAS NPRM
The FAA recently released its Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (
NPRM) after a Sunday afternoon Telcon with press and industry partners. Speaking with telcon participants, Transportation Secretary Foxx and FAA Administrator Huerta focused on the importance of ensuring the safe integration of both hobby and commercial UAS activities in the national airspace system.
For the flight training industry, this is an important effort to track because a key part of the proposal was the proposal of a pilot certificate for any commercial operation of UAS systems. While the details of this certificate are yet to be developed, it is likely that it will include a knowledge test that many providers of FAA knowledge test would be able to administer in traditional mechanisms.
To learn more about the proposal, visit
https://www.faa.gov/uas/nprm/ to review the content of the proposal or to provide feedback on the proposal to the FAA.
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FLIGHT SCHOOL BUSINESS
North Coast Flight School Seeking CFI-I in Erie, PA
A good CFI-I is needed for an active flight school in Erie, PA. If you or anyone you know is interested in pursuing an opportunity to work at this active FSANA member school, contact Greg at
gshncfs@yahoo.com or call at 814-434-0875.
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Flight School For Sale in Texas
Interested in expanding your flight school or taking on a new location? How about buying a flight school for the first time? A flight training operation in Texas may be the opportunity for which you are looking. The operation is a successful flight training business with two Piper Cherokee 180's, a Cherokee 140, a Cessna 172N, and Piper Arrow. The operation also has a Redbird FMX and a XWIND simulators. Additional leased aircraft at the operation include a Cirrus SR20 and an A36 Bonanza. The school operates both FAR Part 61 and 141 ready training, is SEVP approved, has VA approval, and operates a CATS testing center with a current and active base of customers. Interested in finding out more? Interested parties should Contact Jim Baloun at CPAaviation.com, via email at jim@CPAaviation.com or via phone at 847-812-0661.
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Becoming a FSANA "Partner"
FSANA is a growing association that represents the interests of flight training providers. The membership is a group of motivated and successful business operations that provide flight training across the country. If your company or a company you know would be interested in joining the team of support that FSANA is building for its efforts, it is time to become a "Partner."
Core platforms of FSANA include:
- Helping flight training businesses operate successfully and profitably;
- Increasing the pilot population;
- Working with other aviation and aerospace industry associations and companies to promote quality flight training pipeline development;
- Providing programs and services that will assist FSANA members to better serve their customers and local communities;
- Promoting best practices in the flight training community;
- Reducing the general aviation incident and accident rates;
- Engaging both youth and adults to explore aviation and aerospace.
Becoming a FSANA "Partner" offers year round brand exposure for your organization in both print and electronic platforms in multiple channels.
To learn how to become a FSANA "Partner" please contact
Debbie Sparks, Director of Business Development at
dsparks@fsana.com or 561-767-6826.
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We want feedback from the readers of this newsletter! Tell us what is important to you
as a school owner, manager or chief flight instructor. We will share comments received
in an upcoming edition of
Flight Schools News eMonthly
.
Send your thoughts to info@fsana.com.
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Inviting the Best
Aircraft Operators
in the Business to
Join Our Network.
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2016 FSANA International Flight School Operators Conference
More information to be announced.
Flight Training
Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
More information to be announced.
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Click on images to download sample Aero program brochures
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