So how is trade during the downturn?Busy?

[pipertommy]

Hi,
Just wondered how the turn over on PPL instructing is doing during these though times? Has there been a reduction in students? Or trial lessons?
Or is it business as usual!

Thanks for any input:)
PT

[Deano777]

Well I'm instructing 1 day a week and we've seen an upturn in new PPLs who have signed up, this is all with a fuel surcharge as well. Trial lessons are about the same level, so in effect we haven't seen any change as yet, infact it's slightly better.

D777

[pipertommy]

Music to my ears Deano!! Need to get flying again finished the commercial training few months back, now for the FI me thinks:ok:
Happy flying:)

[pipertommy]

No other opinions?

[duveldrinker]

over the past year I only saw the groups getting bigger. Each class now consists of at least 20 students (not PPL but fATPL courses).

[TurboJ]

I'm only a part time FI, but to be honest I've never been busier !!

Downturn ? What downturn ??

TJ

[greggx101]

Maybe its a little early - wait untill potential students realize they cant remortgage there house again to pay off there borrowings for there training and things might change.

I hope not.

[kneedwondean]

Certainly the heli PPL side and Trial lessons has slowed down. This is my full time job and this weekend I have one 1/2hr trial lesson.....:eek:

[pipertommy]

Thanks for the repsonses:ok:

[READY MESSAGE]

Our school seems as busy as ever, only the :mad: british weather getting in the weather!

[pipertommy]

I know bloody Weather:ugh:

[Duchess_Driver]

...busy here too, TOO!

[360 degree mason]

6 weeks plus waiting list for lessons at my school.
:\

[The Wicker Man]

I think our clubs just had the busiest week I can remember for some time:)

[ZeBedie]

I was instructing when the 80's recession took hold. Boy did it go quiet then.

[TheOddOne]

...busy here too, TOO!

Thanks, Duchess. I know, Chris said...

Did 3 full details today, with a late start, plus a solo.

TheOddOne

[Duchess_Driver]

TOO.....lightweight!

Didn't stop today. Flew three full exercises, one T/L, two pre-solo checks out to P. Ris and sent a seventh off QXC as I'd flown with him on Friday.

Only time for one cuppa today.

[flybymike]

You guys should try working in the property and construction sector. The turnover of my 38 year old business is down 60% :eek: in the last six months :rolleyes:

[pipertommy]

Thanks for all the replys:ok:

[soay]

In case the downturn does come, here are some tips that may help some of you with your CVs: ;)

The plural of reply is replies.
Their belongings are over there.
turn over is what you might do in bed.
turnover is the amount of business transacted during a given period of time.
though times should be tough times.
infact should be in fact.
untill should be until.

Thankfully, nobody used of as a verb, as in: you should of seen the bad spelling in this forum!

Given that it may be one of you guys who eventually has to sign me off for my competence in English, the anonymity of PPRuNe has a lot to recommend it. :ok:

[flybymike]

Ittiz fort ov as gud manors not to menshun peeples spellin and grammer on the forrum.

[pipertommy]

Thanks for the spelling corrections soay:rolleyes:

[ERIK C]

Flybymike,
you're not making fun of the Germans, are you? :}
Here in Southern Spain lots of instructing. ISA+20 and more...:cool:

[pipertommy]

Hot hot hot!!

[flybymike]

Erik C. The Eastenders maybe, but nevver Ze Germans

[pipertommy]

Hows things looking on the turn over of students ? Any change on demand?

[2close]

My last FI position (recently finished to move to a new one next week) has recently seen a major drop in mid-week bookings but weekends are as mental as ever.

soay, you are my hero (in the loosest possible interpretation of the word!). Using 'of' instead of 'have' seems to be the norm these days - but then again, languages are very dynamic.

[Applecore]

want bad grammer - try here

YouTube - Bad Grammar - The Way I Are Parody ft. HotforWords (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj6QqCH7g0Q)

[EGBKFLYER]

Good link!:ok:

[will fly for food 06]

Im fully booked about a month in advance. Its amazing how many new people are coming in and signing up to do a PPL. What I have also found interesting is the surge this summer of PPL holders at our club getting trained on complex,tail wheel etc:ok:
If only the weather wasnt so bad:ugh:

[Deano777]

Demand? we've gone through the roof recently, almost from a few slots a day to fully booked, it is rather bizarre.

[pipertommy]

It is strange? I only ask as i`m starting a FI course this month and wondered what the trend at other schools are.
Must still be people out there with a healthy bank account.
Thanks again for taking the time to post:ok:

[smith]

Yes, the use of "of" instead of "have" or "off", "to" instead of "too" and "there" instead of "their" really gets on my ( . )( . )'s on psrune (professional spellers rumour network).

The one that really gets me and I notice it all the time on here is "proberbly" instead of "probably".

[Fireboy]

I'm part time and last week I worked Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun, I didn't stop!! Busy busy busy.

Smith: Who cares about the spelling, it's only a forum.

[Duchess_Driver]

I did 70 hours PPL and 10 IMC last month.

IIRC it's about the same as last year (and I had a couple of days off).


Fireboy....'tis all about standards. However, I fear that the journey has already begun down the slippery slope!

[Fireboy]

You're missing the point, this is a forum not an English lesson.

I just laugh at the people who insist on correcting other peoples spelling mistakes. We all make mistakes in life and spelling mistakes on forums are at the bottom of my list of priorities !

My advice is get a life and post something constructive.

Sorry for going off track but it needed to be said.

[Duchess_Driver]

Oh, okay....It's a fourhm, is it. If spellinge dusent matta peepul struggel to undastand wots beying sed.

If have this argument with my daughter over text speak all the time.

Let's take your argument a little further shall we. It's okay to fly the aeroplane overweight - because it's just a few lbs. It's okay to fly the ILS a dot or so low? .....or land a few knots slow?

What is the point in having 'standards and rules' if no-one upholds them? Where does this "it's only a" stop?

Now, I wasn't the one who started the spelling correction - but I do agree with it wholeheartedly. As for my life.....pretty fulfilled upto now, don't think I need to get another one just yet.

[Parson]

Drifting off topic, but well said DD. Poor spelling and grammar doesn't improve the image of the professional pilot, either.

You can argue that it doesn't matter a lot on here, but what happens when it comes to preparing CVs and covering letters?

[VFE]

Ain't seen no downturn yet.... maybe people are cutting back on borrowing, petrol guzzling carz and the odd weekend away instead of their flying lessons? I reckon trial flying lessuns will be the last to go if this recesshun really takes hold as predicted.

In the meantime I wish the weather would behave a bit more but maybe in a roundabouit way its keepin the students hooked - if it woz sunny every time they had a lessun booked theyd be runnin out of cash innit.

VFE. [sic!]

[bnn242/12]

So, are you (rostbif) spelling police going to explain in perfect French or German to the Jonnie foreigners who post here?

Thought not:ok:.

[Parson]

From my experience of recruiting and training graduates in the engineering sector, those who have learned English as a second language (EU and non-EU) have much better grammar and better spelling than our current crop of UK graduates from our colleges of further education, sorry Universities.

[eikido]

Damn, if schools seem to pump out so many pilots, what could the ratio pilot to job be? 50:1 ? That means only 1 out of 50 students gets a job.
Or am i too much of a pessimist?

Eikido

[Mr T E Deum]

Maybe EGBKFLYER can confirm the rumour that Brooklands Flying Club, Sywell is ceasing flight training other than on Saturday/Sunday, resulting in at least one rudundancy for the General Manager/CFI.
Wasn't the hard runway supposed to offer dependable year round operation for the flying club et al?:*

[rossi1]

Your from kettering,next door to sywell you tell us.

[kevmusic]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread. I'm a piano teacher (and a stude PPL) and I've been teaching for twenty years in north Kent. As of this Autumn term business has been terrible :(. Our student numbers are down some 30-40% on last year, and we're really having to tighten our belts.

How're things with the FTOs?

[Mintflavour]

As a part time FI I would say my instruction hours are down by 25-30% against good times 2 years ago. Still a some new students coming in.

This is not at a comercial school just a regular small PPL school.

mint

[DA-10mm]

80+ hours per month for me (closer to 100)
actually have to watch my "8 hours per 24-hour period" on a daily basis
sometimes there's not enough hours in a day...

[XX621]

Despite the above, some flying schools/clubs seem to have a never ending supply of new students dripping in cash. To the extent of, in my experience, one school refusing to take slot bookings from one student as he had recently cancelled a couple of trips at short notice (but had given notice I hasten to add). Perhaps the closer to London the easier it gets.....and thus you can afford to cherry pick your customers...

[Binks]

An interesting thread.
Perhaps some of you guys who posted this time last year could comment now on how things are.
Personally I have found that whilst PPL students still seem to be in abundant supply, Trial lessons per se and PPL hire are both generally down.

I'm sure that there are demographic factors and certainly London based clubs may benefit slightly, but it is certainly of interest to get a national picture.

[Nubboy]

Just renewed my SEP at a school in the midlands who said that things were picking up. Tried to get a checkout at a school on the south coast and no slots available for 2 weeks. Things looking up?

[Say again s l o w l y]

Despite the above, some flying schools/clubs seem to have a never ending supply of new students dripping in cash. To the extent of, in my experience, one school refusing to take slot bookings from one student as he had recently cancelled a couple of trips at short notice (but had given notice I hasten to add). Perhaps the closer to London the easier it gets.....and thus you can afford to cherry pick your customers...

A very sensible decision. It's not about "cherry picking" it's about protecting your business. Someone who constantly cancels at last minute isn't worth keeping about. You lose a slot, the FI loses pay and the other students lose availability.

My policy has always been, if it's less than 24hrs notice or a dire emergency, then frankly the student should pay a fine. Try cancelling at a hairdressers at the last minute and see if they charge you...Why should a flying school be any different.

[flybymike]

Last minute cancellations can be a difficult area, especially where solo bookings are cancelled because the renter has quite fairly taken the view that the weather is below his personal minima but the club on the other hand may feel it is perfectly acceptable, and then gets shirty about what is essentially a personal safety related decision. Haze on an otherwise beautiful summers day is a classic case of varying viewpoints (no pun intended). Pilots personal weather minima vary dependent on experience and natural apprehension. One mans crap weather is someone else's non event.

[Say again s l o w l y]

That should never be an issue. If the weather isn't good enough, then that's it. That's the pilots perogative and any club or school that kicks up a fuss about that is a poor one.

My problem is with serial last minute cancellers. Stuff happens and the odd time is rarely a problem, but when a pattern starts forming or people start ringing up and just canning the slot because they got drunk the night before, then that is unacceptable.

As per usual, there has to be a bit of give and take, but some people really do take the pi**.

[flybymike]

Couldn't agree more SAS, but feeling under pressure to honour a booking when you are a new and apprehensive PPL just because the CFI is glaring at you ( as happened to me a few times when I first qualified) is upsetting to say the least.