I have a Part 141 certificate hanging on the wall that cost me nothing. I have always written and updated my own manuals so nothing new there.
Plenty of work coming in, much more than in recent years.
I know people here only like to hear the doom and gloom but at the moment things are on the up and up.
I'm speaking from 25 years experience of running a GA business but expect a select few people on here who have never run a flying training organisation in their lives will tell me I don't know what I'm talking about!
As I have said ad nauseam, it is things like privatised airports, competition from RA-Aus, interference from amateur special interest groups and Fee Help rorts that have caused a lot more damage.
I've also worked in other industries where the regulatory and accreditation authorities are far more onerous than CASA, you just have to deal with it.
If your friend has quit instructing that is a shame but 142 was always going to be hard to get. One of the local airline cadet schools is operating perfectly well on a 141 certificate.
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