At Strathaven - on microlights - we don't take up front payments except from Gift Vouchers and from people buying out initial five hour package (saves them about 50 quid).
Equally, we don't deal with the big gift agencies.
Why?
Well, I think we are the only flying school to have stopped trading at Cumbernauld (our local licenced airfield) without going bust (we moved because we bought Strathaven).
And look what happened to Red Letter Days (or earlier this month, Days To Amaze).
So we don't like people owing us huge amounts, and we don't like owing people huge amounts.
Flying schools are pretty cash positive enough anyway, since we pay for fuel a month in arrears - thanks to wonderful credit cards - and only pay for what we use! And we have all that gift voucher money from Xmas!
Very best,
XA
ps. The above is not meant to mean that any of the flying schools - light aircraft or helicopter - at Cumbernauld are in danger of going down the tubes.
Nor is it meant to mean that any of the gift voucher companies are in danger of going down the tubes.
As the government forces financial people to say: past performance is no guide to future performance.