Open a flight school/rental in California

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flyfede

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flyfede
Good morning to everybody…i’m the CFI and Training Manager of an Italian ATO planning to open a secondary base in California for FAA PPL and TB for US and European/Worlwide Students. We’ve found out a great airport with NO SCHOOLS but hangars, maintenance and FBO available in Central Valley of California.
We plan to start with 2 C152 and 1/2 C172 and assist US and Non-US students with apartment and good connection with EASA ATPL and TYPE RATING course here in Europe.If anybody is interested to cooperate in this project or just some suggestion…
Regards
Federico
 
warthog1984 said:
Which airport? Can't think of any in the Central Valley that would fit that profile.
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I'm sure there are loads of them. There are a lot of airports up and down the valley. The San Joaquin valley is a great choice to set up a flight academy. Low costs, 300+ days of sunshine, reliable IMC not far away, mountains, complex airspace nearby, wind and turbulence, lots of airports and VORs, about the only thing lacking for experience is significant weather. In California we just don't get the gnarly weather the rest of the country gets and so I feel that is the one weakness California trained pilots have, is serious weather flying.
 
Dav8or said:
I'm sure there are loads of them. There are a lot of airports up and down the valley. The San Joaquin valley is a great choice to set up a flight academy. Low costs, 300+ days of sunshine, reliable IMC not far away, mountains, complex airspace nearby, wind and turbulence, lots of airports and VORs, about the only thing lacking for experience is significant weather. In California we just don't get the gnarly weather the rest of the country gets and so I feel that is the one weakness California trained pilots have, is serious weather flying.
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Dude, like, totally, bad weather, screw that! I'm like totally staying home!

(But we DO have mountain flying remember....)
 
Make sure you have complied with your airport's Minimum Standards for Operation before you sink too much money into it.

Best of luck with your new business.
 
Dav8or said:
I'm sure there are loads of them. There are a lot of airports up and down the valley. The San Joaquin valley is a great choice to set up a flight academy. Low costs, 300+ days of sunshine, reliable IMC not far away, mountains, complex airspace nearby, wind and turbulence, lots of airports and VORs, about the only thing lacking for experience is significant weather. In California we just don't get the gnarly weather the rest of the country gets and so I feel that is the one weakness California trained pilots have, is serious weather flying.
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Besides, imagine the draw of having a flight school at Harris Ranch.

You could train instrument students by smell. Line up on the stink with a heading of 140. Kinda like an NDB approach.

No 152s, though. You can't squeeze 300 lb instructors and students in there.
 
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MAKG1 said:
Besides, imagine the draw of having a flight school at Harris Ranch.

You could train instrument students by smell. Line up on the stink with a heading of 140. Kinda like an NDB approach.
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The stockyards just east of Greeley (KGXY) are a reporting point. As we tell new students going up there for their first Saturday morning breakfast, "you'll know you're close when you smell it".
 
Sounds like an operation that was in Bakersfield years ago. May still be there. Training Japanese pilots.

I would not use C-152s. At best I would recommend C-172 SP.

You will also need complex and high performance aircraft. If you stay with the Cessna line, then it's an older model C-182RG.
 
BillTIZ said:
Sounds like an operation that was in Bakersfield years ago. May still be there. Training Japanese pilots.

I would not use C-152s. At best I would recommend C-172 SP.

You will also need complex and high performance aircraft. If you stay with the Cessna line, then it's an older model C-182RG.
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I don't know why most schools always go Cessna. Why not, Tomahawk, Warrior, Arrow, Seminole? Seems like the way to go to me.
 
flyfede said:
Good morning to everybody…i’m the CFI and Training Manager of an Italian ATO planning to open a secondary base in California for FAA PPL and TB for US and European/Worlwide Students. We’ve found out a great airport with NO SCHOOLS but hangars, maintenance and FBO available in Central Valley of California.
We plan to start with 2 C152 and 1/2 C172 and assist US and Non-US students with apartment and good connection with EASA ATPL and TYPE RATING course here in Europe.If anybody is interested to cooperate in this project or just some suggestion…
Regards
Federico
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Sounds like total BS. Doesn't indicated the base, first post, big plans, no details.....BS. :nono:
 
Welcome to Pilots of America, Federico. It sounds like a very interesting project and I wish you the best of luck. You may find PoA to be a useful resource for general information, and possibly to help in locating prospective instructors.

Keep us "in the loop," as your venture develops.
 
flyfede said:
We plan to start with 2 C152 and 1/2 C172 and assist US and Non-US students with apartment and good connection with EASA ATPL and TYPE RATING course here in Europe.If anybody is interested to cooperate in this project or just some suggestion…
Regards
Federico
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What're you gonna do with the other half of that -172? :eek:
 
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