As we head into our 10th year of business, we're excited about where our new direction is going to take us. We're also aware of the immediate obstacles we need to clear to get there.

Budgeting in the flight training industry is tricky. On average, it's easy to predict how things will go. I can tell you to the penny what it will cost to operate a flight school full of DA40s over the course of 5 years, however, it's anyone's guess what it'll cost over the next 5 days. It's the short-term that is difficult to predict, and that's the position we find ourselves in. Shorter flying days, unpredictable winter weather, and near-term uncertainty make this a challenging time for a big change, but we're pilots. We embrace challenges. We look for ways to get the job done, rather than all the reasons we can't. It's "a chance to excel in the face of adversity", as a friend of mine often tells me.

So, what do we need? As the flight school operation is the primary driver and funding source of charitable programs, our most critical objective at this point is to fill our operational reserves to guarantee stability as we transition to the nonprofit model. The goal is to accumulate $50,000 as soon as possible and have a total of $150,000 in reserve by the end of 2025. This cash reserve will ensure we can make payroll, pay our bills, and pay the leases on our fleet of aircraft while weathering the short-term fluctuations that come with the flight training business. Once our cashflow stabilizes, we'll be in a position to direct our funding to the more specialized charitable programs.

Immediate Ways You Can Help:
Cash donations go a very long way and may be tax deductible. Online donations carry the fees credit card processors charge, so please consider a check for larger amounts.

Buying discovery flights or gift certificates for your friends and family or putting money on account for your upcoming lessons. These things help build cash reserves quickly.

Flight training with us. Our customers have always been the reason we're here. Now, just by continuing to do what you've always done, the money you spend with us goes directly to funding charitable programs.