A made a post a week or so ago about an up and coming flight school operation in Lakeland that will take the place of the one that went out of business a couple months ago. Needless to say, I was excited about another opportunity to stay in the air and keep teaching. Even though I make some lunch money through the effort, I am so very glad that I am not reliant on aviation for my livelihood right now.
About nine days ago, a lease was arranged on a Cherokee 140 through an arrangement with a couple guys that work out at the airport. The agreement at the airport stipulates that there must be a flight school on the field. The phrase “flight school” involves certain criteria: study space, airplanes, testing facility, weather center, etc. The lease was supposedly to be affiliated with the local FBO. As to additional details, I am in the dark.
The airplane arrived and I flew two flights in it with two different students. Since then, the FBO (managed by one of the guys involved with the lease), relocated to another part of the airport and many of the staff, including this manager were let go in an attempt to tighten the belt during these difficult times. My understanding was that the airplane lease operation would continue under the tutelage of the other guy who was involved, but it has become apparent that this guy didn’t have much of a hold on the situation in his individual capacity as it was largely managed by the guy who was let go during the FBO “cleaning”. As such, there arose some scheduling conflicts because there was no administration to this operation anymore, etc.
Last night, (nine days after we just got this airplane) I went out to the airport to fly with a student, to discover the news that the airplane had been sold over the weekend. THEY JUST ARRANGED A LEASE ON THIS THING A WEEK AGO!! I thought leases typically entail a lease term! The guy that I am still talking to about this situation had no idea and this represented the second time that some logistic has prevented me from flying with this same student. The entire operation looks like a circus right now.
I am taking the student over to the Winter Haven flight school to train. I am an adjunct instructor over there, so will utilize their infrastructure until the ducks are in a row over in Lakeland and then it will be up to the student as to whether to go back to Lakeland or stay in Winter Haven.
Right now, it seems that to secure anything at all – never mind even contemplating the idea of generating a livable wage – in the aviation field is just chasing rainbows. As soon as I think I am there and have grasped something, it vanishes.
Supposedly, there is some flying on the horizon for me in a non-instructor capacity through someone I’ve been working with at the airport. I am not sure the details right now, but am all ears.
However, I thank my lucky stars everyday that this is a hobby and not my bread and butter.