SAN JOSE, CA -- If future aviators could effortlessly find an instructor whose personality and style matched their own the first time they looked, aviation would be a bigger community today. Many primary students get the wrong impression of aviation because of their limited initial exposure to it. If they have a personality clash with their initial instructor or their learning style differs from that instructor's teaching style, the results are not always positive. Most instructors do a wonderful job adapting to the needs and personalities of their students, but everyone has their limits. In fact some aspects may not be possible to overcome, for example cultural differences or linguistic limitations are key. We all know that one must be able to use the English language in order to qualify for a U.S. Pilot certificate. The learning process may however be more comfortable for some students if the more complex areas of aerodynamics and theory of flight are initially explained in their native language. Thus, allowing them to formulate that understanding into their own English version may be more effective at times.

Most students entering the world of aviation find little guidance as to where to start. Usually the phone book, Internet, or word-of-mouth are the most common methods. Unfortunately these methods are often not the most effective at pairing that individual with an instructor or an environment that best fits their needs. Usually these result in matches that are school, FBO, or "discount cost" based, rarely are they based on the instructor. We must keep in mind that a student's primary aviation relationship is with their instructor and not the facility. If that instructor relationship is not a positive experience for the student, no discount in the world will save their impression of aviation.

While at San Jose Airport last spring I noticed that there were no generic aviation promotions in place for reaching out to the general public in a way that was not affiliated with any particular school or FBO." said Tom Hornak. He is the founder of The Flight Instructor Referral Service, a nonprofit organization intended to promote general aviation in the local community." A great number of potential students only need a very small amount of encouragement to enter the realm of aviation. For some, it may be as subtle as a small advertisement they see, for others it may be a radio spot they hear on "their" radio station. They need to be shown that aviation is not something "out of reach" but in fact is something they already have access to. Hearing about it on "their" radio station, or seeing an ad in "their" company cafeteria, "their" grocery store, or perhaps a Web banner on "their" computer screen really brings it home for them. It decreases the perceived inaccessibility to aviation and brings many new faces to the world of flight," added Hornak.

In the spirit of typical Silicon Valley corporate acquisitions, Hornak was looking for another marketing director position at a high tech company when his idea evolved. Combining his love of aviation and drive for marketing inspired the birth of a public service. -- The Flight Instructor Referral Service as hosted by The Southern Bay Area Flight Instructors Association. The Referral Service provides public services to pilots, student pilots and potential student pilots. According to Hornak, as his "hobby project" grew in scope it became clear that many potential students were held back from entering aviation due to a general lack of knowledge of where and how to get started. Many students start with the phone book only to be inundated with "sometimes disappointing yellow and black promises." Some of the more bold personalities actually venture out to an airport, only to get intimidated with all the surroundings. Then and only then, if they do find an opportunity to start learning, they do not always find happiness within the environment. Some of the disappointment can at times be attributed to a student/instructor personality mismatch, certainly not due to either party's fault, but just human characteristics. Some might be a mismatch of styles or goals. After all, not all students learn alike, some are more theoretical while others are very oriented toward the practical aspects of aviation. Instructors can only adapt so much for a student before it becomes unpleasant or too difficult for the instructor. If the initial meeting and/or relationship between the student and instructor is not a close match in these areas, as well as others, the student will not have as positive of an experience as we would hope. One of the main problems here is that if this initial relationship is the student's first exposure to aviation and is not pleasant it may turn that potential new aviator off to aviation forever. They may not investigate other instructors or schools.

The majority of these potential students would have had a very successful start if they just had some friendly guidance in the beginning. This guidance should be oriented with the benefit of the student in mind and not any particular instructor or flight school, truly a neutral and unbiased resource. Through a series of promotional marketing activities Referral Service tries to reach out to potential students and provide them an easy access to aviation and learning to become a pilot. One of the objectives of The Southern Bay Area Flight Instructors Association through the Referral Service is to provide that initial friendly interface and guidance. "For many students, choosing the right flight instructor can be the most critical aspect of learning to fly. Instructional styles and personalities can vary as do students' personalities and learning habits. Through a timely and effective evaluation processes of the student's individual needs, desires and goals, The Referral Service will guide the student to their ideal instructor for their preferred flight instruction curriculum." Said Dean White, CFI and member of The Southern Bay Area Flight Instructors Association.

As members of the Association, instructors greatly benefit from the services provided to students as well. Each member flight instructor is matched with all the incoming student inquiries. The three closest matching members to an inquiry have their phone number and some background information given to the potential student. The student is then able to contact each of the members for the purpose of discussing the details of a professional relationship. If the instructor works for a flight school or FBO they are bringing in new business. If the instructor is a freelance instructor, they receive a much broader exposure to expand their client base.

As an incentive for these future aviators to try aviation for the first time, The Association offers refundable demo flights. Most member instructors normally charge $35 for a brief introductory flight, The Association will refund that money back to the student when they pass their check ride if they completed their training with an Association member instructor. This enables instructors, schools, and FBOs to reach many more students through the power of creative advertising. Instructors receive no risk, no cost referrals. They are able to tell a student that their demo ride costs will be refunded by The Southern Bay Area Flight Instructors Association when they complete their training. There are no membership dues or sign up fees. The Association is funded purely by donations. When a member instructor receives a referral from The Referral Service that becomes a professional relationship and is then maintained until the student's certification is complete. Upon certification completion the member instructor is requested to donate a small amount back to The Association. If, however, the member is not satisfied with the referral received or if the student does not complete their training, no donation is requested. It is up to the donating member to honestly donate the accurate amount, it works on the honor system. These donations are then used for the demo flight rebates and any direct advertising design costs.

The Association receives generous donations of copy space, page space, and airtime from various resources, such as In Flight USA, for the public service promotion of The Referral Service. Currently, volunteers are designing a web site for The Referral Service in the hopes of expansion and reaching more potential aviation enthusiasts. The entire organization is run by volunteers who generously donate some of their spare time whenever available. "I think it is great to see such dedicated aviation enthusiasts donating their time and resources to better serve the aviation community and helping it grow in a responsible fashion," said Lori Latimer, Designated Pilot Examiner, MEI and member of The Southern Bay Area Flight Instructors Association. Each member instructor fills out a detailed questionnaire outlining their qualifications, experience, personality, student preferences and other criteria. Potential students are interviewed about their attributes and objectives, this data is then matched with the pool of data about the instructors. "As an active flight instructor and flight school manager, I have witnessed very positive results from the Instructor Referral Service," said Julie Mason MEI, manager of a San Jose based flying club and Association member.

The Association is currently trying to expand the scope and depth of the advertising of The Referral Service to a broader audience in hopes of bringing more people into aviation that normally would not know how to begin. Advertising materials are available for publication in print, radio, and electronic media. If you have connections with any form of public media or corporate media, The Referral Service would benefit from your assistance. If you would like to help, or, if you are an experienced flight instructor, flight school, or FBO and would like to join The Southern Bay Area Flight Instructors Association, please contact: Tom Hornak at (408) 227-2984 or E-Mail learn_to_fly@pacbell.net. If you are thinking of getting started in aviation, please contact: The Flight Instructor Referral Service at (408) 227-2984.