From what I'm hearing, though - your airport seems to be the exception. Most of my CFI friends say their businesses are dead, save for a few foreign students. .
Hi Guys,
Just another data point...the place I went to go do a checkout in a 172...yea, that's right, everyone's beloved four-banger...was a hassle.
They had such an inane list of rules/dos/don'ts I don't know where to start (can't go across state lines ?!?). The management was toolish, the prices high, the CFIs rude, and scheduling anything other than a dual flight seemed to be fraught with difficulty (which is, um, the point of getting checked out in a rental bird).
Word:
1) I don't need a 5 hour checkout in a 172.
2) I don't need ANOTHER 5 hour checkout in a 152/PA28/whatever AFTER the 172
3) I don't need to do a 2 hour "refresher" period with a CFI every 90 days irregardless of the amount I've flown.
If you don't want to rent aircraft, fine, then don't. But don't advertise that you do, and make it insanely difficult to do so AFTER you've got my $$ for a checkout.
I swear, some places bring it on themselves. Not just this one place, but I've seen a lot of places lately (cough-Apple Store-cough) where you practically have to WAVE a fist full of dollars and beg them to take your money.
Weird....
Richman