Sat, Jun 05, 2010
Hefty Fees And Annual Renewals Would Come With The
Legislation
The California Legislature
reauthorized a state Post-Secondary Bureau last year that monitors
the quality of post-secondary institutions and protects students
from losing pre-paid tuition to a school that closes down. Flight
training facilities had been exempted, but as part of the
re-authorization of the Bureau (Assembly Bill 48; AB48), the
exemption was tentatively removed.
With the exemption lifted, all flight training facilities, from
full-fledged Part 141 flight schools to independent instructors,
must be certified and operate as though they are a post-secondary
institution such as a college or technical school. The National Air
Transportation Association (NATA) contends that AB48 was designed
to regulate private colleges and technical schools, not the
disparate world of flight instruction which varies widely and whose
curriculum is already regulated by the FAA.
The NATA says that the rules would affect independent and small
flight schools as the cost and infrastructure requirements are
quite involved. It would likely force instructors to either leave
the profession or try to join a large flight school to avoid the
start-up and maintenance costs, and administrative hassles. Small
FBOs that offer instruction would also face a hard decision about
whether to continue to offer instruction.
If an independent instructor were to want to continue
instructing under the new rules they would be subject to additional
qualifications for flight instructors before they could teach in
California even though they are certified by the FAA. In addition,
all instructors would be subject to academic reviews that are
designed for colleges and universities.
Along with the annual academic reviews, periodic fees would be
assessed on each flight instructor including $2.50 per $1000 which
would go toward a state fund that would pay claims to students
whose CFI "disappears" with their money. Each instructor would be
charged an initial application fee of $5,000 and a $3,500 renewal
fee every three years. If the instructor has a second location an
additional fee of $1,000 would be assessed. Finally, they would be
required to pay an operation fee of three-quarters of a percent of
the CFI's income (not to exceed $2,5000 annually).
Public comment on this change closes June 7.
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