Take The FREE Online Courses... Learn Something... AND Get $10 Off Flight Time!

Here's an idea that we hope catches on... and fast! The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association tells ANN that one FBO and flight school in Sheboygan Falls, WI is offering $10 off an hour of flying time whenever a pilot completes an AOPA Air Safety Foundation online course.

"It's the most successful promotion we've ever done," said Chief Pilot Fred Vogt of Western Shore Aviation. "It gives our customers an incentive to stay current, while lowering their rental cost. It's a win-win deal if I've ever seen one."

Vogt estimates that 80 percent of Western Shore's aircraft rental customers have already taken advantage of the flight time discount at least once. Western Shore offers the $10 discount on the next hour of aircraft rental whenever pilots present the course graduation certificate -- which are printed put after the successful completion of the free, full length ASF courses -- at the aircraft rental counter.

"The ASF courses are great, and the discounts add up," said student pilot Elizabeth Amweg, 17, who took the ASF "Runway Safety" course for a $10 discount. "I hope to have my private license by the end of the summer."

Western Shore Aviation general manager Tim Wasmer conceived the 'discount for improving safety' idea two years ago, not long after ASF began expanding the number of online courses. There are currently an even dozen free ASF full-length courses on safety topics as diverse as weather, GPS, mountain flying, and airspace (quick math... that's equivalent to $120 off... pretty close to a full hour of flight time, with instructor!)

All ASF full-length online courses also satisfy the FAA Wings ground instruction requirement.

"It's made the pilots who are already our customers safer," continued Vogt. "It's also an effective way of communicating to other pilots and even non-pilots that this FBO is on the leading edge, that we're truly interested in making you a better, safer pilot."

FMI: www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/, www.westernshoreaviation.com/