CRM For freelance, Full And Part Time Flight Instructors

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haydenmisiura

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 20, 2025
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Hayden M
Im doing a little bit of market research for a Flight Instructor CRM that is made for freelance instructors and not flight Schools. And I would like some input on this. I also have a list of features I would like to implement. Easy Enrollments Individual Student Data Maintenance Payments Fuel Used Flight Hours Student Endorsements Instructor Data Custom Cirriculums Ect...

if you would implement any other features tell me. but I would like to see if this would be something people would be interested in. but that's all, Thanks!
 
TCABM said:
It appears you’re speaking about client/customer relationship management software.

CRM is aviation speak means something entirely different, so don’t he surprised if you get some strange (to you) responses.
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Yea I forgot that y'all have A LOT of abbreviations. But yea that's what I meant
 
haydenmisiura said:
… I also have a list of features I would like to implement. Easy Enrollments Individual Student Data Maintenance Payments Fuel Used Flight Hours Student Endorsements Instructor Data Custom Cirriculums Ect...
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To be fair, what market research have you done on existing solutions?

By the time *most* CFIs are doing independent work, they are usually in flat rate territory.

For some of the features, electronic logbooks solve those problems already and the giants are firmly entrenched. For others, the plane owner is responsible for.

If I was looking for a niche product, I’d probably want a API or plugin that enables billing/payments between my electronic logbook or scheduling tool (those are mainly focused on airplane scheduling and usually integrate billing/payment already) and the student, otherwise square/venmo(-ish) solves most of the money movement problems with a simplicity that is elegance in and of itself.

I’d maybe start with asking CFIs how they currently bill/collect payment and what pain points exist there.
 
Based on most CFIs I know, if the cost is anything more than about 1/4 cent, you will not find many takers. Most CFIs live ramen to ramen, deep in a hole of debt and poor choices, and care not one whit for the customers they manage, as once they find any turbine-powered opportunity, they will be instantly replaced with a wile-e-coyote-esque cloud of departure.
 
schmookeeg said:
Based on most CFIs I know, if the cost is anything more than about 1/4 cent, you will not find many takers. Most CFIs live ramen to ramen, deep in a hole of debt and poor choices, and care not one whit for the customers they manage, as once they find any turbine-powered opportunity, they will be instantly replaced with a wile-e-coyote-esque cloud of departure.
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And then there are CFIs like me, not doing it for the money, too old for airlines, and with some great friends who were once my students.
 
TCABM said:
To be fair, what market research have you done on existing solutions?

By the time *most* CFIs are doing independent work, they are usually in flat rate territory.

For some of the features, electronic logbooks solve those problems already and the giants are firmly entrenched. For others, the plane owner is responsible for.

If I was looking for a niche product, I’d probably want a API or plugin that enables billing/payments between my electronic logbook or scheduling tool (those are mainly focused on airplane scheduling and usually integrate billing/payment already) and the student, otherwise square/venmo(-ish) solves most of the money movement problems with a simplicity that is elegance in and of itself.

I’d maybe start with asking CFIs how they currently bill/collect payment and what pain points exist there.
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Well, up 'ere in da Yooper we use deze pieces cotton fiber paper wif da imagez famus 'mericans printed on 'em.
 
RyanShort1 said:
You haven’t experienced POA hostile yet.
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Suggestions: (1) nose wheel vs wheel in the place C.G. Taylor put it, (2) low wing vs wing in the correct position so you can walk under it, (3) hand propping vs making excuses, (4) engine driven electrics vs demon free, (5) low and slow vs whatever the heck they do way up there, (6) glass panels vs real gauges, (7) grass vs stuff that destroys tires . . . ;) C'mon . . . I meant it all in fun . . . really . . . I did . . . put the pitchforks away . . ..
 
haydenmisiura said:
Im doing a little bit of market research for a Flight Instructor CRM that is made for freelance instructors and not flight Schools. And I would like some input on this. I also have a list of features I would like to implement. Easy Enrollments Individual Student Data Maintenance Payments Fuel Used Flight Hours Student Endorsements Instructor Data Custom Cirriculums Ect...

if you would implement any other features tell me. but I would like to see if this would be something people would be interested in. but that's all, Thanks!
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You are a bit late to the market. There are already products on the market that do a lot of this.
 
When I become a DPE, I will charge an odd price for each customer. That way, I will know who each candidate is by the invoice amount:

Joe Jetstream: PPA/$678.90
Ivan Hugewon: CPRH/867.53

I'll just have to remember to never charge the same amount twice.
 
TCABM said:
It appears you’re speaking about client/customer relationship management software.

CRM is aviation speak means something entirely different, so don’t he surprised if you get some strange (to you) responses.
Click to expand...
This. I was confused for a minute reading the OP, but then I was like "Ooooooh, he's talking about that other CRM."

Aviation: CRM = Crew Resource Management
Everyone Else: CRM = Customer Relationship Management

haydenmisiura said:
Oh boy, sounds like fun. (Look I used a comma)
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But you skipped one too. :p

haydenmisiura said:
Im doing a little bit of market research for a Flight Instructor CRM that is made for freelance instructors and not flight Schools. And I would like some input on this. I also have a list of features I would like to implement. Easy Enrollments Individual Student Data Maintenance Payments Fuel Used Flight Hours Student Endorsements Instructor Data Custom Cirriculums Ect...

if you would implement any other features tell me. but I would like to see if this would be something people would be interested in. but that's all, Thanks!
Click to expand...
There's a lot of things that could be done. In fact, LMS might be more useful than CRM, but an integration of the two would be nice.

There's a lot of paperwork to be kept track of, so being able to scan and store documents would be nice. In fact, a phone app where you could take pictures of said documents as well as pictures of logbook entries given to the student would be great.

Tracking all of the requirements for the certificate being worked on, if there is a certificate being worked on, would be nice.

A reminder feature would be great. If you give an IPC, for example, have that phone app remind you after 5 months with a push notification, and tap a button to contact the client to schedule the next IPC. Same with BFRs.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
…
There's a lot of things that could be done. In fact, LMS might be more useful than CRM, but an integration of the two would be nice…
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I deal with several learning management systems from a few different enterprise-level vendors in my day job and, frankly, none impress me when it comes to actual functionality. Blackboard and the like for academia don’t either.

On the other hand, a workflow based solution from scheduling to payment and all the things in between could be intriguing and flexible enough to get the job done; the question is how much student throughout is needed to justify the cost.

The other big question is how many different electronic tools does a CFI or school need in it’s toolbox? 61/141/aviation universities all have differing needs there so customization is necessary and customization is kind of the bane of OOTB solutions.
 
schmookeeg said:
Based on most CFIs I know, if the cost is anything more than about 1/4 cent, you will not find many takers. Most CFIs live ramen to ramen, deep in a hole of debt and poor choices, and care not one whit for the customers they manage, as once they find any turbine-powered opportunity, they will be instantly replaced with a wile-e-coyote-esque cloud of departure.
Click to expand...
Just a WAG, but I suspect CFIs who are working for a flight school, being paid little, and subsisting on ramen are not the target market.

OTOH, I can sort of see it for a flight school. Or an independent CFI who provides post-certification flight training, reminding clients their flight reviews are coming due or even just saying a periodic “hello” or a “congratulations” for an accomplishment (which might have been done elsewhere).
 
Why all the ramen hate? When I was cutting weight for wrestling I lived on rice cakes. Those things are terrible!
 
TCABM said:
I deal with several learning management systems from a few different enterprise-level vendors in my day job and, frankly, none impress me when it comes to actual functionality. Blackboard and the like for academia don’t either.

On the other hand, a workflow based solution from scheduling to payment and all the things in between could be intriguing and flexible enough to get the job done; the question is how much student throughout is needed to justify the cost.
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But there's already a zillion scheduling/payment solutions. And it's not like an independent CFI really needs a scheduler... Nor a custom payment solution.

TCABM said:
The other big question is how many different electronic tools does a CFI or school need in it’s toolbox? 61/141/aviation universities all have differing needs there so customization is necessary and customization is kind of the bane of OOTB solutions.
Click to expand...
Target market in the OP is independent CFIs so that should make it both easier and harder.
 
IK04 said:
I'll just have to remember to never charge the same amount twice.
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My father always charged a price that had all the digits add up to 13. Some CRM software could help with that sort of thing.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Target market in the OP is independent CFIs so that should make it both easier and harder.
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I would focus mainly on Independent CFI's because it would be much easier to market. But on the other hand large flight Schools would find more use with it. I guess I could have multiple plans based on how many active students they have. That might work.
 
TCABM said:
The other big question is how many different electronic tools does a CFI or school need in it’s toolbox? 61/141/aviation universities all have differing needs there so customization is necessary and customization is kind of the bane of OOTB solutions.
Click to expand...
I could make it like Liberty Mutual "You Only Pay For What You Need".
 
TCABM said:
On the other hand, a workflow based solution from scheduling to payment and all the things in between could be intriguing and flexible enough to get the job done; the question is how much student throughout is needed to justify the cost.
Click to expand...
I could base pricing on the amount of active students they have.
 
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