More Right Rudder

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“Zero to hero.” Airline career promises. Guaranteed timelines. Exact training costs.

How much of what prospective pilots hear in flight training advertising actually reflects reality?

Beth Stanton, NAFI’s director of publications and editor, talks with flight instructor and flight school owner Dustin Kurath about ethical flight training marketing and the responsibility aviation professionals have to set realistic expectations for students.

Kurath discusses the warning signs he sees in today's market, including aggressive marketing, large upfront deposits, expensive training loans, and promises that may not account for the realities of learning to fly. He also explains why he believes a good flight instructor should sometimes tell a student to pause training, reconsider their goals, or even pursue a different path.

Kurath’s philosophy is straightforward: success isn't necessarily about getting every student through flight training. It's about helping people make good decisions and succeed, whatever path they ultimately choose.

NAFI members have exclusive access to Kurath’s article “Ethical Flight Training Marketing” in the September-October issue of Mentor magazine.

Thank you to Sporty's for sponsoring this episode.

Not yet a NAFI member? Join today at https://www.nafimentor.org/become-a-member

In this episode of More Right Rudder, host Sarah Staudt welcomes back Bill Snodgrass to discuss the full implementation of the MOSAIC final rule. The conversation centers on the regulatory shift from rigid Part 1.1 definitions to the new Part 22 Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) category, a change designed to allow airworthiness and consensus standards to evolve rapidly without waiting on cumbersome FAA rulemaking processes. Snodgrass breaks down the inner workings of the ASTM F37 committee, explaining how more than 400 international members—including manufacturers, legal experts, pilots, and civil aviation authorities—vote and build consensus on the safety and manufacturing guidelines that govern these aircraft.

The discussion highlights how Part 22 dramatically expands aircraft capabilities, allowing for higher speeds up to 250 knots, maximum gross weights up to 3,000 pounds, four-seat designs, retractable landing gear, constant-speed propellers, multi-engine configurations, electric propulsion, and turbine engines. Snodgrass and Staudt clarify that while Part 22 fundamentally reshapes aircraft airworthiness, sport pilot privileges are now tied to specific performance thresholds. For flight schools and instructors, modern Part 22 LSA aircraft can offer significant operational advantages, including ultra-low fuel burns between 2.8 and 5 gallons per hour, simplified maintenance under light-sport repairman certificates, and access to cutting-edge glass cockpit and safety technologies.

Thank you to Gleim Aviation for sponsoring this episode.

Join NAFI today to gain access to exclusive content, mentoring opportunities, and a community of dedicated CFIs. Join here: https://nafimentor.org/become-a-member/ Flight school marketing is about much more than having a website. In this episode of More Right Rudder, Sarah Staudt talks with Tim Jedrek, founder of Right Rudder Marketing, about the strategies that help flight schools and independent CFIs attract, convert, and retain students. Tim shares his journey from manufacturing to aviation entrepreneur before breaking down his five-part Flight School Marketing System, covering website design, SEO, online reputation, paid advertising, CRM systems, and the business metrics that drive sustainable growth. Whether you're managing a growing flight school or building your own instruction business, this episode offers practical marketing insights you can start applying today.

In This Episode:

Tim's journey from manufacturing to aviation entrepreneur

The five-part Flight School Marketing System

Website design that converts visitors into students

SEO and online reputation management

Google and social media advertising

CRM systems and lead follow-up

Measuring marketing success with business metrics

Practical marketing advice for flight schools and independent CFIs

This episode is sponsored by Sporty's:

Join NAFI today to gain access to exclusive content, mentoring opportunities, and a community of dedicated CFIs. Join here: https://nafimentor.org/become-a-member/

What do flight instruction, medical education, and professional music have in common? More than you might think.

In this episode of More Right Rudder, Beth Stanton sits down with Ed Stefan, Gold Seal CFI, accomplished musician, and principal timpanist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, to explore the surprising parallels between mastering music and mastering aviation.

The conversation expands on Ed's Mentor magazine article, Instrument Approach: Comparing Flight Training and Musical Mastery, and complements the July/August 2026 Mentor feature, Teaching for Judgment: Shared Lessons from Medical Education and Flight Training, by Erin Dabney and the late Dr. Victor Vogel.

Together, they discuss:

- Why great instructors do far more than teach technical skills

- How deliberate practice builds lasting expertise

- The importance of finding the right instructor and developing a productive student-teacher relationship

- What aviation can learn from music and medical education about judgment, feedback, and continuous improvement

- The concept of "mastering mastery" and why learning how to learn is one of the most valuable skills any pilot can develop

- How experienced professionals transfer lessons between seemingly unrelated disciplines

Whether you're a flight instructor, student pilot, aviation mentor, or lifelong learner, this conversation offers practical insights into becoming a better teacher, a better learner, and ultimately a better aviator.

#FlightTraining #FlightInstructor #CFI #Aviation #LearnToFly #ProfessionalDevelopment #NAFI #MoreRightRudder

Join NAFI today to gain access to exclusive content, mentoring opportunities, and a community of dedicated CFIs. Join here: https://nafimentor.org/become-a-member/

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, and many student pilots are already using tools like ChatGPT to study, ask aviation questions, and even help plan flights. The question isn't whether they're using AI. It's whether they're using it safely.

In this episode of the More Right Rudder Podcast, host Sarah Staudt sits down with Kauai Mansur, a private pilot, cybersecurity professional, and AI developer specializing in high-risk industries, to explore the growing role of AI in flight training.

Together they discuss:

Why today's students are already relying on AI as a "shadow CFI"

The biggest risks of trusting AI without instructor oversight

How AI can confidently provide incorrect or fabricated information

Why flight instructors should establish "AI personal minimums" with their students

Practical ways AI can improve studying, flashcards, and knowledge retention

How to use FAA publications as trusted sources instead of relying on general internet responses

Why AI should remain a learning tool, not a decision-making tool for flight operations

The FAA's approach to AI and personification

How CFIs can embrace AI without compromising safety

AI isn't going away, and neither are the students using it. This conversation offers practical guidance for flight instructors, student pilots, and aviation educators who want to understand both the opportunities and the limitations of today's AI tools.

Guest Resources
AI Study Guide & Handout from Kauai Mansur:
https://nafimentor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AI_Study_Tool_Guide_for_CFIs.pdf

Watch Next
Interested in another perspective on AI in flight training?

Watch our previous episode on how flight instructors can use AI to create lesson plans, training scenarios, and educational materials while understanding the technology's limitations:
https://youtu.be/BlGd5TolzgM