Calling All California Flight Schools and CFI's – Support of SB619 Required

AOPA advises that very few of the 8,000 CFI’s in California responded to their informational email (see below) asking for support on AB 619.

The concern is that flight schools and flight instructors either aren’t aware of AB 48, or aren’t taking the legislation seriously. That would be a big mistake.

The consequences of lack of support of SB619 are severe. Without a waiver, flight instruction – both flight schools and individual flight instructors – will be subject to large fees (taxes).

Please see the CalPilots letter on this web site as well as several articles on AB48 and its negative effects.

Please do your part to support SB619.


AOPA Email

Dear Flight Instructor:

You may remember that last year AOPA and other in the aviation industry worked to delay implementation of a new law that would have imposed onerous regulations and fees on flight training. We were successful in that effort, and have postponed implementation until July 2011.

This delay has given AOPA and its other aviation partner’s time to find a viable long-term solution that provides consumer protections for flight students without damaging the many upstanding flight training institutions in the state. Since the delay was approved, AOPA has continued to work on this issue with our aviation allies as well as several key legislators and their staffs to develop that solution.

As part of that effort, state legislators have asked us to gather additional information on how the state’s initial efforts to implement the law affected flight instructors. This is where we need your help.

We know that many flight instructors asked the state’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) for an exemption from the requirements of the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (AB 48).

  • Have you (or your flight school) submitted a written request to BPPE for exemption from AB 48 provisions based on any of the current exemptions in the law?
  • If yes, did you receive a response from BPPE?
  • If so, what was the response? (please provide a copy if possible)

Please send your response by email to [email protected].

Thank you for your help! Please stay tuned for updates on this issue during the course of the legislative session.