Supercharge your marketing with AI

The current iteration concerns itself mainly with language and data manipulation, and developers worldwide are scrambling to put the app's new capabilities to work in amazingly creative ways.

Although the technology is new and currently in beta, companies large and small are already using ChatGPT and related AI functions, and aviation is no exception. Airlines are using AI to track customer experience and baggage handling, as well as numerous other behind-the-scenes functions. Some observers speculate that, in the near future, airlines could integrate facial recognition into their marketing program to better target messaging based on customer flight history, frequency, and other preferences.

So how will all this whiz-bang technology affect your flight school? Is this just for the big guys, or will smaller schools and FBOs also benefit from AI? The answer is simple: It will radically change the way you communicate with your customers, manage your finances, keep abreast of industry changes, and use data to make important decisions. Other than that, it won't have any effect at all.

Imagine having ChatGPT research, copywrite, and publish social media posts based on recent events at your school. You put in names, dates, and accomplishments (for example), and ChatGPT (or other available AI applications) does the rest.

AI can contact your students via email or their social media accounts, reminding them to schedule their next lesson, and having that content be based on their most recent lessons. “CFI Bob says you nailed those power-on stalls and you're getting very close to solo. You just need is a little more work on emergency procedures and forward slips. Let's go flying!” All with little or no input from you.

Even a simple application of AI can compare revenue versus expenses for each aircraft in your fleet, include set-asides for maintenance and replacement, and give you immediate analysis of most and least profitability. This information could help you target your marketing to specific training segments. For example, if a particular airplane's revenue/maintenance ratio is out of whack, maybe it's time to target marketing messages to an audience that would better utilize that aircraft (e.g instrument rating, tailwheel, upset recovery, et cetera). Having real numbers almost automates the decision-making process.

One underutilized AI function that could be a great use to flight schools is Chat, allowing customers and prospective students to communicate with your school through your website and get immediate automated answers to their routine questions. We've all used Chat in other contexts with often frustrating results, as the automated responses lack human quality or the contextual detail that we need. ChatGPT promises to change all that, producing amazingly detailed responses in a voice often indistinguishable from that of a human. Possibilities include the ability of ChatGPT to provide answers to customer questions based not only on your input, but also industrywide data.

Imagine a prospect posing the question. “How long does it take to become a private pilot?” Now further imagine your ChatGPT response as, “Well, John, I'm not dodging the issue, but it depends on a of lot factors, including how quickly you learn and how frequently you fly. The government says you have to fly at least 40 hours in training, but to be honest it often takes much longer than that. The national average is now around 70 hours of training, but our school's average over the past two years has been 56.6 hours, resulting in a training cost savings of $2,496. That's why a lot of people prefer to train with us. Would you like to schedule an introductory flight?”

Existing students and customers can check availability of instructors and aircraft by voice and get instant feedback. “Sorry, Bob, CFI Jim isn't available on the 20th at 0900 but CFI Larry is. If you prefer to fly with Jim, he's available on the 21st at 1000, 1300, and 1500. What would you like to do?” All this with zero or very little input from you.

This level of Chat personalization is right around the corner, and savvy schools will start thinking about integrating this and other new AI technology sooner rather than later. Think of it as GPS for marketing; how many schools are training for the instrument rating without a WAAS-capable device in the airplane? Not many. And not many flight schools will reach their marketing potential without adopting some form of AI in the very near future. The question is, “Which AI applications are best suited for my school?” Maybe the best answers will come by asking ChatGPT.