Russell Still, founder of Gold Seal and a longtime flight instructor, has already given away 50 passes to the company’s Private Pilot Online Ground School—and he’s not stopping there. Still plans to give away 50 more courses via the “Flying Relief” promotion starting on May 13. “We’re giving this to people specifically who have lost their job or income due to COVID,” said Still. “We’re trying to directly help the people who’ve been hit the hardest.”
Lisa Spencer was one student caught up in the coronavirus crisis—and she really appreciated the helping hand after she lost her job as a social media marketing agent in the tourism industry. “During this tough economic situation, I was thrilled at being given the opportunity to work with Gold Seal,” said Spencer. “I’ve learned so much since starting their ground school. This experience is helping to keep my aviation career dreams alive. They’ve really made learning fun, interactive and achievable. It’s something I look forward to every day.”
The course regularly retails for $199, with student monitoring and tracking built into the program—and flight instructors can join for free. Still notes that more than 2,000 CFIs have taken advantage of the free access to the course as well. The company guarantees that users will pass the knowledge exam and practical test after finishing the course, which automatically generates a signed endorsement following successful completion. Still has offered several webinars through the website during the past two months to help students stay on track as well. You can find more on Gold Seal and other apps in Flying’s Learn to Fly issue.
