Gustavo Sánchez-Sorondo (Head of Sales and School Relationships, Stratus Financial)
The connections you make at an aviation event can determine whether your school grows, stagnates, or closes. Here’s how to walk in with a strategy and walk out with flight school partnerships that actually move the needle.
Quality compounds. A handful of meaningful conversations beats fifty badge scans every time.
When you’re in a conversation, start with a question rather than a pitch. What’s the biggest challenge you’re dealing with right now? What does your ideal partner look like? When you understand what the other party needs, you can speak directly to whether you can help — or quickly recognize when it’s not the right fit, which saves everyone time and preserves goodwill.
On financing specifically — this is one of the highest-leverage flight school partnerships you can make. Students don’t drop out because they lose interest — they drop out because the financial infrastructure wasn’t in place to carry them through. Schools that integrate financing conversations early in enrollment consistently see better retention. When evaluating a financing partner at an event, ask:
- How are funds disbursed — by milestone or lump sum?
- How fast is the approval process?
- Is there flexibility if a student needs to pause training?
A good financing partner makes your enrollment process smoother, not more complicated.
Don’t overlook the other flight schools in the room either — they’re not your competition. A Part 61 school in Texas and a Part 141 school in California are not competing for the same students. Different geography, different regulatory framework, different pipeline entirely. But the challenges? Almost identical. Instructor turnover. Student financing gaps. Scheduling inefficiencies. Checkride prep consistency. That school in California has already lived through problems you’re dealing with right now. Ask directly: what’s the one operational challenge you’ve made real progress on this year, and how did you do it?
The schools that share openly tend to receive openly. The ones that keep their heads down walk away with business cards and no new knowledge.
After the event, follow up within 48 hours — not with a template, but with a personal message that references something specific from your conversation. Build a simple system to track who you met, what was discussed, and what the next step is. The schools with the strongest flight school partnership networks aren’t the ones with the most resources. They’re the ones that treat relationship management with the same discipline they apply to flight training.
That’s where AeroSummit stands apart from a typical trade show. Most events are built around content — panels, keynotes, product showcases. AeroSummit is built around the people running flight schools and the problems they’re actively trying to solve, bringing the industry under one roof so that pain points can be named openly and solutions shared directly. If you’ve attended before but spent most of your time with people who already know you, go back with a different approach. The flight school partnerships that change your school’s trajectory are waiting in the rooms you haven’t walked into yet.
Show up with a plan. Know who you want to meet. Ask the right questions. Follow through. That’s how flight schools build partnerships that last beyond the event.
About Stratus Financial
Stratus Financial provides tailored lending solutions to aspiring aviators, ensuring that the dream of flight remains within reach for students across the nation. Founded by pilots and financial experts, Stratus combines industry knowledge with flexible financing options to help students achieve their goals. Through strategic partnerships and an unwavering commitment to customer service, Stratus is helping shape the next generation of pilots. Learn more at www.stratus.finance.
School Relationships Contact:
Gustavo Sánchez-SorondoHead of Sales and School RelationshipsStratus FinancialEmail: Gustavo@stratus.finance