Part 61 · Part 141 · Flying clubs
Flight Schools
Monthly books for flight schools and flying clubs, kept by an accountant with commercial flight training. Track training revenue, instructor costs and cash flow, so you can run the schedule knowing the numbers behind it are right.
Where flight school books go wrong
Block time booked as revenue
A student prepays for 10 hours. If that deposit lands in revenue, the month looks better than it was, and you still owe the student those hours. We record prepaid block time as deferred revenue and recognize it as the hours are flown.
No idea what each aircraft earns
One P&L for the whole school hides the airplane that loses money. We track every tail number separately in QuickBooks, so each aircraft shows its own revenue, fuel, maintenance and insurance.
Instructor costs you can't see
Instructor pay is one of your biggest costs. We track it by aircraft and by program so you can see what training actually costs to deliver. If your CFIs are paid as contractors, we flag the risk early and refer the decision to your CPA or an employment attorney.
Cash runs tight between checkrides
Student prepayments, fuel bills and maintenance rarely line up. A simple cash flow forecast shows the lean weeks before they arrive.
Leaseback owners paid from memory
Owner payments buried in general expenses make statements slow and disputes likely. We track what you owe each leaseback owner, so owners are paid accurately and on time.
Scheduling software that doesn't match the books
Most schools bill through scheduling software. We reconcile what it records to QuickBooks, so revenue and student balances agree.
What's included
Flight School Books
For Part 61 and Part 141 flight schools and flying clubs. A fixed monthly fee, quoted after your free consultation.
- Monthly close and reconciliations
- P&L for every aircraft, by tail number
- Prepaid block time tracked as deferred revenue
- Instructor costs by aircraft and program
- Cash flow forecast
- Leaseback owner payables and statements
- Year-end records ready for your CPA
Books behind? We start with Cleanup & Catch-Up, best scheduled November through February.
Based at Santa Monica Airport?
The City of Santa Monica plans to close the airport after December 31, 2028. A 13-week cash flow and a relocation budget let you compare moving, merging or winding down with real numbers.
Questions
Do you prepare our tax returns?
No. We keep the books and hand your CPA clean, reconciled records. We work alongside your CPA; tax returns and tax positions stay with them.
Do you work with flying clubs?
Yes. Club books follow the same principles: member dues, hourly aircraft rates and a clear view of what each aircraft costs to operate.
What software do you use?
QuickBooks Online, connected to the scheduling and billing tools you already use.
How is pricing set?
A fixed monthly fee based on your fleet size, transaction volume and how current your books are. We quote it after your free consultation, and it doesn't change with the hours we spend.
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