Airplane Academy: Tackling the Next Right Thing
18 Month Growth Plan
ETHOS STATEMENT
We encourage and equip aspiring, student, and licensed pilots to become competent aviators and aircraft owners to unlock the life-changing freedom and joy that comes with flight.
We do this by creating encouraging, transparent, and deeply practical content, and developing extremely useful products that simplify and organize the pilot’s training and airplane ownership journey
The Main Thing
The goal right now isn’t to scale for scale’s sake — it’s to do the next right thing, really well. Charlie’s focus is on building structure around what’s already working, tightening operations, and creating more margin for clear thinking. This phase is about maturity without losing momentum — strengthening the business without losing what has made it great.
Roadmap
2 Month Areas of Focus
1
FAR/AIM Books
2
App U/I Complete
3
Post Purchase Survey
4
Instrument Cards
5
2026 Planning
FAR/AIM BOOKS
Have the first batch completed
Integrate the sale of books into current process
Decide if we want pre-sale for the launch
APP U/I COMPLETE
Complete UI and move toward development
Have scope, timeline and release schedule (MVP, V2 etc.) nailed down with developer
Post Purchase Survey
Shopify plugin to immediately survey your buyers for up to 50% completion rates. Allows you to get an ongoing source of customer intel.
INSTRUMENT CARDS
1
Finalize review of FAA docs
Have cliff notes completed
Begin creation of individual flashcards
2026 PLANNING
Content Strategy
  • Cadence
  • Topics
  • Partnerships
Set goals for '26
  • Revenue?
  • Cards sold?
Additional Team Members
  • What roles do we want to hire for?
  • When do we want to hire?
5 Month Areas of Focus
Airplane Academy People Roadmap
Instrument Cards
Test Pricing
Increase Paid Search Budget
Begin App Development
2026 Q2 Planning
AIRPLANE ACADEMY PEOPLE ROADMAP
Begin the conversation around what roles can be hired to take a few things off Charlie's plate. Create the People Roadmap for team members to hire in the future.
INSTRUMENT CARDS
  • Have flashcard content completed (copy and images)
  • Begin review process with CFIs
TEST PRICING
What is the conversion rate as the price is increased?
What conversion decrease is acceptable if the cost is raised $30? $50? More?
INCREASE PAID SEARCH BUDGET
Once the price test is complete, ramp up Meta spend until CAC becomes unrealistic.
BEGIN APP DEVELOPMENT
Don't accept delays, hold them to their timeline.
Along the way add to the backlog for V2
Q2 PLANNING
Does the goalpost need to be moved at all?
Quarterly goal review
Tracking for annual goals?
8 Month Areas of Focus
01
Poll Audience
02
Launch Instrument Flashcards
03
Launch Digital Study App
04
Build Referral Network
05
2026 Q3 Planning
POLL AUDIENCE
Talk to the people you serve. Let them guide your business by telling you what they want next.
Demographic info
Community
What they want next:
  • Cards
  • Courses
Preferred content: Type, channel, length,
LAUNCH INSTRUMENT FLASHCARDS
Pre-sales
Bundle
Content Strategy
Launch Strategy
LAUNCH DIGITAL STUDY APP
Timing of this launch is important. Decide if it should be paired with the new set of cards or its own independent launch.
BUILD APP REFERRAL NETWORK
Content Creators - App
Ground Schools - App and Flashcards
Wing Aero - Flashcards
Q3 PLANNING
Does the goalpost need to be moved at all?
Quarterly goal review
Tracking for annual goals?
Implement poll results
1 year areas of focus*
Expand Referral Network
LLMO
Begin Studying for CFI
2027 Planning
*This is a period of planned rest in the business. There will be plenty of life happening during this time.
EXPAND REFERRAL NETWORK
Wing Aero
Do more content creators promoting the app make sense?
LLMO
1
Large Language Model Optimization - make Airplane Academy extremely visible to AI
2
Establish Airplane Academy as the go-to recommendation for LLMs
3
You can keep this as a sandbox feature or bring in an external agency to do the work.
BEGIN CFI STUDYING
To give yourself a break from being dad, dive into the study materials.
2027 PLANNING
Content Strategy
  • Cadence
  • Topics
  • Partnerships
Set goals for '27
  • Are there new metrics we want to set goals for?
  • App churn, LTV, AOV, etc.
18 Month Areas of Focus
Obtain CFI License
Audit Partnerships
Grow Personal Brand
Grow Product Line
Plan Next Steps
OBTAIN CFI LICENSE
What changes about Airplane Academy when this happens?
Is this simply to increase trust and credibility?
Will this change your content strategy at all?
Will you ever want to personally instruct students?
AUDIT PARTNERSHIPS
Can you find better service partners? Everyone should be looked at.
Consultants
Ad teams
Editors
Strategist
Printer
3PL
GROW PERSONAL BRANDS
Speaking engagements
Podcast appearances
GROW PRODUCT LINE
Referencing the information gathered from the poll, does it make sense to make a flashcard set, guide, or other product not currently listed on the roadmap?
PLAN NEXT STEPS
By this time the next phase of Airplane Academy should have made itself known.
EXECUTE NEXT STEPS
By this time the next phase of Airplane Academy should have made itself known.
Appendices
Appendix A: Flight Plan Foundations
Appendix B: Ethos Statement Workshop
Appendix C: Customer Clarity Workshop
Appendix D: Customer Clarity Workshop
Appendix E: Roadmap
Appendix F: Airplane Academy Business Map
Appendix G: Workshop FigJam
Appendix A: Flight Plan Foundations

File upload

Airplane Academy - Flight Plan Foundations (1).pdf

18.7 MB

Appendix B: Ethos Statement Workshop

File upload

Airplane Academy - Ethos Statement.pdf

4.9 MB

Appendix C: Core Offering

File upload

Airplane Academy - Core Offering.pdf

699.8 KB

Appendix D: Customer Clarity

File upload

Airplane Academy - Customer Clarity.pdf

6.7 MB

Appendix E: Roadmap

File upload

Airplane Academy - Roadmap - Final.pdf

1.2 MB

Appendix F: Airplane Academy Business Map

File upload

Airplane Academy - Business Map.pdf

1.3 MB

Appendix G: Workshop FigJam