Arming Independent CFIs and Specialty Flight Schools to Thrive with ORKA

In this episode of the Right Rudder Marketing podcast, Tim Jedrek hosts Adriana Barragan, co-founder and CEO of ORKA, for an in-depth conversation on how independent CFIs (Certified Flight Instructors) and specialty flight schools can thrive using the ORKA platform. ORKA is an all-in-one solution that helps instructors and small flight schools manage essential business tasks like scheduling, payments, marketing, and course creation through a streamlined learning management system (LMS).

Adriana’s journey began with a love for aviation and engineering, leading her to create ORKA as a response to the challenges she saw in flight training. She noticed how many talented flight instructors became overwhelmed with the administrative burdens of running their own businesses, leading them to lose their passion for teaching. ORKA was designed to remove those pain points and help instructors focus on what they do best—teaching students to fly.

Adriana’s Background and Vision for ORKA

Adriana shares her personal aviation story, beginning with earning her Private Pilot’s License and studying aerospace engineering in Wichita, Kansas—the “air capital of the world.” Her early career focused on flight testing in Savannah, Georgia, where she became more involved with the operational side of aviation. However, she soon realized that many issues in the aviation industry stemmed from human factors, particularly in pilot training. This realization pushed her toward creating ORKA, a tool that provides flight instructors with the resources they need to run their businesses efficiently while maintaining a passion for aviation.

She explains that ORKA’s name reflects the strength and tenacity needed to succeed in aviation and the passion that keeps instructors motivated. Adriana emphasizes that ORKA’s mission is not just about software but about helping aviation professionals regain their passion and purpose through supportive technology.

ORKA’s Core Features

ORKA is designed to be a comprehensive solution for independent CFIs and specialty flight schools, offering tools that take care of the business side of flight training, allowing instructors to focus on what they do best: teaching. Some of ORKA’s key features include:

• Landing Pages for Instructors: ORKA enables instructors to create customized landing pages where they can showcase their services and attract potential students. These landing pages are integrated into ORKA’s search engine, making it easy for students to find the exact type of training they are looking for.

• Defining Training Scope: Adriana stresses the importance of being specific about the type of training instructors offer. By clearly defining the scope of their services, instructors can better align with students who are seeking that particular expertise. ORKA helps instructors formalize their training plans and articulate the outcomes they promise to deliver, which helps set clear expectations from the start.

• Personal Scheduler and Automated Payments: One of ORKA’s most valuable features is its automated scheduling and payment system. Adriana compares it to having a personal assistant—handling everything from booking lessons to processing payments. This allows instructors to focus on teaching rather than administrative tasks like chasing down payments or dealing with scheduling conflicts.

• Integrating Media for Enhanced Learning: ORKA also enables instructors to incorporate multimedia—such as videos and other interactive tools—into their training programs. This feature allows instructors to create more engaging and effective learning experiences for their students, enhancing the overall quality of instruction.

Addressing Burnout in Aviation

Adriana highlights a common problem in the flight training industry: instructor burnout. Many instructors start out passionate about teaching but quickly become overwhelmed by the business aspects of running their own operations. This leads to burnout, which can cause them to lose their enthusiasm for teaching or even leave the industry entirely.

ORKA is designed to combat this by providing instructors with a supportive ecosystem. The platform’s automation of mundane tasks like scheduling and payments, combined with its marketing tools, allows instructors to reclaim their time and energy. ORKA gives them the freedom to focus on what they love—flying and teaching—while also ensuring their business runs smoothly.

Connecting Students with the Right Instructors

A unique aspect of ORKA is its focus on connecting students with the right instructors. Adriana points out that students today are often looking for highly specialized training, whether that’s tailwheel endorsements, spin training, or even advanced technical skills. ORKA’s search engine helps match students with instructors based on the specific type of training they offer, ensuring that both parties are aligned in their goals.

This feature helps students find the exact training they need, while also reducing the marketing burden on instructors. Instructors don’t need to spend as much time and effort promoting their services because ORKA’s platform does much of the work for them, connecting them directly with students who are a good fit for their expertise.

Future of ORKA and Innovation in Flight Training

Looking ahead, Adriana reveals that ORKA is exploring new features, including the integration of AI to further enhance the way students and instructors are matched. This AI-driven system will analyze various data points to help students find the most relevant training programs and instructors, making the process even more efficient.

ORKA is also developing a mobile app that will allow instructors to record flights and visualize them in 3D. This feature will not only be fun for students and instructors to use but will also contribute valuable data that can be used to improve training programs and even develop new insurance products tailored to the needs of specific instructors and schools.

Adriana explains that ORKA’s future is focused on expanding its ability to connect passionate instructors with students, while also offering tools that make the business side of flight instruction easier. By addressing the logistical and administrative challenges that instructors face, ORKA aims to help keep their aviation passion alive and thriving.

Marketing and Growth

Adriana also touches on ORKA’s marketing strategy, which is focused more on building relationships and providing value to its users than traditional advertising methods. As a bootstrapped company without significant funding, ORKA relies on word-of-mouth and direct outreach to connect with its target audience. Adriana believes that the key to effective marketing is showing genuine care and passion for helping instructors succeed, a philosophy that aligns with the company’s mission.

Tim and Adriana agree that while marketing is essential, the aviation industry is different from other industries. It requires a more personal approach, especially when it comes to building trust with flight instructors and students. ORKA’s approach to marketing reflects this understanding, focusing on building meaningful connections rather than just pushing out advertisements.

What’s Next?

ORKA is much more than just a software platform—it’s a support system for independent CFIs and specialty flight schools. By simplifying the business side of flight training, ORKA allows instructors to focus on teaching, helps students find the right training programs, and ensures that aviation professionals can maintain their passion for flying.

For more information about ORKA and how it can help you run your flight training business, visit Orka.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.