A Payroll Report is a structured document that summarizes all work performed by employees during a specific pay period and calculates what they should be paid. In a flight school environment, it focuses heavily on instructor hours (flight, ground, sim, admin). This article explains how to run a report for payroll purposes.
Why It Matters
An Instructor Payroll Report is important because it connects training activity to accurate compensation, allowing a flight school or training center to operate smoothly, fairly, and profitably. Here’s a clear breakdown:
Steps to Build Report
Use the Flight/Class Detail report in FSP Reporting:
Access Reporting: Log into Flight Schedule Pro and go to Reporting
Select Create -> Build Analysis
Select a Dataset: Choose “Flight/Class Details”
Configure Parameters:
Include Fields (additional as desired): Flight Date, Aircraft, Instructor, Instructor Type, Reservation Number, Total Flight Time, Total Instruction, Total Ground Instruction, Flight Instruction, Ground Instruction, Activity Type
Any additional Instruction Hours as desired - Ex: Administrative Time, Office Hours Instructor Hours, Staff Meeting Instruction Hours, etc.
Select Data to Join: Choose “Reservation Detail (from Flight/Class Detail”
Configure Parameters:
Include Fields (additional as desired): Reservation #, Reservation Status, Training Session #, Training Status
Group Parameters
Group by Instructor
Filter Parameters
By Instructor
Filter by Instructor Not = (blank)
This will remove any reservations that don’t have an instructor assigned.
By Date
Apply a date range filter to capture only the records relevant to the desired pay period.
By Reservation Status
Adjust the Reservation Status filter to ensure the report reflects only the reservation categories you need to analyze.
Save the report
Actions to Take
Once the report has been built and you have the data needed, export the report in FSP to an Excel File.
The information in this report can be entered into your payroll system to ensure instructors are compensated accurately.
Best Practices
Use Consistent Pay Period Date Ranges
Always apply the exact start and end dates of the pay period. Consistency ensures accurate comparisons, prevents missed hours, and avoids duplicate payroll entries.
Standardize Hour Categories
Define clear, consistent categories for instructional time—such as flight, ground, simulator, administrative, and meeting hours. Standardization reduces confusion and keeps reporting aligned across instructors.
Group by Instructor for Clarity
Grouping the report by instructor consolidates all activity in one place, making it easier to review individual totals, verify accuracy, and identify discrepancies before processing payroll.
Exclude Incomplete or Invalid Records
Filter out entries without an instructor assigned or with missing instructional categories. This ensures only valid, payroll-relevant activity is included.