My flight school owner
and business partner
and I read with great interest
your article “All About Business” (Aviation for Women
May/June 2008). Wow did you
ever hit the nail on the head!
We have successfully been in
business now for one year and
24 days. Both of us came from
the corporate world and decided to start a flight school.
I have about 20 or so years of
teaching/training experience
as well as business and marketing background. My business partner has management,
financial and a Six Sigma
quality assurance background. So,
after much in trepidation and
planning, off we went to the
airport and set up shop. Owning my own flight school was a
dream ever since I started flying 12 years ago. We thought
long and hard before we took
the plunge; and yes the “nay
sayers” were plentiful and
abounded with negativity, but
ultimately have been silenced
by our success so far. Let’s
hope it continues!
Last year, speaking at the Orlando WAI
Conference on “Strategic Marketing for
the Professional Flight Instructor” I was
pleasantly surprised at the rather large
and interested audience. I was fortunate
to have my article “Paradigm Shift” on
the same subject published in the August
2007 issue of Mentor magazine.
After reading McMahon’s article,
many previously shelved ideas started to
resurface. I am presently thinking about
another seminar for the Atlanta conference on business development and marketing for flight schools in addition to
starting a business development network
for CFI’s and flight schools on practice
management, quality assurance measures, marketing etc. It’s great to know
there are others out there on the same
This painting by Stan Vosburg was awarded $250 by WAI
at the annual Forum of the American Society of Aviation Artists
(ASAA). Lightning Lady is a tribute to the Women Airforce Service
Pilots of World War II, showing a WASP standing in the cockpit of a
newly minted Lockheed P- 38 Lightning. The painting will remain
on display at The Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington.
pAIN TINg by S TAN voSbUrg – www.STANvoSbUrg.com
plaud and support you. In fact,
the convention inspired me to
finally take flying lessons in
earnest. I soloed three weeks
later and as of September I am
a private pilot!
Victoria Yeager (WAI #40001)
Penn Valley, California
I just wanted to write in and
say how much I enjoyed my
first WAI International Conference! It was my first return
to the U.S. after my stint flight
training in 2000 and then instructing in 2001. I really like
flying in the U.S. and longed
to return. After the struggle of
getting into an airline and settling down a little, it’s the first
thing I did, and I am SO glad
I did. It’s funny, coming back
to the U.S.—it felt like coming
home.
I think Dr. Chabrian is a really dynamic President and I am
proud to be a WAI member.
Sonal Gopujkar (WAI #8406)
Mumbai, India
page and who share the same passion.
Deanna J. King (WAI #15942) CFII, MEL
Atlantic Aviation VP Flight Operations
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Gen. Yeager and I appreciated the generous welcome we received at the
WAI International Conference in March
in San Diego. We always enjoy being
around such talented people. I recently
found a copy of the October 18, 1944 Stars
and Stripes. Long before Gen. Yeager was
famous for breaking the sound barrier,
he was achieving noteworthy and newsworthy feats at the ripe old age of 21. And
even then he was a fan of Women in Aviation, particularly those WASP. You can
see more at www.chuckyeager.com.
WAI does a wonderful job and we ap-
Wow! That is all I can say
after attending my first
WAI International Conference. I didn’t expect there to be so much excitement, energy and enthusiasm and I can honestly
say that now, having seen a Conference
first hand, it has given me a new clarity
as to what WAI is all about. Thank you for
the continued opportunity to be a part of
the Women in Aviation family.
Al Struna (WAI #600040)
Flying Magazine
New York, New York
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We encourage you to submit letters to the
editor. Letters may be edited for length
and clarity. Mail should be addressed to
Aviation for Women, 18735 Baseleg Avenue, North Fort Myers, FL 33917. You can
fax your letter to (239) 567-2271, or send
via E-mail: alaboda@wai.org. ✈
