An Entrepreneurial Profile by Kyler Houser

Transcription

1 I t is early May in a quiet valley in the northwest corner of New Jersey. The sun has yet to peak over a rolling hill, and the birds scour the dew-filled meadow in search of an early meal. The field is enclosed with towering alpines - greenery surrounding all the land. The meadow sips on two quaint bodies of water, separated only by two thousand feet of a grass corridor. A long congregation of white structures lies to the west, while the eastern land is home to more than thirty inhabitants asleep on the lawn. A glass enclosure is centered upon the white edifices, overlooking the field. All is quiet, and all is well. Then at last a yellow bird appeared from behind a smooth Appalachian hill, gradually growing in size as time elapsed. It produced a hum that resonated through the valley. Wings diagonal, he was slipping down from altitude. The tail swung to the inside of the turn, painting the picture of a teddy bear entitled Piper Cub. The avian took a rounded base leg that eventually smoothened out to final approach above the still lake. The flying machine cleared the body of water, swinging the tail back in alignment and leveling the wings at the same time. Its two large tundra tires met the grass strip with a small bounce, and a tiny wheel settled on the ground not far behind. The plane weaved towards the white hangars, eventually slowing to a halt as its propeller cranked down to a stop. A figure in a ball cap and bomber jacket maneuvered out from inside the fuselage. He stood up, collected his composure, and strolled nonchalantly into a hangar door marked, Andover Flight. Meet Damian DelGaizo. Ever since he was a young lad, Damian lead a life with a vision turned toward the sky. At 15, he enrolled into a flight school in East Hanover, NJ, a short walking distance from his home. By 16 he had soloed a Piper Cub, and at 17 he earned his wings. Damian fell in love with his new lifestyle in the sky, and so he began to exploit an array challenges that he could potentially master. He continued to earn a professional rating in Instrument flying, which allowed him to fly in the clouds and file extensive flight plans. He furthermore earned a Commercial license, which made him available to work for hire. He couldn t stop there, however. He went on to Multi-engine, Air Transport, and an endorsement in Tailwheel flying that alluded to proficiency on skis and floats. All of this flying would prove to be costly, and so he used this training to land himself a job as a mail carrier pilot. His 1

2 new job was to traverse the east coast by night and deliver mail in a dilapidated single engine Cessna 210. The occupation lasted him about 5 years, to the point where he was finding the operation too dangerous for the small hourly pay. At times, he would be flying through lightning storms that ferociously shook the plane to a force where Damian thought the wings would tear off the fuselage. And so he left the mail carrier industry and set his horizons on a new task, perhaps one that he would come to love. He earned his Commercial Flight Instructor licensure and decided to open his own business. Damian was going to share his experience of flying with others. In 1980, Damian seized an opportunity that would land him recognition as the top bush flying instructor in the country, in addition to three published instruction videos, and the chance to teach Indiana Jones how to drag his tail. Damian had taken his own dream of flying and discovered that he could drive a business that would allow him to no longer work a day in his life. He realized that aviation was a luxury available to only a small number of people: the affluent. However, he found that there was a lot of competition in the area, having nearly 10 other schools within a 50 mile radius. Realizing this roadblock, Damian needed to provide a unique service within his industry that could set him apart from the others. He saw that 90% of the other schools offered the entire package of flying licensure from primary training to commercial pilot. It was clear to him that he needed a niche, but what? He considered his entire experience with aviation and tried to find a niche that would drive a successful flight instruction business to success in Northern New Jersey. One thing he couldn t find anywhere was a bush flying training service, and he remembered the joys that that its complement of tailwheel training had brought. This type of flying would put a trainee in two passenger plane, tandemseated, with high wing and small wheel in the back. These tailwheel airplanes were specifically designed to overcome the challenges of isolated environments like the Alaskan tundra where landing on a riverside sandbar was the most accessible way to hunt and shoot an animal that you could fly back home to feed the family. This is the classic stick and rudder flying that many pilots desire today because, after all, it comes from the roots of aviation history. Damian wanted to provide the most realistic bush flying experience as he could deliver in New Jersey. He scouted different airports in the region of Northern NJ that could accommodate flight training, but in a way that could appropriately simulate a bush flying experience. After about a year of searching, he found the field that made him drop to his knees Aeroflex-Andover (12N). The field featured one of the shortest landings in the state at 1980 ft. and a grass strip that paralleled the paved runway. The original airport architect placed the runways directly in between two lakes in order to create an aircraft carrier 2

3 simulation. This type of environment would force a pilot to think fast; he must decide in an instant that if he can t land in a short enough distance, he must go around to avoid overshooting into the water. The grass strip and large alpine trees would also prove essential in order to create an ideal simulation for Damian s bush flying experience. The airport s placement in a valley of mountains calls for winds that barrel over the hills and spill onto the runway, creating one of the most challenging airports to land at in the state. An individual can expect knot crosswinds at any time of the day. A flight training business at Aeroflex- Andover airport would provide an experience like nothing else in New Jersey. Damian thought of a business title that could clearly state the service he was offering, and so Andover Flight: BUSH FLYING came about. He picked up an old friend as a right-hand man for additional customer instruction, and began to build the business of tailwheel flying. For over 20 years Andover Flight found success. Damian was constantly booked with clientele, both new and regular customers. However, in 2008, Damian decided that he would share his expertise by another means that would complement his practical flight instruction. He created a video called Tailwheel: 101 on behalf of producers with Barnstorm Pictures, LLC that would allow customers to virtually jump in the plane with him and learn the ins and out of flying tailwheel. He had expected that the video would reach a large audience of flying enthusiasts, but he also found enjoyment with the video production. He proceeded to make Tailwheel: 201, Beyond the Basics and Ski Flying with hopes that he could grow his business by demonstrating his experiences with all types of Bush Flying. Damian would come to find that the series of videos was an absolute success, as people from around the world flooded into the tiny airport for his Bush Flying services. Damian received a call one summer morning that would change his life forever. The man on the phone joyfully introduced himself as Harrison Ford and asked if Damian could teach him how to fly tailwheel for the filming of his upcoming movie Six Days, Seven Nights. Indiana Jones had already been flying for some time, but felt strongly that a stunt-double pilot was unnecessary in the upcoming blockbuster. Damian realized that Ford was coming to him to learn how to fly, and so he cleared his schedule and cancelled his appointments for the coming week so that he could accommodate the actor s tight schedule. Damian was challenged by this request not because of the fear that Ford would pull out the whip on him, but because Indy would be bringing his own airplane, specifically a DeHavilland Beaver. Damian had never flown this beastly airplane before, but was sure not to tell Dr. Jones that instruction could not be done. He jumped in the Beaver for the first 3

4 time and taught Harrison Ford like it had been the only airplane he had ever flown. In their short week together, the men grew a close bond and lasting relationship, simple by sharing the same passion for aviation. It became clear to Damian that Harrison Ford s approval would land him the best reputation for bush flying on the east coast. However, he wasn t ready to settle down with his business. Damian wanted to further expand the experience he offered through tailwheel flying, and so he turned to his right-wing instructor for suggestions. That right-wing man named John Tremper had delivered an idea that transformed the way Damian has done business ever since. Tremper was a long-time aerobatic enthusiast as an upbringing of many airshow performers. He knew what exact aircraft would bring in the money for aerobatic-style teaching. And so it came about that Damian purchased a Boeing Stearman and expanded the business to aerobatics on the summer weekends. Damian s revenue had nearly doubled by expanding his niche of tailwheel into something innovative and furthermore exhilarating. In the near future, Damian DelGaizo plans to add another instructor to the flight line. He currently has two instructors and finds difficulty keeping up with the four planes: the J3 Cub, a recently-acquired Super Cub, an old Cessna 182 Skyhawk, and the Stearman. He looks forwards to hiring an aerobatics-rated professional who can fly the Stearman on the weekdays, while he and Tremper fly the Cubs for basic tailwheel training. This would optimize the revenue that his business brings in. He aims to maintain a business model focused on delivering top-quality bush flight instruction to the customer, as the aerobatics aspect just adds a new flavor to the list of opportunities that tailwheel flying offers. My personal experience remains favorable towards Andover Flight Academy and Damian himself. I began flying with John Tremper at sixteen years old and immediately fell in love with the sport of aviation. At 17 I soloed, and had earned my wings by 18. I believe Damian s business provides a stronghold for the aviation industry with his uniqueness in the sport of bush flying. Although he does offer primary instruction, from which I have received my Private Pilot Certificate, it is largely unadvertised due to his popularity from Bush flight. John Tremper has given me many opportunities within the aviation community including experience in the Stearman, along with time in a Cessna 182 Skylane, aerobatics in a VANS RV8, and a 5-day trip to EAA Airventure Oshkosh in Andover Flight had allowed me to vastly explore the aviation community and the many opportunities that the sport offers. 4

5 For more information regarding Damian DelGaizo and his flight instruction services, visit: Andover Flight Academy Andover, NJ