business aviation Posts

Join Brad at the 2012 AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs

I’ve been asked to speak again at this year’s 2012 AOPA Aviation Summit which will be held October 11-13th in Palm Springs, California.

I’ll be a panelist on an educational seminar entitled “Light Business Airplane Conference: Mission Critical: Using Aviation to Grow Your Business”This seminar is being presented as a collaboration between the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).  It will be moderated by Mike Nichols who is the Vice President of Operations, Education, and Economics for NBAA.

The focus of this seminar pertains to using general aviation airplanes for your business needs.  Myself and the other panelists will explain exactly how we’ve used our airplanes to grow our companies and enhance our lives.  I can honestly say that our company wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for our Turbo SR22 Cirrus Aircraft and the huge advantage it’s provided to us over our competition.  Information presented will be packed with real world experience showing how using GA in your business is not only possible, but will be a game changer for your organization.  There will also be plenty of time for Q&A to get answers from panelists and the NBAA regarding business aviation usage.

Mark your calender to spend October 11-13th in Palm Springs, California with myself and other aviation enthusiasts and professionals for a fantastic event you won’t want to miss.  My particular panel session will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM in the Mojave room at the convention center.

You can register for the 2012 AOPA Aviation Summit by visiting https://www.aopa.org/summit/.

You can learn more about the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) by visiting https://www.nbaa.org/.

 

Brad’s NBAA Flight Plan Interview: Does Being a Pilot Make You a Better CEO?

I recently had the privilege of flying with Pete Combs who creates the Flight Plan Podcast series for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).  As we cruised several thousand feet above the mountains in Northern Georgia, he conducted an airborne interview regarding my thoughts on a recent study about CEO’s who are also pilots.  The study itself was very interesting, indicating that CEO’s who are pilots take more risks in business, and often times have more success because of their higher risk tolerance.  While I agree with the premise of the conclusion, I think there may be one additional element that leads to this success.  Sure, pilots inherently take more risks than others, but they also tend to be masters of risk management.  This risk management begins with a thorough pre-flight, continues with completing checklists before the engine is even started, and is present during every single phase of the flight itself.  There’s a constant thought process of, “what am I going to do if xyz occurs.”  This thought process concerning risk management occurs in the very same manner with business operations I encounter daily.  I’m apt to take calculated risks to grow my business, yet at the same time in the back of my mind I’ve got a plan B, plan C, and in many cases even a plan D for the worst case scenario.  Therefore, I think that it’s more than just a higher risk tolerance that makes CEO’s who are pilots more successful, but rather a higher degree of risk management ability as well which is reinforced every time a CEO steps into the cockpit or the boardroom.

You can read a full article, Does Being a Pilot Make You a Better CEO? by clicking here.   At the bottom of the article there’s the full audio portion of the interview.  I’ve also included a link directly to the audio interview here for your convenience.

Read the Full Article at the NBAA Site:  Does Being a Pilot Make You a Better CEO?
Listen to the Full Audio Interview:  Listen Now

Two Great Aviation Events – AOPA Aviation Summit and NBAA 2011

The aviation trade show season is upon us and the I hope that you’ll plan on joining me at two great aviation events which are happening soon.

The first is the 2011 AOPA (Airplane Owners & Pilots Association) Aviation Summit which is being held in Hartford, Connecticut from September 22nd-24th.  I’ll be speaking at this event regarding utilizing general aviation aircraft for business purposes.  You can find out more information and register this event by visiting:  https://www.aopa.org/summit/

The next event is the 2011 NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) 64th Annual Meeting & Convention which is being held in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada from October 10th-12th.  I’m an avid fan of the great work the folks at the NBAA do each day to promote the use of general aviation and know this will be a fantastic event.  You can find out more information and register for this event by visiting:  https://www.nbaa.org/events/amc/2011/

I’ll see you soon at both of these not-to-be-missed aviation events in Hartford and Las Vegas!

My Next Plane is… The Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet

Now that the CAIGA-Cirrus merger is complete, I’m very optimistic that the production schedule for the new Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet will get a big boost.  I’m currently #75 in line for delivery once production begins and I couldn’t be more excited.  They already have a test aircraft in operation which is stunning, both in appearance and performance.  This aircraft is a game-changer – providing a true owner flown personal jet at with an operating envelope that’s well suited for this environment.  My current Turbo Cirrus SR22 has been an incredible asset to my business and I have no doubt the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet will help to take it to even greater heights – and get there even faster than ever!

Below is a quick video showing off this beautiful aircraft.  Soon it will be more than a vision, it will be a reality…

Business Jet Traveler Magazine – A Down-to-Earth Look at Flight Departments

I recently had the honor of being featured in an issue of Business Jet Traveler Magazine.  The article focuses on three companies who use general aviation to successfully grow their businesses.  I currently fly a Cirrus SR22 Turbo which has allowed me to have countless numbers of face-to-face meetings with customers and suppliers that couldn’t be accomplished in a timely manner using commercial airline service.  I also have a first year delivery order position secured for a Cirrus Vision SF50 Jet which will allow for more speed and more business opportunities.

You can read the complete article in Business Jet Traveler Magazine.

The article is also available:

Online: https://www.bjtonline.com/print-article/article/a-down-to-earth-look-at-flight-departments-2565.html

In PDF Form:  Business-Jet-Traveler-100110-Down-To-Earth-Look-At-Flight-Dept.pdf

I hope that you enjoy reading the article!