The genesis of LifeStyle Aviation probably comes from way back in the 80s. It was go-go
time in the computer business. I started a high-tech business with another fella,
but I also became a pilot right before that, so I was completely addicted to aviation;
but I didn't have time to indulge that love and that passion... I was off flying on airliners
all over the world setting up distribution for our tech company. But I said to myself,
I said gosh you know one of these days when they put these beautiful sleek composite airframes that
were the experimental guys were doing back in the 80s and 90s together with these glass panel
computer screens, I was like wow that's going to be magic! We're going to have like magic carpets.
I thought it was going to happen any minute you know I was thinking about 1989, 1990.
Surely somebody's going to build some computerized sleek aircraft. You know what it didn't happen.
In 2002 I sold that computer company and I decided in that moment I would go into the
aviation industry and I began exploring and learning about what had been going on. Well
what had actually been going on was for all of the 80s and 90s the industry was basically shut down.
It was only about the turn of the century that new manufacturers came along with new
designs the likes of Columbia Aircraft, Cirrus Aircraft, Diamond Aircraft. It was
not until 2004 that the confluence of composite airframes really came together
with computerized modern aviation technology.
It was in that moment that I said I want to be involved in that transition of that technology.
i was kind of coming out of the military at the time flying these old dinosaurs with
the steam gauges so I didn't really know any better when I stepped foot into this GA world.
I'm all about safety. I've got a wife I've got two kids. When we go up flying,
it's very important to me that they're protected. Diamond set themselves apart from the very get-go,
and they focused on safety. So you get what you emphasize right!
Looking at the industry, Diamond Aircraft was without question the most innovative. By 2000,
they had introduced the DA40, a modern, safe platform. By 2004, they were the launch customer
for G1000 for the whole new suite of avionics. They'd already come to market by 2006 with a twin,
diesel, FADEC controlled airplane. Absolutely unheard of! Nobody had designed a twin in 40
years. I remember my first flight in a Diamond Aircraft. It was a DA40 NG, and it was a night
flight over Raleigh-Durham Airport. When I tell you I was smitten with this airframe, the engine,
the ease of the controls, and frankly just the visibility that you see out of this canopy,
I remember seeing the lights of the city, feeling the power of this JET-A burning engine,
and just feeling so much emotion as I thought to myself, "well goodness this is what aviation
is all about!" I approached Diamond and said that I saw an opportunity to help them
evolve and grow their customer potential because I could apply the expertise I had in computers
with a natural entrepreneurial spirit and a sales mentality where I just love helping people.
Because I didn't have anything to risk, maybe that's why it went so well; but everything went
fantastic. I loved the industry, I love the people, I love the technology. So I
started here as an intern actually. So I was washing airplanes basically since day one. And
at the time, it was just a couple people in the organization, and we were effectively, you know,
trying to hold the banner of modern aviation. I had the blessing of watching, you know, this
company transition from a pretty small startup to now where we are today and then where we will be
in a couple years as well, so it's very exciting and our goal is to continue to bring on passionate
individuals who want to help people through the process of evaluating modern aviation to be
transitioned into their lives. My experience when I first started to work for LifeStyle was that we
are truly on the cutting edge of something extremely exciting. Modern aviation is here.
You can walk out to your hanger, fly a plane that's safe, fun, it's economical, it's easy,
and just have a total blast. I love being able to bring that to our clients and customers.
I'm so proud of the team that we've built here at LifeStyle. These folks are just absolutely
extraordinary human beings, and the best part is we're all working under one premise: we are
here to help people discover and explore and find that aviation potential that they're looking for.