SAN DIEGO / PALOMAR 800-482-5411
| Airport | Host FBO |
| McClellan - Palomar Airport, Carlsbad, CA | Western Flight Services |
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AirShares offers equity ownership of Cirrus AirShares Elite Acquires iFly
June 9, 2008 – (Atlanta, GA) – Professionally managed aircraft pioneer AirShares Elite announced today that it has purchased iFly, the world’s first exclusive aero club, effective immediately. The acquisition will extend AirShares Elite’s penetration in the Southern California market while greatly expanding the network of iFly’s Los Angeles and San Diego-area members.
AirShares Elite CEO David Lee foresees the acquisition providing significant benefits for the customers of both companies. “AirShares is the largest national shared ownership program and iFly runs the biggest program in the Los Angeles / San Diego market. Together, we will offer our customers an even greater range of flying experiences – more planes in more locations, with a larger, more experienced and more capable organization. The new organization will be a plus for all of our owners.”
The company will operate a fleet of Cirrus SR22 G3 Turbo aircraft in the Southern California market, which iFly Chairman Andrew DeMond believes will provide even greater utility to iFly’s members, who previously flew iFly’s fleet of normally aspirated Columbia (now Cessna) 350s. “AirShares and iFly have been the innovators and market leaders in our respective markets; now, we can move forward together,” DeMond said. “For iFly’s California members, the combination with AirShares lets them move up to a turbo-normalized aircraft ideally suited to the West Coast market.”
AirShares Elite will provide access to its transition training program to iFly’s members, enabling them to begin flying its fleet of Cirrus aircraft within the next few weeks.
David Lee , Regional Director – dlee@AirSharesElite.com
Aviation and building businesses have always been among David’s passions. Before founding AirShares, David held several positions with the Plastech Corporation in Atlanta. He began his career there in Corporate Sales, moved into Production Management, and eventually was named Chief Operating Officer. As COO, David expanded production to include a highly profitable line of proprietary aerospace and medical products.
David received his Private Pilot rating at age 16 and currently holds Commercial, Instrument and Helicopter ratings. David has nearly 3,500 hours of flight experience in a variety of helicopters, high-performance, vintage and warbird aircraft. In 1992, David placed fifth out of thirty-four teams participating in the first "Around the World" air race and has crossed the Atlantic three times in light aircraft. He was born and raised in Atlanta and holds a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Vermont. In college, David founded a ski apparel business, "Lupine Activewear," which he ran for 2 years before selling upon graduation.
Kevin Price, Regional Director – kprice@AirSharesElite.com
Kevin opened the New York metropolitan area office in 2002. Prior to joining AirShares, Kevin worked for an investment research and management firm in New York City. Having spent half his life living overseas, Kevin attended and graduated from Bucknell University in 1993 with a degree in economics. He is currently a student pilot and manages AirShares operations in New York, Philadelphia, Tampa and Washington, DC.
Richard Bertoli, Regional Chief Pilot / Operations Manager - rbertoli@AirSharesElite.com
An active member of the Cirrus Standardized Instructor Program (CSIP) and an expert on GPS for IFR operations, Rich continues to ride the cutting edge of aviation, from advancements in flight training technology to human factors study and adult learning concepts. He was instrumental in the acceptance of AirShares Elite's SR22 Transition Training Program by the FAA Industry Training Standards (FITS) partnership and has also made major contributions to Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program (CPPP) presentation material. He has appeared on CNN and numerous local networks as an aviation consultant and representative of the Cirrus flight training community.
Rich believes that flight safety requires a commitment to education from not only the flight instructing community, but also the weekend private pilot. When a critical decision needs to be made, knowledge is more than just power. Hurtling through the clouds at over 200 mph, several thousand feet above the ground, it could be the difference between a successful mission and a very bad day.
Justin Beitler - Sales Executive - jbeitler@AirSharesElite.com
Aviation has always been a passion for Justin. After earning his pilot’s license at the age of 19, Justin went on to become the youngest graduate of the Eurocopter Helicopter Flight School in Dallas, Texas. Since then, Justin has expanded his flying credentials to include flying fixed wing aircraft, and has been flying Cirrus SR aircraft since 2003.
After earning a Bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University in 2004, Justin served as a recruiter and staffing manager for a healthcare staffing company in Chicago. In 2008, Justin decided to pursue his passion for aviation, and he joined the AirShares Elite team full time.
Are you ready to fly the Cirrus SR22 and make your flying more effective? Call us today at 800-482-5411 or click here to have an AirShares Elite professional contact you.
- Steve K.
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