Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon & Heidi Lambeth.
Hi Jon & Heidi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Dragonfly Aviation has pretty humble beginnings – we were simply looking for a way to purchase an airplane and have it earn enough money to pay for itself. At the time, Jon was working as an airline pilot and Heidi had a full-time job as a graphic designer and the plan was for Jon to instruct one day a week on his days off. We had calculated he needed four consistent students to make it work. Within a few weeks of opening in 2014 we had those four students…and then another, and another until Jon was instructing all of his days off and Heidi was running the business side of things on her days off. Before we knew it, we had to hire another instructor who could work the days Jon couldn’t. We also started getting more interest from local pilots looking for aircraft rent so we began looking for another aircraft. By the end of 2015, we were able to purchase two more aircraft and an FAA-certified flight simulator, as well as hire more flight instructors, which enabled us to greatly expand our offerings and business hours. Dragonfly Aviation has since expanded to a fleet of ten aircraft and the ability to provide training from zero time all the way through Multi Engine Instructor ratings. We have been blessed to receive AOPA’s (Airline Owner’s and Pilot’s Association) Distinguished Flight School award four years in a row (every year since AOPA began the award). This award is based 100% on customer responses to their annual flight training survey. June 2022, we celebrated our eighth year in business and hoped to be able to continue for many more.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! Everyone has some bumps and bruises along the way. One of our biggest challenges in the beginning on the business side of things is finding financing for aircraft. Most banks are skeptical of financing an airplane for a flight school (or anyone for that matter), but as we grew and established relationships with more local places, that at least has become a little easier. Flight Training is also very susceptible to economic changes, fuel prices, and weather. We have to convince people that we are where they want to spend their disposable income and that we are worth the drive to Winder. Obviously, we don’t have any control over the weather, but know that if you’re depressed because it’s been raining and cloudy for a week, it’s nothing compared to how we feel watching our airplanes sit on the ramp not flying!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Dragonfly Aviation?
We provide flight training from zero time all the way through multi-engine instructors. You can walk in the door never having flown a plane and end up working as an instructor for us within a couple of years, depending on how often you schedule yourself to be here! We also rent out all of our aircraft to those who have completed training with us or someone who comes in with a pilot certificate already and completes our rental checkout process. We pride ourselves on quality instruction in modern, quality airplanes. Our fleet is continuously being upgraded as needs and new technologies arise, and we have a full custom syllabus we follow for training all ratings.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, Jon always had his eyes on the sky anytime he heard an airplane. His mom encouraged his interest in aviation and purchased him a Discovery Flight when he turned 13, and he never looked back.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DragonflyAv.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/DragonflyAvWDR
- Facebook: facebook.com/DragonflyAv
Image Credits
Dragonfly Aviation
