Jet Blast Thoroughbred Aviation, LLC.®

The Jet Blast team had their first repeat guest!!! We were able to work some time in with Jessie Naor of Grandview Aviation before she took off for a couple of events, including speaking at CJI London. When we first talked to Jessie way back in July of 2020 (why does that feel like a hundred years ago????) she was in the early stages of her industry involvement as an advocate for safe and legal charter operations. Since we had our first conversation, there were big changes at Grandview and she is now on the Board of Directors for NATA and the Executive Committee Vice Chair for the Air Charter Safety Foundation.

It was great to catch up with Jessie on all the changes at Grandview as well as how her path is taking her from advocate to icon as Nathan has now christened her.

We didn't have any goat talk this week, but Andy did get a haircut, so that was pretty big news. And Lee got out of going ice fishing again.

Jessie Naor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessienaor

Grandview Aviation: https://fygv.com

NATA: https://www.nata.aero

Air Charter Safety Foundation:https://www.acsf.aero


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Business aviation is booming, and the hype around different players has garnered interest everywhere, including private equity, SPACs, and venture capital, to name a few. In this episode, we had the opportunity to chat with Michael Riegel and gain insight into the current state of the business aviation industry, what the influxes of cash will mean, and how to interpret the data to look past the hype.

Unfortunately, Nathan’s airplanes got in the way this week, so Andy and Lee were on their own. After some goat and island talk, Michael dove in to give his perspective and answer questions a few underlying questions about financial health. You won’t find Michael on all the social media platforms, but he shares his thoughts and analysis on LinkedIn. Give him a follow and ask questions; the discussions in his comments are some of the best!

Michael Riegel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-riegel-mba-msc-fraes-963109b/


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When we think about business & private aviation, we usually think about luxury and convenience, it is the go-to perception and the most obvious, but it is so much more. On this episode Nathan, Andy, and Lee got talk to Sarah Kiehl and Stephen Burgess of Fireside Partners and we talked about how business aviation is an integral piece in stepping up when the unimaginable happens. Sarah and Stephen are part of the Air SOS team that helps people and organizations manage the logistics of bringing someone back home when they pass. 

We discussed the logistics and what it takes, but so much of it is encompassed in empathy, compassion, and a dedication to dignity for all parties. This discussion got a little deep, but these are the tough subjects that we need to think about. If you are managing people who are traveling and flying all over the world, you MUST have a plan and/or a contact for these types of situations. Do you address it in your ERP? Do you have a list of contacts to start moving and to help with the complexities of a tragedy?

As always it is the people that make our conversations educational and enjoyable and Sarah and Stephen are some of the best! We did take some time to talk about their volunteer work and causes that are very important to them and you can find the links below. Now you know, we did have to touch on Andy and his goats, but Stephen did say he could work out special plans if necessary. And if you didn't make the connection, Sarah is the mojo behind the legend that is Andy Kiehl. 😉



Fireside Partners Worldwide Emergency Response Specialists: https://firesideteam.com/


Fireside Partners Air SOS Program: https://air-sos.com
Wings of Love (wingsofloveaviation.org)



Sara Kiehl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-kiehl-9674981a2/


Sepsis Alliance
BEGIN AGAIN FOUNDATION



Stephen Burgess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-burgess/


Team Rubicon




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The one and only Erika Armstrong joined us for a casual conversation on all things aviation. If you don't know Erika, you must follow her on LinkedIn. Some of the best aviation content, a great combination of candor, conversation, evaluation, and fun from an exceptional pilot and true professional. We can cover so many topics with Erika; of course, we touched on her aviation story, her book, "A Chick in the Cockpit," training, the pilot shortage, and a few other things. We will undoubtedly have to have her back.

One takeaway from our conversation on pilot training and, of course, life, in general, is "don't focus on what has failed, focus on what is working."  We know how we can apply that to our personal and professional lives, but it is probably Andy's approach with his goats too; he is certainly not focusing on the failures.

Erika Armstrong on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/achickinthecockpitb727/

Get a copy of "A Chick in the Cockpit": https://www.amazon.com/Chick-Cockpit-My-Life-Air/dp/1933016140


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Taking a look at the big picture takes SMS (Safety Management System) beyond the paper and becomes a culture, our guest Tim Wade, Director of Environmental, Health, & Safety, at Constant Aviation takes us through their experience of becoming one of the first MRO's to be recognized by the FAA as having a single and integrated SMS and why it's working. Tim hits the high points of what makes a good SMS and how it needs to fit the people, not making the people fit the paper. Change the way people think and don't add extra work that doesn't make sense.

Tim and the team at Constant are always available to help out the aviation industry and are very generous with their time and expertise. Be sure and reach out if you have questions. Tim did point out that he isn't sure about the safety regulations in the ag industry, so Andy is probably alone in dealing with his goats.

Tim Wade on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/twade889/ 

Constant Aviation: https://www.constantaviation.com/


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A constant in aviation is that it is always changing and how flight departments operate is no exception. This episode we spoke to Andy Nixon's hero, the legend himself, Andy Kiehl with EJM. A graduate of the aviation program at Purdue University, Mr. Kiehl (easier to call him Mr, than Andy Nixon 😊), he started as an intern and worked his way up to his current position as one of their VP's of Fleet Maintenance. Our discussion centered around what does a management company do and what you should look for, what you should ask about when considering a management company, and some red flags. As always our discussions go in different directions and Mr. Kiehl also dove into how company culture drives how they operate and what it has meant to him and his career.



Mr. Andrew "Andy" Kiehl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-kiehl-5b07136/

Executive Jet Management (EJM): https://www.executivejetmanagement.com/s/




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