Pitcairn Flight Academy

Blog updated: August 16, 2024

https://pitcairnflightacademy.com/
https://pitcairnaviation.com/

I first came across David, the owner of Pitcairn Flight Academy, at FSANA (Flight School Association of North America) in March 2023. He had stopped by our table and asked a few questions about our services and how to market his business. He had just started his aviation business and had one plane.

A few months later in August 2023, he reached out to me and booked some time on my calendar. He was looking for help to grow his aviation businesses and was considering Right Rudder Marketing. At the time I was still working at the ADM Flour Mill in St. Louis, and it just so happened that the day he scheduled was also a surprise audit at work.

Contemplating what to do, I felt defeated. Here I was trying to grow my business, but at the same time my work was pulling me in another direction. Right Rudder Marketing was a one man show. I was doing all the sales and I was doing all the operations. After my 9 to 5 job, I would work on my clients’ businesses throughout the night and had very little sleep.

However, while I say it was a one man show… I did have a “team member” that accompanied me to the FSANA conference. That was my father, Tonie. In an effort to look more established and more authoritative, I asked my dad for help and for him to come along with me to the FSANA conference as my director of operations. At FSANA, David had met my dad at the conference so they already had a bit of rapport.

My dad and I attending FSANA in 2023

Back at the ADM Flour Mill, I was in quite the predicament. The factory was being audited and I was responsible. If I failed to perform, the facility could lose its certification and lose the ability to sell their products to customers.

I frantically called my dad and asked him to take this call and talk to David while I handled the dumpster fire going on at work. I remember thinking to myself, if only I could be working at Right Rudder Marketing full time, then I’d be able to take the calls from interested flight schools and grow the business. I’d be able to work and do the required marketing and web development in normal hours of the day. I knew that I couldn’t juggle two demanding full time jobs forever. This feeling ignited my passion to keep pushing harder and work diligently so that I could one day achieve my dream of starting a business and work in it full time.

My dad answered my call and initially rejected the notion of doing any type of sales call or consultation. He was traveling on a road trip vacation with my mom and sister and didn’t know how to handle a call like this. I pleaded with him to do it just this once. I instructed him to just take the call using his cellphone and have a conversation. Learn about David’s business and his needs. Learn the challenges that he was facing and then find and propose ways that Right Rudder Marketing could help out. I am very blessed that he accepted the task at hand.

So for one hour during the road trip, he pulled over to the side of the road and took the phone call with David and got to know David’s businesses. It was more than just a flight school. David was in charge of an FBO, a maintenance shop, a flight school, and in process of doing a Part 135 charter operation.

Eventually, one thing led to another and Right Rudder Marketing became partners with David’s businesses. My dad helped strengthen our relationships and took on the role of being an account manager. He did their onboarding, reviewed their data, and worked with me to create the first iterations of their websites. David’s businesses did not have any digital marketing present when we first started with him and his team.

We built and deployed his website, created his Google Business profile, ran their Google Ads campaign, and also introduced our CRM (customer relationship management) software to help streamline their sales operations. They’re Google Business profile went from non-exisitent to a fully optimized profile with 5 star reviews showcasing their authority and reputation. They’ve now grown to have 3 planes (with more on the way), a full flight schedule, and even hosted a junior aviator camp the other week. In a time frame of about a year, they’ve grown to a scalable highly reputable business that trains pilots everyday.

Junior aviator camp at Pitcairn Flight Academy

I cannot dismiss the fact that for any business to grow, it takes a team. When my dad took on the role and responsibilities of account manager, it felt like Right Rudder Marketing was finally going places. We were in fact a business and we were a team. It was not a one man show.

Later on, the Right Rudder Marketing team grew and my dad’s responsibilities were delegated to the team. But without my father’s help, Right Rudder Marketing would not be where it is today. One year later, my father accompanied me again to FSANA in 2024. We spent a lot of time with each other listening to the talks together and sharing meals. During the night after all the FSANA events were over, my dad and David went out and checked out the Vegas Sphere.

My dad, Tonie, and David hanging out at the Vegas Sphere after FSANA

Right Rudder Marketing still works with David’s team to this day. As they continue to grow and scale, they have new projects on the horizon. There’s some operational and regulatory bottlenecks we’re facing together, but very soon we will start helping David with promoting and marketing his maintenance and private charter Part 135 operations. I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to work with David’s team and see them go from no digital marketing presence to an established well known business.

David with Tonie and Tim at FSANA 2024

Pitcairn Flight Academy website screenshot

Pitcairn Aviation FBO website screenshot

Our flight school has been working with Right Rudder for almost a year now. They are an incredible group of people. We are so happy with them. Absolutely 100% if you have a flight school and need to work with them!

- Marisa, Pitcairn Flight Academy