There’s a new startup in town, it’s called “AAERO.” Their tagline is ‘innovation in aviation’ and that’s exactly what they’re doing.  According to the FAA, in 1980 there were over 827,000 pilots. In 2015 the numbers declined to an estimated 590,039 active certificated pilots. That’s a drop of 6,770 pilots per year. At that rate, the aviation industry would be as good as dead within 85 years.

AAERO is doing some cool things. When they first launched, they were planning on helping businesses within the industry get updated with technology and marketing. They would do this by redeveloping websites (many of which are more than a decade old), integrating new software automation solutions for flight schools & clubs, as well as promoting local airports to the general communities that surround them and inspire younger generations to have an interest in general aviation.

Several months into it, that changed. The AAERO leadership team realized there were very few ‘aviation businesses’ who were actually interested in change, or that could afford to invest back into the GA community. That’s when AAERO’s business model adapted. Instead, AAERO has been quietly developing an app (which I cannot disclose at this time due to an NDA) that is going to significantly change the way you and I travel and dramatically reduce the cost of air-travel as well as the cost of being an active pilot.

According to a recent conversation I had with one of their business development guys, they’re also incorporating tourism into their plan. Currently, AAERO has a 10,000 SQ/FT hanger located at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport and is in negotiations with the airport to open up their first travel center. I can’t go into detail too much about what this will entail, but it’s a plan that every smaller general aviation airport will need and want, in order to survive.

To learn more you can visit www.aaero.com. More to follow as information gets presented to me. Exciting stuff, it really is.