Navigating the World of Private Jets
Orin Anderson loves his job.
As director of business development for Pinnacle Aviation, he has the privilege of helping many people fulfill their dreams of private air travel. We asked Anderson about his company and what it is like to work in the aviation industry.
What services does Pinnacle Aviation offer its customers?
We assist jet buyers and sellers. We manage aircraft for jet owners, including vetting and hiring pilots, overseeing all aircraft maintenance requirements, and handling all administration, insurance and accounting requirements. We also operate the largest fleet of jets available for charter service in Arizona.
What’s the best part of your job?
The business aviation industry is truly magnificent. Working up close with a full range of private jets is very cool – but it is earning the confidence of the extraordinarily successful individuals who use private jets that is the most rewarding to me. Our clients have the resources to be discerning and hire the very best operators in the industry, so it is gratifying and validating for me, and our team of professionals, every time we deliver for them and live up to the high expectations we set for ourselves.
Can you tell us about a fun experience you’ve had in your role as business development director?
I am always impressed with the incredible teamwork and “can do” attitude of our aviation professionals. Every time the phone rings, the possibility exists that the next hours will be occupied with coordinating (often very challenging) travel logistics.
One fun situation that comes to mind is when my long-time friends, Mark and Carrie Schnepf, owners of the magnificent Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, called looking to charter a helicopter and surprise Cardinals wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald on live television. Each year in the fall, they create a 10-acre celebrity maze in a corn field that can only be seen from the air. Larry was unaware of the surprise that was waiting for him and a problem arose when a prior commitment would not allow enough time for him to drive to Queen Creek and return in time.
With quick coordination with one of our charter partners, we were able to arrange for the helicopter to pick up Larry at our hangar in Scottsdale, fly him to see the maze, capture his surprise and gratitude on video, land at the farm and meet with the press on the ground for live TV interviews – and return to Scottsdale in time for him to get to his commitment. Mission accomplished seamlessly.
As Larry was driving away, my phone rang and the desperate voice of another client asked if we could help him get to St. Louis later that day to tend to a family medical emergency. Our charter team went to work and within a short time our client was on his way. Every day presents new opportunities to help our clients.
