The
company is essentially a one-plane, one-pilot airline service that has all the
certifications of the larger commercial airlines but with the personalized
attention available on corporate planes.
The
charter service has a recently refurbished and rebuilt 1976 Aerostar,
which has new engines and paint and all new leather interior that seats up to
six.
The
plane originally was manufactured by the Ted Smith Aerostar
Corporation, which was located on the site where the Santa Maria Airport now
stands.
The
new cabin is now pressurized for all weather situations and high altitudes. “It
has all the bells and whistles,” Bagshaw explained.
“It’s
the fastest in its category. It easily travels at 260 knots at altitudes
between 18,000 and 25,000 feet.”
Bagshaw needs those altitudes because of the
mountainous terrain in the West. He doesn’t fly to areas east of Iowa, but he
does arrange private travel for clients who need to go to eastern states.
In
fact, he decided to start his own charter airline service because he saw there
was a need for this type of business. His original company made private travel
arrangements for people who wanted to avoid commercial airlines.
“I
helped people get to their appointments on time, but it took a lot of work to
find private planes available for this type of service,” he said.
“That’s
when I decided to find a way to make my travel business better for my clients.”
A
pilot for the past 14 years, Bagshaw grew up around
the Santa Monica Airport.
As
a boy he loved listening to his father’s pilot friends tell stories about their
trips to Hawaii and Alaska, and he also flew radio-controlled model airplanes.
One
day he flew with family friends to Santa Rosa Island in a bush plane and landed
on the beach at low tide. That’s the day he decided he wanted to be a pilot.
He
began flying lessons at age 15, soloed at age 16, and officially achieved his
license at age 18. During this time he attended school at Cal Poly in San Luis
Obispo.
After
he obtained his pilot’s license, he moved back to Santa Monica and worked for
the Harbor Patrol, living in a boat and flying whenever possible.
He
joined a flying club and also learned the maintenance side of responsible
flying.
He
began to work on other flying certifications, and soon he was asked to co-pilot
corporate jets on private flights – a job he still does occasionally. That’s
when he decided to provide a travel arrangement service for people who wanted
to fly on private planes, a business that eventually gave him the opportunity
to start his own charter service.
He
picked the Santa Ynez Valley, where he now lives, because of its proximity to
both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria airports, and because he had tried living in
the Ventura area and definitely knew he wanted to go north and “get out of LA.”
He
said he has had “great response” to his charter service and that word-of-mouth
has kept him busy flying his customers to their various destinations. “They
like the convenience of driving right up to the plane, avoiding all the
security hassles at commercial airports, and having the personalized service I
offer,” he explained.
He
has a rental car available at the airport when he lands.
The
flight includes hot coffee, snacks and a newspaper and magazines. Plus, the
charter service lands at airports that are more convenient to private travelers
rather than at the large commercial airports.
“I
handle the luggage and the security issues – it’s very convenient and there are
no hassles,” he said.
“It’s
a great experience – one of the best flights I’ve ever had,” said Nancy
Crawford-Hall, a well-known rancher and business woman in the Santa Ynez Valley
and publisher of the Santa Ynez Valley Journal.
“It
was convenient and personable, and I’ll definitely be using the service often,”
she added.
Bagshaw has taken families to Monterey for a
game of golf; clients to Sacramento for a government meeting; business partners
to Los Angeles for important seminars; and other groups to conventions in
Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Seattle; Helena, Mont.; Boise, Idaho; Calgary, Canada;
Albuquerque; Santa Fe; and to Iowa.
One
part of Bagshaw’s business is his airline maintenance
shop at the Santa Maria Airport.
His
assistant is Jim Foley, a helicopter and airplane mechanic who is retired from
the military.
“It’s
important to keep all the aircraft we fly in top condition because we could be
called at any time and we need to be ready,” Foley explained.
Bagshaw is a member of the National Business
Aircraft Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
To reach him and Air Santa Barbara, check online at
www.airsb.com or call (805) 686-0151.