Speaker: Bruce Bennett, President of Aurora Aviation

The Tower Is Good News For Aurora Airport. Bruce Bennett, President of Aurora Aviation. Bruce Bennett had his first flying lesson at Aurora Aviation in 1975 while working during high school summer vacation as “line-service” aircraft refueler. After three years in Army Aviation as a technician he returned here as a student in the professional pilot course in 1979. At the same time, he worked aircraft maintenance at PDX. Continuing his flight training, he returned full-time in 1980; back on the “line”, then to flight instruct, in sales as a Cessna dealer, on to charter flying, moving into management and taking charge of the operation in 1986. Certified as an ATP, he has a Flight Instructor rating for single engine land & sea, multi-engine and instrument with type ratings in the Falcon 10, Beech-Jet, Premier-Jet, Phenom 300, and Hawker. He has acted as Aurora’s chief pilot, chief flight instructor, charter jet instructor, and FAA designated company check airman. In addition to being president, his current position is director of operations. Although 11,816 flight hours is not that many compared to most career pilots; having over 99.9% of that exclusively off the Aurora Airport may be a record! His flying has been primarily in the Northwest US but he has flown all over the country with dozens of trips to Mexico, more to Canada and as far away from Aurora as the Bahamas, Brazil, and London. When not here or in the air, he is with his wife Leann (whom he met here at Aurora Aviation; she is a pilot as well as realtor). They have three children.

Bruce will be on hand to tell us why the tower to be constructed at the airport to our south will be good for the community.